Horticulture is a fabulous way to grow veggies and fruits in your backyard. There is nothing as good as a fresh tomato on a sandwich or fresh salsa. Use the common sense advice in the article below to ensure a bountiful harvest.
Plant seeds in pots that have a rich soil to give them a strong start. Once the plant is hardy enough, plant it in your garden. The period between plantings will also be shorter. After you remove the mature plants from your garden, you can immediately replace them with the seedlings and start the cycle over again.
Use the handles of your tools as a handy ruler when doing your outdoor chores. Tools with long handles such as hoes and rakes can double as measuring sticks. Place the handles on the ground and measure them. Label the distances on the handle with a marker pen that will not smear or fade away. You will never find yourself looking for a ruler thanks to this simple tip.
If your plants have a powdery mildew, don’t use expensive chemicals on them. A great home remedy is to mix baking soda with water and a little bit of liquid soap. You just need to spray your plants with this solution once every five days until the mildew is no longer visible. This method is not going to cause any damages to your plants and the mildew will go away slowly.
When winter arrives, transfer some plants into the house to save them. Your best bet would be try to save the best or most hearty plants. Carefully dig up the plants, using caution not to disturb the roots, then transfer into a pot.
If you want your garden to blossom with flowers throughout the spring and summer, plant some bulbs in it. Planting and growing bulbs is very simple, and once planted the bulbs will grow for years. Different bulbs bloom at various times, so choosing appropriately, you may have blooms early spring to later summer.
Allow enough room between plants for air to circulate, so that plants do not stay too wet. Excess moisture creates an appealing environment for disease and parasites. A fungus is one of the most important and debilitating parasites for plants. Fungicidal spray treatments can contain fungi, but spraying prior to problems even developing in the first place is the best way to go about it.
Try planting berry-bearing evergreens in your yard. These plants will look good year-round, even during the winter, when your other plants have lost their bloom. These plants come in several different varieties, including the Winterberry, American Holly, Cranberrybush, and Common Snowberry.
Pick a plant that will be a focal point. Your focal point will be the main center of attention for anyone who sees your garden. It can be anything, but oftentimes a plant that stands out from its neighbors will do the trick.
In order to maximize the efficiency of your horticulture, ensure your horticulture tools are kept close by you. You could do this by using a big bucket, or just wear old pants that have some deep pockets. Have shears, a trowel, gloves and other commonly used garden tools portable and easy to access.
Once your seeds start sprouting, they do not need as much warmth as they needed before. You should move your sprouted plants farther from the heat when they are past the sprouting stage. It is wise to take plastic covers off of the containers in order to eliminate humidity and excess heat. Watch your seeds closely to know how to go about this.
For your flower beds, organic material should be used as mulch. Two or three inches should be enough. Mulch discourages weeds and helps retain moisture while adding nutrients to your flower bed. What’s more, your garden will look professional all year.
Coffee Grounds
Using coffee grounds as part of your soil mixture in your garden is often advised for healthy plants. Coffee grounds contain many of the essential nitrogenous nutrients that plants are able to use. Plants need an adequate nitrogen source in order to thrive. Adding coffee grounds, chemical fertilizer, or diluted urea to your soil increases the soil’s nitrogen content and will help to make your plants grow faster, taller and healthier.
You can kill weeds naturally. Use a lot of layers of newspaper in order to achieve weed control. Weeds require sunlight to continue growing. By covering them with a layer of newspaper, you are essentially suffocating the weeds due to a lack of light. Newspaper decompose quickly and integrate into the compost. Add a layer of mulch on top to make it look more attractive!
When planting seeds you should cover them with fine soil. Determine its depth by looking at the seed’s size and multiplying it by three. There are some seeds, however, that you should not cover at all, since they need sunlight to germinate. Petunia and ageratum seeds need direct sunlight, for example. If you don’t know whether your seeds require sun exposure, check the seed package or search online for the information.
One odd but apparently useful tip for growing organic plants, is to lightly brush your plants with your fingers or a piece of cardboard 1-2 times a day. While it might sound strange, research has shown that this method can increase the size of your plants.
Use untreated wood, stone, or brick to build a raised bed. Make sure the wood you use is untreated and rot resistant. Cypress, locust and cedar usually work best. Treated wood can leach chemicals into any soil it rests against, so don’t use it in a garden with vegetables. If you have already used lumber that is treated, you can line it with plastic or another type of barrier.
Horticulture is a good way to have access to fresh fruits and vegetables. The vegetables and fruits that you pick will add your own unique flavor to the dishes in which they are used. Apply these guidelines in order to get the most out of gardening.