Organic Horticulture Tips That Everybody Should Know

~ craigb

TIP! Shoveling soil that is mostly clay can be difficult because of the hardness of the soil, and because it sticks to the shovel. One way to get around this problem is to coat the shovel with wax.

Gardening is well known for its therapeutic benefits and ability to completely relax and rejuvenate those who enjoy taking care of one. Gardeners are often faced with the questions of when to plant and what equipment to purchase. The tips you will find below will guide you through those questions and more.

TIP! A handy trick is to turn the handle on a tool that you use often into a makeshift ruler. Tools with long handles, such as rakes, hoes, and shovels can be converted into handy measuring sticks.

Your plants will respond better to gradual changes of environment. Try to place them in the new area for a couple of hours at a time the first day. Over one week, gradually build up the amount of hours you leave the plants outside. If you do this correctly, the plants should be able to make their final move at the end of a week’s time.

TIP! Insects and various garden pests can be avoided by making your soil healthy. Healthy soil leads to healthy plants with more strength to deflect those insects and various diseases.

You do not need store-bought chemical treatments for plant mildew. Mix a bit of liquid soap and some baking soda into water. Once every week, you should spray the mixture on your plants; the mildew will disappear shortly thereafter. This solution is perfectly safe for your plants and gently treats mildew in a short amount of time.

TIP! Plant cool-weather edibles in the fall. A hollowed out pumpkin can become a festive container for kale and lettuce.

Vegetables in a garden need to have at least six hours of sun every day in order to thrive. Many vegetables need about this much sun to grow quickly. It’s also the same for some types of flowers.

TIP! One way to correct your soil’s alkalinity is by amending your soil with used coffee grounds. Coffee grounds are an affordable means of adding acid to the soil so that it is pH-balanced.

Be sure to split the irises. You can increase the number of irises you have by splitting clumps that are overgrown. When the foliage dies, take the bulbous irises and lift them. The bulbs should split up normally in the hand, and should flower when replanted for the next year. Rhizomes may need to be divided by using a knife. Cut the new pieces from its outside and dispose of the older center. At the least, each piece will need to have one strong offshoot. You also need to make sure that you replant the new pieces as soon as possible.

TIP! If you’re a new gardener, it is vital that you follow the instructions when it comes to your chemicals and tools. Garden chemicals can cause skin irritation and eye injury.

You can keep pests away from your garden by using other plants or natural materials. For example, planting a border consisting of marigolds or onions can repel slugs. Mulch around the bottom of trees and shrub seedlings with wood ash to reduce unwanted infestation of pests. These methods are environmentally-friendly and mean you do not have to resort to harsh chemicals.

TIP! Broad-spectrum pesticide is not a good garden choice. These types of pesticides also kill the beneficial insects that eat the pests.

Read instructions before using any horticulture tool you aren’t familiar with, including pesticides or other chemicals. Use the tools only as directed in the instructions. Some of the chemicals in these products can cause skin irritation, or worse, if you fail to take this simple precaution. Keep your body safe and follow directions.

TIP! Plant with autumn colors in mind. This does not have to be so.

You should think about planting evergreens that yield berries in your garden. This gives your garden a bit of a “splash” of color, even in winter when everything is nearly colorless. Some plants provide color during the winter like the Winterberry, and American Holly, the American Cranberrybush and the Common Snowberry.

TIP! The ambient temperate of a room with live plants should be kept between sixty-five and seventy-five degrees throughout the day. This level of heat is required in order for plants to grow.

Broad-spectrum pesticides should be avoided in your garden. This particular type of pesticide will also kill the useful insects that consume the pests. Since these pesticides often affect the good bugs more than the bad, using them can actually increase your pest problem. This can cause you to actually use more pesticides than you originally needed to combat the problem.

TIP! If you want to start a small organic garden indoors, evaluate the amount of natural light that is present. If you live in a home or apartment that does not get great sunlight you may want to consider growing plants that are designed to grow in low or medium-light environments.

Use plants to get some autumn color. It doesn’t have to be this way, however. When it comes to vivid foliage, autumn offers the best opportunity to view it. Maple trees, Dogwood, and Beech trees exist in lots of Fall colors that range from deep crimson to yellow. Some very good shrubs to choose are barberry, hydrangea, and cotoneaster, which is a member of the rose family.

TIP! Pine needles make a great organic mulch. Some plants like acidic soil because they have high acidity.

Use horticulture to relax. You can relax and be at peace in many different ways. Horticulture is an excellent choice for calming your mind and soul. There are numerous returns based on a very small monetary investment. The best return on your investment is the feeling of happiness and tranquility from growing your own greenery.

TIP! You can use something like a laundry basket to gather all of your produce together when the time comes. This laundry basket can be used as a type of strainer for all your produce.

Be smart when you water your garden. Soaker hoses save time by watering all of your plants at once, rather than individually with a standard hose or watering can. Make sure that your water pressure is set to low, so that no harm will come to any tender plants. Watering your garden for a couple hours while you are working on other tasks is an efficient use of your time.

TIP! A great tip when running your own organic garden, is to lightly ruffle your seedlings with your hand or cardboard, around once or twice per day. Even though it sounds strange, it will help plants get bigger.

If you want to draw advantageous insects to your garden, plant some heather. Heather is desirable to bees; when heather emerges in early spring, it can be a source of nectar. Spiders, ground beetles, and other useful insects spend time in undisturbed heather beds. Because of this, don’t forget to protect your hands when pruning heather beds.

TIP! Brick, stone or untreated wood is great for building raised beds. Be sure to use wood that is naturally resistant to rotting and that has not been treated.

If you’re working to build a sustainable organic garden, try leaving a portion of your garden untouched so that the wildlife will be able to thrive. The kind of birds and insects needed for pollination will be naturally present on your property and help with your organic garden.

TIP! While gardening organically requires more work than gardening with the help of chemicals, the rewards are worth it. Growing your crops organically will offer the best reward for those who eat the foods.

Learn to work efficiently. Do not waste your time looking for tools. By keeping your tools in a certain area, they will always be ready whenever you are. Wear pants with several pockets or use a tool belt.

TIP! If you are wanting to create a new flower bed for your perennials, you just have to follow a few steps. Use a spade to slice beneath the turf and flip it.

You can cover your muddied gardening footware easily by keeping plastic bags around. You’ll be able to keep your momentum going without needing to take off your shoes, and stay on track with your horticulture project.

TIP! Buy a soaker hose if you plan to plant an organic garden. The water oozes out of the hoses, and it goes directly to the roots of the plants without watering everything around them, including the leaves.

Get your organic garden certified so you can credibly claim that your crops are organic. This will not only increase sales, but it will demonstrate to your customers that your products are legitimate and that you are doing what it takes to grow the best crops.

TIP! When preparing to plant a shrub or tree in your garden, consider digging a hole that looks ugly for planting them. If you create holes that have “glazed” sides created by shovels, it’s possible that one of those holes will restrict any root from getting into the soil nearby.

There are many rewards to gardening, but in order to do it correctly, there is a lot that you must know. If you have the proper advice and you plan out your garden correctly, your garden can grow quickly. A beautiful garden requires the right tools, soil, water and sunlight.