Having an organic garden is a great way to have access to healthy foods whenever you want them, which will ultimately lead to a healthier diet. However, organic gardening does require a commitment. You may be curious as to how to start the organic horticulture process.
Trying to shovel through clay soil can be extremely difficult and tiresome. Rubbing wax on the shovel prior to digging can kick this challenge to the curb. The clay will no longer stick to the shovel, and this also helps to prevent other problems like rusting.
Baking Soda
If mildew is forming on your plants, you should not purchase an expensive chemical. Mix a bit of liquid soap and some baking soda into water. Spray this mix on your plants every week and the mildew should go away. Baking soda will bring no damage to your plants, and will treat the mildew in a gentle and efficient manner.
When winter comes around, save some plants by putting them in the house. Think about saving your resistant plants or the expensive ones. Dig carefully around the roots and transfer the plants to a pot.
It is very important to keep the weeds from taking over in your garden. Weeds can truly ruin a good garden. Try using white vinegar to get rid of weeds. Use it instead of chemical solutions to kill weeds. So, if weed pulling is tiring you out, spray a white vinegar solution all over them.
If you would like to have flowers in your garden that last through the spring and summer seasons, plant bulbs. Not only are bulbs hearty and easy to grow, but they’ll continue to grow as time goes on. Different types of bulbs bloom at different times, so if you choose appropriately, you can have blooms from early spring to late summer.
Seeds should be soaked in a dark area overnight. Place some seeds into a small container, then fill it with water until it is almost to the top. This will give your seeds a good start by making sure they have plenty of water, which they need to sprout. This increases the chances of survival for the seeds.
You can plant wheat grass or cat grass near the plants that the cat eats. It may also work to add citrus peelings or mothballs to the soil of the plants, because the odor is unpleasant to cats.
Do not mow your lawn too short. By leaving your grass a little taller, you are allowing it to become stronger, as the roots grow stronger and deeper. When grass is cut too low the roots will not grow as deep, and your lawn may suffer from brown patches.
It is possible to use natural materials as well as other plants to help keep pests away from your garden. For example, if you plant onions or marigolds along the edges of your vegetable garden, you can ward off slugs. You can also mulch around trees and shrubs with wood ash, which drives away insects. These methods are environmentally-friendly and mean you do not have to resort to harsh chemicals.
Use a wheelbarrow and a kneeling stool when you’re working in your garden. Spending too much time on the ground working can be quite hard on your knees, and a horticulture stool can help alleviate this, plus make things more comfortable for you. Gardening also requires transporting heavy objects and lots of dirt, so purchasing a wheelbarrow can be a very smart investment.
Avoid using broad-spectrum pesticides in your garden. If your pesticide has too wide a range of targets, it can kill off useful insects that fight off other pests. The bugs you need are often more fragile than the ones you don’t: a pesticide could actually kill the beneficial insects while leaving the pests unaffected. When this happens, you will spray another round of pesticides to get rid of the pests, thus creating a never-ending cycle for yourself.
One particular plant should be the focal point of your garden. There should be a solid focal point for every good garden design. Usually, the focal point will be a plant that is unique from the plants around it.
When helping organic plants flourish inside, it is vital to keep in mind how much light is reaching them. If you’re living in a home that doesn’t receive much sunlight, you should consider growing plants that thrive in environments with low to medium amounts of light. If the type of plant does not help, you can always use lights to help.
Flower Beds
Cover your flower beds with two or three inches of compost or organic mulch. Mulch discourages weeds and helps retain moisture while adding nutrients to your flower bed. Your flower beds should also look beautiful all year long.
Creating a trap with beer can help reduce the number of slugs in your garden. First, place a glass canning jar in the soil, burying it until the mouth is even with the surface of the soil. Fill that with beer just under an inch from the top of your jar. The beer helps attract slugs and they end up trapped.
You can grow a great organic garden if you decide to dedicate your time and efforts to it. In addition, it’s true that you must be consistent if you want to see results. Keeping the aforementioned tips in mind, you are well on your way to becoming successful with organic gardening.