
Every gardener dreams of having a thriving garden. For some, this is a reality, for some it isn’t. If you want to achieve your dream of a beautiful garden, there are a few things to learn. There is much fun and much work involved in gardening. Following are a few tips that can make your horticulture time more fun and less work.
If you want to keep your garden free of pests, start with healthy soil! If you are producing healthy plants, they will be stronger and better able to resist bugs and diseases. Start your garden off with a high-quality soil that you can enrich over time.
Transfer your favorite plants indoors to rescue them from the winter frosts. You can save the ones you spent the most money on or the ones that are resistant. Dig the plant up without damaging the roots and place it a big enough pot.
Irises should be divided. You can divide those overgrown clumps and increase the amount of irises you have. When the foliage has died off, it is time to harvest the iris bulbs. The bulbs will split up naturally in your hand, and when replanted, will often flower the next year. You can divide rhizomes with a knife. Cut healthy pieces from the root stalk and throw out the dead center. There needs to be a minimum of one healthy offshoot on each of the new sprout sections. You also need to make sure that you replant the new pieces as soon as possible.
A great garden starts from the seeds and not from the plants. It’s better for the environment to begin from seed. The problem is those plastic trays which end up in landfills and are not generally recycled. Plants in organic packagingn or seeds sown in your garden, are fine .
An easy, inexpensive way to give them nutrients is to pour the leftover water from your steamed vegetables into the soil. For gardenias and rhododendrons, try putting your used coffee grounds or tea bags in the soil so they may acquire the acid they need for proper growth. Spray your plants with a 9:1 mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide to eliminate fungus without harming your plants.
Look for targeted pesticides instead of using popular but damaging broad-spectrum products. It’s true these pesticides kill the pests you don’t want, but they also lay waste to the advantageous insects that make those same pests a regular meal. Bugs that are good for your garden tend to be more susceptible to these types of pesticides, and using them could mean an increase in the pests you are actually trying to get rid of. As a result, gardeners often have to resort to using more toxic pesticides to get rid of garden pests.
Gardening helps with relaxation. Many hobbies can help you to relax and attain inner peace. One of the best ways to do this is gardening. There are numerous returns based on a very small monetary investment. The best thing you will get out of it is peace and happiness knowing that you can grow your own garden.
Choose one stand-out plant to be a focal point. The best garden designers always use a focal point that draws the eye. A perfect example of a focal point is using a plant that doesn’t bear any resemblance to those that surround it.
Your children will enjoy being involved with your organic horticulture endeavors. Horticulture helps your children learn about biological processes and serves as a social activity that helps the family grow closer while eating healthier.
Consider planting strawberries, especially ones that are everbearing, for your garden if you have small children. A lot of children not only love to pick out their own fruit but they also love to learn about it as well.
If you are growing plants organically indoors, you have to consider the light that they are getting. If you want indoor plants, choose specimens that can grow in relatively dark places. If your plants still need more light, there are always artificial light sources that you can use.
Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds are good for your soil. Coffee grounds have a lot of nutrients that plants can use. Many times, nitrogen is a limiting nutrient in soils. Adding coffee grounds or compost can add nitrogen to your soils will help your plants grow tall and healthy.
If you’d like to create a raised bed, use materials like brick, stone, or untreated wood. If you choose to use wood, make sure it is naturally rot resistant and untreated. Optimal wood choices that fit these criteria are locust, cypress, and cedar. Never use compost from treated woods in a veggie garden; the chemicals can contaminate your food. If you have built a bed with treated lumber already, use a barrier such as plastic to line the bed.
Though organic farming can present challenges that traditional farming with the use of chemicals does not, harvesting the crops is reward itself for the hard work. Chemical giants claim miracles, but those miracle crops come at a price to whoever eats the produce.
With these tips, you’re better equipped to grow the most beautiful garden you can imagine. In learning how to create your dream garden, you’ll also be growing as a person. That’s because learning how to nurture your plants will not only help you reach the goal of having a great garden, but it will help you learn to nurture yourself.