Natural, environmentally-friendly living is catching hold among legions of individuals, as is a preference for organic produce. In order for someone to live a holistic lifestyle, and obtain the desired health benefits, they usually have to learn to grow their own herbs and plants. They have to know how to start and maintain an organic garden. Check out the helpful organic growth tricks listed below.
Healthy Soil
If you want to keep your garden free of pests, start with healthy soil! Healthy soil encourages vigorous plant growth and makes your garden more resistant to common diseases and insects. Healthy, rich soil with fewer chemicals will increase the yield of your plants, and reduce accumulated salts.
If you have a vegetable garden, it is crucial they are kept in a spot with at least six hours of sun each day. Many types of veggies require this amount in order to thrive and produce the food source that you are hoping for. Some flowers also require direct sunlight for a portion of each day.
As the weather turns colder, it is important to prepare your sensitive shrubs for the change. Cold weather is very hard on these tender shrubs, and potted shrubs should be shielded and protected. The tops should be tied together, and the wigwam should be loosely covered with a sheet or blanket. This is a much better method, instead of putting the plastic wrap around the plant. It allows proper air circulation that can prevent rotting.
There are natural materials, and you can also use other plants to help keep pests away from your garden. For example, slugs can be deterred by the presence of marigolds or onions. Wood ash used as mulch helps repel pests as well when around shrubs and trees. These are proven methods without having to use harsh chemical pesticides.
Take the time to place organic mulch in the area around your vegetable plants. Mulch helps the soil surrounding the plants remain moister for a longer time. In addition, mulch will help you to prevent weeds. You will save time by not pulling weeds.
Create a focal point in your garden with a unique plant. Your focal point will be the main center of attention for anyone who sees your garden. Usually this is a big plant that is somewhat different from the other plants in the garden.
Your children will enjoy the experience of working with you in the organic garden. Gardens are terrific teaching tools for kids, and provide great opportunities for interaction, growth, and instruction on healthy living.
When growing indoor plants, the thermostat should be set between 65-75 degrees throughout the day. Young plants need a temperature within that specific range to grow. These temperatures may not be comfortable for you, however. As an alternative to keeping your entire home that warm, consider getting heat lamps for your organic plants.
After sprouting occurs, you will not need to keep seeds as warm. It’s important to move the plants away from any heat source as they grow larger. Make sure you remember to remove any plastic films that were on the plant containers to repel humidity and warmth. Unless you closely monitor your seedlings, you may not move them in time.
You need to avoid chores in your organic garden stacking up. You may not have a lot of time to exclusively devote to your gardening hobby, but you can make the most of the time you do have. If you’re outside with your pet, try to remove weeds when your pet is doing his business.
Do you want to know how to kill weeds in a natural way? You can place newspaper in several layers, and it will help control your weeds. It is a fact that weeds cannot thrive without light from the sun. Newspapers placed atop weeds will starve them from light and they will eventually die. Newspapers also decompose fairly quickly, and mix with your garden soil. Use mulch on the top in order to make everything look attractive.
When maintaining your organic garden, try lightly petting your seedlings — either with the palm of your hand or something like a sheet of cardboard — once or twice each day. Although this method may seem counterproductive, it actually helps the seeds to grow quicker and stronger.
If you want to sell your crops, you should become a certified organic gardener. Having certification will increase your sales and verify to your customers that what you are selling is the best produce available.
Keep the soil healthy for optimum plant health so they can combat disease, and even destruction caused by insects. Although the insects might still be present, you will be able to avoid their damage, which is what makes everyone happy.
A helpful tip for gardeners is to plant some crops of high value. It is true that the amount of value that a certain plant has is different to everyone. If you’re growing plants that are expensive to buy, you can save a lot in the future. So start planting and enjoying those savings.
Learn proper techniques for watering organic plants. You need to know how to water them properly as well as how frequently to water them. A soaker hose would be the best tool to use.. Soaker hoses water a plant’s base directly, which helps minimize the moisture loss that comes along with evaporation. Watering is best done early in the morning.
Adequate mulch in your garden does a lot to cut down on water use. A greater amount of mulch means less frequent watering of the garden. Get mulch at the store or create your own with dead plants or pieces of bark. Make sure to use a large amount of mulch.
The more skills about organic horticulture you can learn, horticulture will become that much easier for you. Keep in mind that the tips you have read are just the beginning point.