Handy Advice For Gardening The Organic Way

~ craigb

TIP! Find some plants that will give you a higher yield. Frequently, a hybrid that is able to deal with extreme temperatures will bring higher yields than the more traditional variety of a plant.

Gardening has been an enjoyable past-time for centuries. Horticulture can simply be a pleasurable hobby, or a primary focus to feed the family. You can get even more joy out of gardening after reading this article.

TIP! Use your tool handles as rulers in the garden. Tools with long handles, such as rakes, shovels or hoes can work as great measuring sticks.

Gradually acclimate plants to temperature changes and conditions, if you want to avoid shocking them. Put them outdoors in the sun for no more than two hours the first day. Gradually increase the the time they spend outside over a one week period. Once the transition is complete, your plants will probably be able to tolerate the outdoor conditions.

TIP! Having healthy soil in your garden will help your plants avoid insect pests. The healthier the plants you grow, the more resistant they’ll be to illness, fungus, or bugs.

Clay soil can be very hard to work with, and you will often find that it sticks to the shovel. To make digging clay soil easier, try applying a light coating of wax, either car wax or floor wax, and then buff off and commence digging. You will be able to work with the clay more easily, and it will not stick to your shovel.

TIP! You must protect tender, deciduous shrubs. Cold weather is very hard on these tender shrubs, and potted shrubs should be shielded and protected.

Plant perennials that slugs and snails won’t be interested in eating. Creatures like snails or slugs can destroy a plant in a single night. Young plants with susceptible leaves are favorite meals for slugs, including those with smoother or thinner leaves. Perennials that are unappetizing in taste, or that have hardened and hairy leaves, are not a favorite of slugs or snails. Examples of these slug-proof plant varieties include achillea, euphorbia, and helleborus, to name a few.

Flower Beds

TIP! Be sure to plant using the colors of Fall. However, you can still maintain your gardening hobby throughout the fall months.

Plant annuals and biennials to make your flower beds brighter. These usually grow quickly, and provide an easy-to-change solution to making your flower beds bright and beautiful. They allow you to select different flowers from one year or season to the next. They are useful for filling gaps in between shrubs and perennials in sunny areas. Some plants to get you started include petunia, marigold, sunflower, rudbekcia, and cosmos.

TIP! The prevent your dog from trampling through your garden, spray some old aftershave, perfume or other heavily scented things on the grass around your plants. This will help mask the scents that attract your dog, and will make your garden a less interesting place for your pet to be.

It is a good idea to invest in a good pair of knee pads, made specifically for horticulture. They can be very helpful when working close to the ground on low-growth plants. The time that you will have to spend on your knees in your garden can cause you unnecessary knee pain. Pick up a good pair of gardening knee pads to help cushion your knees.

TIP! Do not rush planting seeds in your garden. Make sure the soil is wet before you begin.

You can use boiling water to get rid of weeds naturally. The safest herbicide that you can probably find is a cup of boiling water. Just pour boiling water directly on top of the weeds cautiously to avoid damaging your plants. Boiling water is not good for the weed roots and will stunt further growth.

TIP! You can kill weeds naturally. You can place newspaper in several layers, and it will help control your weeds.

To grow peas, try growing them indoors first, instead of outside. Pea seeds germinate better indoors. Your seedlings will be stronger, and this will mean they can withstand diseases and bug attacks. After the seedlings have grown strong indoors, it will be time for you to transplant them to outdoor beds.

TIP! Brick, stone or untreated wood is great for building raised beds. If you choose wood, ensure that it has not been treated with a sealant or other chemicals.

Consider planting evergreens that produce berries in your yard. These evergreens will color your lawn, even when other flowers are not blooming. Some evergreens that will add life to your yard in the wintertime are the American Cranberrybush, Common Snowberry, Winterberry, and American holly.

TIP! Take the season and weather conditions into account when determining how much water to give your plants. Depending upon whether it is morning, noon or night, the chemical composition of your local water supply and soil type may determine your water usage needs.

To deter meddlesome dogs from destroying your garden, you should use heavily scented substances around the perimeter. You can even use perfume! This covers up the smells that bring dogs to gardens in the first place, which means dogs are less likely to enter the garden.

TIP! If plants are inundated with too much water, it becomes more difficult for roots to pull nutrients out of the soil. If you are going to water your plants outdoors, you should first check the weather for you area to see if any rain is coming that day.

If you’re really serious about environmentally-friendly horticulture practices, refrain from developing some of your land and use it as an animal habitat. Wildlife can help the plants in your garden to thrive, as insects support plant reproduction, while the excrement of many species contains nutrients which can help to fertilize your soil.

TIP! Make sure you look at what lies beneath in order to start off on the right foot. When you are buying seedlings for tomatoes, look at the roots as well as the green parts.

Add three inches of mulch to your flower beds. By doing this, you can lock in moisture, discourage weed growth, and nourish your plants. What’s more, your garden will look professional all year.

TIP! At least 3″ of organic mulch should be added to the flower beds and garden. Mulch adds nutrients to the soil, keeps the soil moist, reduces weed growth, and makes beds look tidier.

Pine can make surprisingly great mulch. Certain plants are acidic, and thrive in acidic soil. For such plants, pine needles function both as a handy mulch and as a soil amendment to lower the pH. Cover your beds with the needles, as they will decompose and disperse their acid throughout the soil.

TIP! Think carefully about any product you buy to use in your garden. Try using natural alternatives instead of the chemicals you normally use.

One of the most important things to consider when plotting your garden is to make note of your available space. When the garden is bare, it is sometimes hard to envision how much space a mature plant actually needs. You will also need to ensure that you allow ample space around full-grown plants for air circulation. Keep this in mind when appropriating spots to plant your seeds.

TIP! Try making your organic garden a shade garden. These gardens are low maintenance, which is very appealing to people.

If you wish to honestly proclaim your produce to be truly organic, you need to secure organic garden certification. Having certification will increase your sales and verify to your customers that what you are selling is the best produce available.

Organic fruits and vegetables grow without being exposed to pesticides and other chemicals. This provides benefits for your family, but you ought to double check for pests.

Organic Horticulture

TIP! Try thinking about the vegetables you buy from the store most, and planting them. You will make get the most from your garden, and you will cut your monthly grocery bill.

Gardening is a good way to connect with nature, but organic horticulture remains the best way to observe natural cycles. Organic horticulture allows you learn the entire plant cycle, from the beginning to the end.

TIP! Plant a small fruit tree if you have a small garden. Many areas only allow for small gardens, and that is where dwarf fruit trees fit in best.

As previously mentioned, horticulture is something that has been enjoyed by many throughout the centuries. A long time ago, it was often the only way to feed yourself and family. Today, horticulture is still done for need but also for profit and pleasure. Read on to find tips and tricks to help you turn horticulture from a chore to a joy. Learn to appreciate the simple rewards horticulture offers!