When you analyze all of the individual components of gardening, it can be somewhat complex. This is due to the different factors you must learn about when going all natural. Things like pH balance and proper compost and sunlight all take on more importance due to the lack of chemical enhancers. It can be hard for a rookie to grow organic. Be certain you do things the correct way, and get some help from the information offered below.
Many times when digging in clay soil the clay will adhere to the shovel, which will make it much harder to dig. Coat the shovel with floor or car wax, and buff it with a clean rag to make the job a lot easier. The clay easily slides off the surface while keeping the end from getting rusty.
Choose plant strains that will give you the best harvest with the biggest yield. It is quite common to find that hybrids, which are often able to resist disease and withstand cold climates, produce yields much larger than their conventional counterparts.
Plant perennials that are slug-proof. Slugs and snails will quickly destroy your garden if you let them. These garden pests prefer perennials with thin, flat, delicate leaves, particularly if the plant is not yet mature. There are, however, certain types of perennials that slugs and snails hate. Most of these varieties either have tough leaves or taste unappealing. Good choices in this category are plants such as achillea, campanula, and euphorbia. Heuchera and helleborus also work well.
Brighten up your flower beds with annuals and biennials. These fast growing flowers let you change how your flower bed looks season to season. Use them to fill gaps between shrubs and perennials in the sun. There are many different varieties to choose from such as daisies, marigolds, impatiens, and lantana.
Baking Soda
There is no need to purchase a costly chemical if your plants develop powdery mildew. Mix a bit of liquid soap and some baking soda into water. Spray this solution on plants once weekly until the mildew is gone. Do not worry about your plants; the baking soda cannot harm them.
If you’re planning on horticulture, carefully watch for stink bugs! You should be particularly careful during Autumn. These bugs like to eat beans, peppers, tomatoes, and many kinds of fruits. If left uncontrolled, they can cause substantial damage in your garden, so make plans for how to protect your plants from these pests.
Knee Pads
Knee pads are absolute miracle accessories if you work in a garden with plenty of low-growing plants. Gardening is supposed to be relaxing and enjoyable; you don’t want to finish every gardening session with aching, throbbing knees. Buy yourself a pair of knee pads to use in the garden to cushion and protect your knees.
If you find yourself in love with mint leaves, but not with how they dominate a garden, read on. Stunt their growth a little by planting your mint into a garden container or large pot instead. Plant the container in the ground, but its walls will hold those roots captive, and will prevent the plant from engulfing your garden!
Be sure to split the irises. Splitting up overgrown groups of irises will allow you to easily increase the number of irises in your garden. Lift bulbous irises when the foliage is dead. They will literally split in your hand, flowering the next year after replanting. Divide rhizomes with a knife. New pieces should be cut from the outside, then the old center you want to discard. At the least, each piece will need to have one strong offshoot. Replant your pieces right away.
Surround your vegetable plants with organic mulch, a few inches worth. The soil will stay moist thanks to the mulch. It can also prevent weeds from growing. You will be able to save the time you would spend watering your plants and pulling out weeds.
Broad-spectrum pesticides are really not the optimal choice for pest control in your garden. These pesticides can also kill useful insects that eat your pests. Beneficial insects are more susceptible to toxic pesticides than their annoying counterparts, so a broad-spectrum pesticide could kill all of the good bugs first, allowing the population of bad pests to multiply. This may then lead to using even more pesticides to eliminate this new problem.
Protect Yourself
Always protect yourself from the sun when you are outdoors working in the garden; you can do this by wearing clothes that will shield you from the sun. Wear sunglasses, wide-brimmed hats, and sunblock. When you protect yourself against the sun’s rays, you are more likely to avoid both skin cancer and sunburn.
Your children will enjoy the experience of working with you in the organic garden. You can provide a good learning experience that your children can appreciate the more they learn on how to grow healthy produce.
Keep your plants in a warm, moist environment, if possible. This level of heat is required in order for plants to grow. If you don’t like keeping your home that temperature in the winter, you may wish to consider getting a heat lamp, instead, to keep your organic plants the correct temperature.
When your plants begin to sprout, they can survive in somewhat cooler temperatures. Take your plants out of the heat once they start to grow. Additionally, remove any plastic films that were on your containers. This will keep out warmth and humidity. You need to read the seeds to know the best time to do this.
Now, you shouldn’t get your hopes up and believe that a few tips are going to turn you into an instant professional gardener. However, these tips are a great starting point if you do plan to grow organically. As you implement these tips and hone your skills, you’ll be a professional green-thumb-holder in no time.