When fruits and vegetables are organic, they taste great and are more rich in nutrients than the standard produce you’ll find at your grocery store. You can bypass the supermarkets entirely if you grow organic produce yourself. Read below to learn how to grow your very own organic garden.
Your tool handles can easily be used as handy rulers. Tools that have long handles such as rakes, hoes and shovels can be used in place of a measuring stick. Lay the handles onto the floor and place a measuring tape beside them. Paying close attention to the measurements, use a black marker to establish each interval along the handle’s side in a clearly visible manner. When the need arises to measure something while in your garden, the measuring tool you need will literally be “on hand,” sketched into the handles of your tools.
Give your flower beds a boost by introducing annuals and biennials. These biennials and annuals are fast-growing, and they allow you to brighten up your flower bed with a change for each season. You can use them between the gaps in shrubs and perennials where there is plenty of sun. Some flowers you can use are rudbekia, petunias, cosmos, marigolds, or sunflowers.
A certain amount of CO2 is necessary for plants to maximize their growth potential. A high level of CO2 provides an optimum environment for growth. Getting a greenhouse is the best way to get a higher amount. CO2 levels, when kept high, give your plants optimal growing conditions.
Knee Pads
If your plants do not grown very tall, try buying some knee pads used for horticulture. Gardening is supposed to be relaxing and enjoyable; you don’t want to finish every horticulture session with aching, throbbing knees. Wear knee pads meant for gardeners so that you’ll be more comfortable when kneeling in your garden.
The best gardens will evolve from original seeds rather than transplanted items. When starting a new garden, the most environmentally friendly way is to start from seed. Most nurseries use a lot of plastic that is not recycled. If you want to buy plants, find a nurseries that uses organic methods or grow your plants from seeds.
It is important to follow the instructions on your chemicals and tools closely, especially if you are new to horticulture. If you fail to do this, you could cause yourself all sorts of injuries, the most common of which is irritated skin. So make sure you take precautions, follow the simple directions and be safe.
Select a specific type of plant to be the focal point of your garden. Any great garden design involves using a focal point to grab someone’s attention and keep it there. Usually, the focal point will be a plant that is unique from the plants around it.
Ward off certain diseases that plague plants with the use of aspirin. Your plants can benefit from a solution you can make by dissolving one and one-half aspirins into a couple of gallons of water. Spray your plants with the water if they have a disease. Plants should be sprayed once every two to three weeks.
After your seeds have sprouted, heat lamps are not needed. As they begin growing you can move them farther away from heat sources. You should also remove plastic films that you had on your containers to keep the humidity and warmth out. Check on your seeds periodically to make sure you know when to remove the films.
The optimal amount of organic mulch to use in your flower beds is 2-3 inches. Covering the beds with mulch serves multiple purposes; it helps the flowers by retaining moisture and adding nutrients, and it discourages the growth of unwanted plants. This will also make your flowers appear beautiful and finished all year long.
Pine is a wonderful mulch so do not discard the idea. Many types of plants thrive in soil that has high acid levels. 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.
Laundry Basket
When the time has come to gather up the produce, you need to use an old laundry basket. A benefit of using something like a laundry basket is that it can strain for you, as well as hold a large amount of produce. Rinse the produce while it sits in the basket, the extra water will go through the holes in the basket.
To eliminate pests naturally, look for plants and flowers that repel harmful insects and animals without damaging your garden. Under certain conditions, organic pesticides can outperform chemical products in effectiveness and safety. The distinguishing factor of botanical varieties is that they will decay much more quickly and will be eliminated from your environment faster.
Making beds is one of the most important skills you need to acquire. To start this, slice underneath your turf with a spade. Next, flip it so that is is upside down, and then place about four inches of chunky type wood chips on top. Within a week or two, you should be able to cut the ground and plant your seeds.
You should use 3″ or more of organic materials as mulch for your trees and flowers. This method is good for the planet, conserves water and can save money all at once. The proper amount of mulch also makes for a very attractive appearance.
Healthy soil results in healthy plants capable of standing up to diseases and insects. Even though the insects remain there, you will prevent them from damaging your garden, keeping everyone happy.
Stop wasting your money on produce that isn’t up to standard. Use the suggestions outlined above to help you start growing your very own fruits and veggies today.