How To Grow A Beautiful Organic Garden

~ craigb

TIP! If mildew is forming on your plants, you should not purchase an expensive chemical. All it takes is a liquid soap, water, and baking soda mixture.

A lot of people think tending a garden is totally beyond them, but that’s true only for people who don’t do their research. You can become an expert gardener quickly if you have access to good information. This article provides valuable guidance that can help you on your road to becoming a master gardener.

Clay Soil

TIP! Keep your fragile shrubs protected from the winter weather. If you have them in pots, you need to guard them from cold weather that will damage or kill them.

Clay soil can be a real pain to work with as it often sticks to the end of the shovel. Try applying a coat of wax onto your spade prior to working with clay soil, and then buff the spade head with a cloth. This causes the clay to slide rather than stick, and prevents rust as a side effect.

TIP! Protect your plants from moisture on a daily basis. If your plants are moist, this can attract disease and parasites.

Consider planting slug-proof perennials. If slugs or snails find their favorite perennials in your garden, they’ll snack all night. When you wake up in the morning, there will be very little left of your plants. They gravitate towards perennials with smooth thin leaves, particularly on younger plants. Perennials with hairy, tough leaves as well as those with unpleasant taste are not appetizing to snails and slugs. Some perennial families that snails and slugs won’t eat include achillea, campanula, and helleborus.

TIP! To give them a helping hand, pour the water you obtain after steaming vegetables over your plants. You may fertilize the soil with tea or coffee for plants that favor acidic environments, like rhododendrons and gardenias.

Cover the fences and walls with climbers. Many climbers can cover the wall or fence in as little as one growing season. They can grow through shrubs and trees, or even cover an arbor. Some varieties of these plants will have to be tethered to some sort of support, but other varieties will be able to attach to the medium they are climbing. A few good choices are climbing roses, wisteria, jasmine, honeysuckle and clematis.

TIP! Plan your garden to provide some fall color. Fortunately, this doesn’t have to be.

Always take the time to get the weeds out of your garden. Those nasty weeds can turn your beautiful garden into a scruffy version of its former self. A simple tool that is useful in removing weeds is white vinegar. White vinegar is a weed killer! Try spraying some white vinegar in water when you are pulling weeds from your garden.

TIP! To attract the right kind of insects, plant heather. Heather is quite alluring to bees; when spring comes along, it provides the bees with a source of nectar early.

Your plants should always be kept in an aerated, dry area. Moisture not only attracts parasites, but also makes it easier for your plants to contract diseases. One common organism that thrives on moisture is the fungi family. You can rid your garden of fungi with fungicidal sprays. However, it is best to treat your garden before there are problems.

TIP! If you’re planning on gardening inside, the first thing you should consider is an adequate light source. If you’re living in a home that doesn’t receive much sunlight, you should consider growing plants that thrive in environments with low to medium amounts of light.

A good fertilizer is important to add nutrients to your soil. Manure helps your plants grow. Make sure you use a product that is commercially composted so you don’t risk adding pathogens to your garden. The options for fertilizing are vast and include environmentally sound choices, so no matter which you choose, just be sure to use one.

TIP! One way to ensure efficiency while gardening is to keep your tools close by. You should use a large pail and wear sturdy pants that have several pockets.

If you are gardening for the first time ever, read and follow all directions and instructions that come with your chemicals and tools. Failing to heed this simple advice can mean skin irritation that you are going to remember, and not pleasantly at that. Ensure that your body is protected by always following instructions.

TIP! The optimal amount of organic mulch to use in your flower beds is 2-3 inches. This is a simple method of discouraging weeds, retaining moisture, and adding excellent nutrients into the garden.

Use a plant for a focal point. A focal point in the garden will capture your attention. A perfect example of a focal point is using a plant that doesn’t bear any resemblance to those that surround it.

TIP! Use a beer trap to get rid of unwanted pests, like slugs. Dig a hole the size of a glass jar, and bury the jar with the top at ground level.

Think about planting everbearing strawberries in your garden, especially if you have small children. For kids, there are few things as fun as picking fruit fresh from the garden. Your children will be much more interesting in helping out if they know they’ll get to enjoy some tasty strawberries.

TIP! Use mulch to enhance the health of your soil. The mulch will protect the soil underneath it.

When working in the garden, try to work as efficiently as possible. Have your tools laid out in an orderly way so you do not have to search for them. Have all of your tools gathered and prepared for use before you work in the garden, and make sure to put them away neatly. Even something like a carpenter’s tool belt or some cargo jeans work well to keep tools organized.

Organic Garden

TIP! Each year, you should rotate the plants in your garden. When you continuously plant some plants from the same family in the same area every year, disease and fungus is encouraged in these areas.

Space is important to remember when planting an organic garden. You can underestimate how much space you need when they are growing. Air circulation and room to grow is important for any plant. Plan your organic garden while keeping this in mind, and space your seeds accordingly, when planting.

TIP! Make your organic garden easier to maintain. Stick to native plants, grasses, flowers and bushes when you plan out your landscape.

Use a laundry basket to help you collect produce from your garden. An old laundry basket makes an excellent strainer for cleaning your produce. Rinse off your produce while it’s in the laundry basket, and any excess water will be strained out through the basket’s holes.

Plant Materials

TIP! Be cognizant of when and how to give the plants in your organic garden enough water. Purchasing a soaker hose would be a worthwhile expenditure.

When creating a compost pile, use dried plant materials and green plants in equal parts. Green means plant cuttings including grass, produce and weeds. Paper and straw are dry plant materials. Avoid meat, ashes, charcoal, plants with diseases and manure from carnivores.

TIP! When you maintain your organic garden during winter, use materials from home to make a tent. Old bean poles stuck at the end of your beds provide the support.

Adjust your watering to the season and climate. The amount of water you use each time should be dependent on the water quality, the soil type and what time of day you are doing it. Overzealous watering in an already humid climate can lead to leaf fungus. Instead, aim to water the root system only.

TIP! When deciding what to plant in your vegetable garden, consider what kinds you tend to use most often in the kitchen. This can reduce your food bill every month and help you use your gardening space.

One of the biggest benefits from eating food that is organically grown is the absence of pesticides. While organic foods are healthy for your family, you will still need to check closely for bugs or worms.

TIP! There are many advantages to having bees in your garden, for example, bumble bees help with pollination. Unfortunately there are other types of bees are harmful.

Do some research on the botanical insecticides that are available in your area, many of which are extremely helpful in preventing pests from invading your garden. Sometimes the natural insecticides can be even more powerful than the engineered synthetic pesticides on the market. Keep in mind, however, that these insecticides have very short half lives. Since they are made out of all natural ingredients, they may decay and disappear soon after you use them.

TIP! Know just how much water each of your plants needs. Over watering can lead to root rot or the growth of fungal mold, which may kill your plants.

You now have the tools to assist you in making your garden grow beautifully. When you have the right knowledge, gardening is easy. With these tips, and enough practice, you too can craft a beautiful and enjoyable garden.