Simple Tips For A Beautiful, Thriving Garden

~ craigb

TIP! A great gardening tip to use is to always select types of plants that are more likely to produce a high yield. Frequently, a hybrid that is able to deal with extreme temperatures will bring higher yields than the more traditional variety of a plant.

Horticulture can be very complicated, when you look at it more closely. There are so many things to consider, such as proper pH balance, natural but effective pesticides, adequate sunlight and water supplies and so on. If you are inexperienced with horticulture, making the switch to organic methods may be a challenge for you. By reading the tricks in this article, you will find yourself better prepared to grow your food organically.

TIP! A handy trick is to turn the handle on a tool that you use often into a makeshift ruler. It is possible to utilize tools with long handles, such as rakes, hoes and shovels, as measuring sticks.

Gradually acclimate plants to temperature changes and conditions, if you want to avoid shocking them. Put the plants outside in the sun for one to two hours in the beginning. Over a week, increase the time outside slowly. After a week’s time, the plants should be fine staying outside.

TIP! Plants need a sufficient amount of CO2 for proper maximum growth. Typically, the higher the levels of carbon dioxide present in a plant’s environment, the better it will grow.

Digging in hard clay soil is made even more difficult because it sticks to the shovel. One way to get around this problem is to coat the shovel with wax. Use a clean cloth to spread the wax evenly. This will keep the soil from sticking, and prevent rusting of the tool.

TIP! It is important to allow cuts to completely heal before you do any gardening in order to protect the cut from exposure to dirt or chemicals. Cuts that are infiltrated by soil or other substances have the potential to breed serious infections.

Think about planting your seeds in indoor pots and then transplanting them to your garden once they become seedlings. This can give your seedlings the advantage they need to survive and reach adulthood. It also lets you have tighter control over the planting periods in your garden. Using this method, you can remove the mature plants, then put the seedlings in their places.

TIP! Do not be in a rush when you plant your seeds. A key first step is to add moisture to your soil.

Place organic mulch as close to your vegetables as you can. The mulch will keep the soil around the plants moist a little longer. An added benefit is that it also inhibits weed growth. This can prevent you from having to constantly pull weeds.

TIP! Be sure your new compost pile contains roughly the same proportion of dried and green plants. Grass clippings, vegetable and fruit leftovers, and grass clippings are all examples of green plant material.

When horticulture, try not to use broad-spectrum pesticides. These pesticides will kill every type of pest in your garden, including beneficial bugs that eat garden pests. In fact, beneficial insects are more likely to die than pests if you spray these types of pesticides. As the population of “good” bugs dwindles, your garden may become overrun with pests. As a result, gardeners often have to resort to using more toxic pesticides to get rid of garden pests.

TIP! While organic gardening costs more and requires more effort, the produce that will come out of your garden will be healthier for you. While chemicals offer an easy solution to many common gardening problems, the organic method is far healthier for you and everyone you share your food with.

Plant with the colors of autumn in mind. That idea is actually far from the truth. Autumn is the most colorful season of all, foliage-wise. There are many variations in leaf color with different varieties of Maple, Beech and Dogwood trees that can give you lively yellows and deep crimsons. Also, when considering shrubs, try using cotoneaster, hydrangea, or barberry.

TIP! Over-watering your plants is not healthy because too much water may inhibit the roots from getting nutrients out of the soil. Always check the weather forecast for chances of rain before going outside to water your plants.

If you want to keep dogs our of your garden, take some aftershave, old perfume, or any other scented item and spray the grass around the area. This will help mask the scents that attract your dog, and will make your garden a less interesting place for your pet to be.

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

Try to put an aspirin in the water to get rid of plant diseases. An aspirin and a half, combined with a couple of gallons of water, will do amazing things for your plants. The solution can then be used to spray the entire plant, and will offer protection naturally. Apply at three week intervals.

TIP! Research the local botanical insecticides which can be useful in deterring the pest population. Natural insecticides are sometimes more effective than the myriad synthetic, chemical-based products available.

When gardening, protecting your knees is important. For most people, bending over while gardening is too difficult. Due to this, most people choose to garden while on their knees, which also makes it easier to tend to plants. You can pick up a knee pad for you to rest on so that your knees are at ease on the ground.

TIP! When you garden, be aware of what you can use. Instead of chemical fertilizers, use natural alternatives.

To keep your houseplants happy during the day, your thermostat should be set anywhere between 65 and 75 degrees. This is the optimum temperature to ensure strong growth. If your home isn’t that warm during in winter, try a heat lamp to use on your organic plants instead.

TIP! Be sure that holes you dig for planting trees and shrubbery are ragged around the edges. A hole with neatly pressed sides may prevent the plant’s roots from penetrating through this packed earth into the surrounding soil.

Easily and quickly prepare your ground for a garden of perennials. You just need to use your garden spade for slicing underneath the turf, then flip it, and finally spread about three or four inch deep piles of wood chips. Allow the newly turned soil to sit for two weeks, then plant your perennials.

TIP! There are a lot of different plants that you could grow in an organic garden. If you choose plants that require acid to grow properly, use mulch.

In order to maximize the efficiency of your horticulture, ensure your gardening tools are kept close by you. You can keep them in a good sized bucket, or wear utility pants that have plenty of large pockets. Have shears, a trowel, gloves and other commonly used garden tools portable and easy to access.

Treated Wood

TIP! Making your own compost is a great way of obtaining fertilizer. An easy way to start creating compost is to start a small worm bin for composting.

A diversity of materials can be used to construct raised beds. These include brick, stone, and wood. If you choose to use wood to construct your bed, choose a species that is naturally resistant to rot and avoid treated wood entirely. Cypress, locust and cedar are all very good choices. Avoid using treated wood in an organic vegetable garden. The chemicals in the wood can leak into the soil, and eventually into the plants. If you have built a bed with treated lumber already, use a barrier such as plastic to line the bed.

TIP! You need water for a healthy garden. Just like people.

Gardening is not only a great hobby, but also a way to feel at peace with the earth. Organic gardening will accomplish that feeling even more so. By engaging yourself in organic horticulture, you can start to gain knowledge and better understand the full process of planting.

TIP! There are many types of bees, most of which are beneficial to your garden, such as the bumble bee who help keep plants pollinated. Some bees are destructive, as is the case with carpenter bees that bore into wood to make their nests.

When planting tomatoes in your organic garden, a great tip is to plant another set of tomatoes after three weeks of planting the original ones. Staggering the planting times ensures that you are able to consistently enjoy ripe tomatoes. If something happens to ruin your harvest, you have time to fix the problem before the next set of tomatoes is due, sparing part of the harvest.

TIP! Some houseplants need humidity. You can create a humid environment by arranging a variety of plants in the same container.

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.