baking soda

Want To Become A Great Gardener? Read These Tips!

~ craigb

TIP! Put sod down the right way. Be sure to get your soil prepared before you start laying the new sod.

A garden is more than just a way to decorate. It is also more than just something people with green thumbs can do. A garden provides the person who has put time into it a way of finding tranquility, peace, and a feeling of appreciation of life. When one is good at gardening, the rewards are outstanding.

TIP! Use climbers if you want to cover any fences or walls. You can hide an unsightly wall or fence, in as little as one growing season, with the right selection of climbing plant.

You can use the wooden handles of your tools as measurement sticks. Tools with long handles, such as rakes, shovels or hoes can work as great measuring sticks. Put the handles down and measure them with a measuring tape. Label the distances with a permanent marker. Next time you are working in the garden, you will have a large ruler at your fingertips!

Baking Soda

TIP! If you find that you have soil that has high amounts of alkaline, mix used coffee grounds throughout the soil. This affordable trick will give back the acid that your dirt requires.

If you notice powdery mildew on your plants, do not buy an expensive chemical. Mix a solution of baking soda, water, and a tiny bit of dishwashing liquid. You then want to spray this mixture on your plants one time a week until you notice the mildew disappear. Baking soda will bring no damage to your plants, and will treat the mildew in a gentle and efficient manner.

TIP! Mint is a very tasty herb that has a tendency to run wild in the garden if not kept in check. Keep your mint growth under control by planting them in pots and/or garden containers.

Use the correct type of soil for best results. Depending on what type of plants you have, your soil may or may not be adapted. It’s also possible to make a fabricated area that contains only one type of soil.

TIP! You should divide irises. You can increase your stock of irises by dividing up overgrown clumps.

Using natural materials in the garden will keep pests away. A good way to keep slugs away is to create a border with onions around a garden with vegetables. Marigolds would do this trick as well. Another way to get rid of pests is to spread wood ash at ground level around shrubs and tree plantings. Using these methods eliminates your need of chemical pesticides.

TIP! Pest control can become a major issue. While chemicals can help with pest control, you should avoid using overly harsh ones, as veggies you grow in your garden are meant for eating.

Be sure to buy a wheelbarrow and a kneeling stool that you can use for your garden. Spending too much time on the ground working can be quite hard on your knees, and a gardening stool can help alleviate this, plus make things more comfortable for you. Gardening also typically involves transporting bags of topsoil, fertilizer and other heavy items, so using a wheelbarrow to make these tasks easier is a sound investment for your garden, and your back.

TIP! You can attract the insects you need by planting heather. Bees are very attracted to heather.

Tend to a garden as a way to relax. There are countless ways that people find to relax. Gardening is fun, and it is definitely one of the best ways to achieve this state. It doesn’t require a lot of cash up front, but pays major dividends. Perhaps the most rewarding aspect is the sense of peace and calm that comes from nurturing your plants.

TIP! When gardening, protecting your knees is important. Bending over while gardening can be painful and unhealthy for your back.

Top all your garden beds with several inches of organic mulch. 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. In addition, your flower beds will have a beautiful, finished appearance year round.

TIP! Make sure that you take time to properly plant any seeds that you buy. Begin by adding moisture to the dirt.

It is common knowledge that grounds from brewed coffee are good for soil. Coffee grounds have nitrogen that plants will utilize. The more nitrogen you have in the soil, the greater the growth of your plants will be, so adding grounds or compost will ensure your plants grow large very quickly.

TIP! Looking for a natural way to kill weeds in your garden? You can easily control weeds by using layered sheets of newspaper. Weeds need sun for growth, just like any other plant.

When you’re making a compost pile, you should use fresh and dried plants to get it started. When you pull weeds from your garden, throw them in the compost. The same goes for vegetable trimmings and grass clippings. These are considered green materials. For the dry end of the spectrum, think of things like paper and cardboard, sawdust, hay, etc. Avoid meat, ashes, charcoal, plants with diseases and manure from carnivores.

TIP! When you run your personal organic garden, try ruffling seedlings using your hands or cardboard one or two times daily. This will sound a bit strange.

Use a beer trap to capture slugs and stop them from eating your plants. Place a jar into the soil so that the top of it’s mouth rests parallel with the soil. Pour enough beer into the jar to fill it below an inch from the top. Slugs are attracted by the beer and won’t be able to exit the jar once they enter.

TIP! Adding mulch to your garden can make your soil healthier. A thick layer of mulch offers protection to the soil underneath it.

Use mulch to enhance the health of your soil. Mulch acts as a protective shield for the soil it covers. On hot days, mulch insulates the ground, keeping it cool and protecting your plants’ roots. It will also stop the soil from losing it’s moisture in the hot sunlight. It will also serve as a method of controlling unwanted weeds.

TIP! Over-watering your plants can be harmful, because roots that are drowning in water cannot effectively pull nutrients out of the soil. Before watering your organic garden, check weather forecasts to determine if it is likely to rain later that day.

When checking out tomatoes to buy, do a bit of poking in the soil. Oftentimes, tomato seedlings that show verdant green starts have poor roots. Reason being, these kinds of starts stay attached to the seedlings for many weeks, which causes the seedlings to not grow until the starts are gone.

TIP! There are all kinds of plants that can grow in your organic garden. Mulch is a must-have for plants that require acidic conditions.

If you want to consistently grow healthy tomatoes, wait three weeks between planting each set. Doing this will cause your harvest to come in at differing times, allowing you to gather up the majority of them and cut your losses. If one crop is ruined for some reason, the next one will be healthy.

TIP! Healthy soil translates to even healthier flowers, grasses and vegetables. If the soil is nutrient-rich, plants will be able to ward off disease and damage caused by common garden pests.

If you’ve spent even a little time gardening, you’re probably well aware of how beneficial compost can be, but how much do you know about what it contains? Compost is actually a mixture of grass clippings, wood-chips, leaves, produce scraps, twigs, and straw which all breaks down to “psuedo-soil”. It is recommended that you use this compost in place of commercial fertilizer on your organic garden.

TIP! Weeds are annoying to any garden, organic or otherwise. This organic weed killer is safer for the environment and you and your family.

Know what to look for when choosing plants for your organic garden. This is especially important when buying annual or perennial plants. Purchase plants that have budded, but have not yet fully bloomed. This is how your new plants can a begin a strong network of roots.

TIP! You are aware of how helpful compost is in growing your organic garden, but do you have any idea what is actually in it? Compost is a mixture of wood chips, straw, leaves, scraps of produce, and grass clippings that have been allowed to sit until they are broken down into mock soil. Use this instead of commercial fertilizer.

Use this article to revive your garden. You will be rewarded by healthy plants full of life. Horticulture can have a powerful effect on your life, so give it a try.

Grow Like A Pro With These Organic Gardening Tips

~ craigb

TIP! When laying sod, it is important that you do it correctly. Before laying sod, you have to make sure the soil is accurately prepared.

There are a lot of people who think about starting an organic garden, but never get around to doing it. Some may feel overwhelmed by all that needs to be done in order to create an organic garden. This article has some good ideas to help you reach your goal of creating a garden for your enjoyment, and without incurring too much difficulty.

TIP! Use perennials resistant to slugs and snails. A particularly vulnerable plant can be killed by snails and slugs overnight.

Turn the handles of tools you have on hand into rulers to make measurements in your garden. Larger handled tools like rakes, hoes, and shovels make great measuring sticks. Lay the handles on the floor, then run the measuring tape down next to 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 you decide to work in the garden again, you will now have a ruler at your disposal.

Flower Beds

TIP! As fall arrives, it is the time to prepare for planting fall edibles. Try something different by planing kale or lettuce inside a pumpkin, instead of using the planter pots you traditionally use.

Use biennials and annuals to beautify your flower beds. These fast growth plants make flower beds vibrant, and they let you alter the appearance seasonally and annually. These kinds of flowers are also excellent for filling in gaps between shrubs and perennials in sunny areas. A variety of flowers that will thrive in your region are available.

TIP! Divide your irises. Try increasing your stock by dividing your overgrown clumps of plants.

Don’t bother with expensive chemicals if your plants start to sport powdery mildew. Try mixing a little liquid soap with some baking soda in water. This solution can be sprayed onto your plants once per week until the problem is resolved. Your plants will not be harmed by the baking soda, but the mildew will definitely not like it!

TIP! Your vegetable plants need about two or three inches of mulch placed around them. The soil around plants can stay damper through the use of mulch.

Check the nutrients in the soil before you plant your garden. You can obtain a soil analysis for a nominal fee. Using that report, you can amend your soil as needed for a thriving garden. Cooperative Extension departments often offer this testing service. It is a worthwhile effort so a garden can be productive on the first year of planting.

TIP! Think about planting evergreen plants that will produce berries in the backyard. The evergreens will add some color to your garden or yard, especially during the winter, when other plants have died or lost color.

There are natural steps you can take to keep garden pests at bay. Planting marigolds or onions around the border of your garden will repel slugs. You can also mulch around trees and shrubs with wood ash, which drives away insects. Natural materials and plants can be just as effective as chemical pesticides at keeping unwanted visitors out of your garden!

TIP! Try to pour a bit of leftover water from your steamed veggies on them. You should also try using a bit of coffee grounds or tea to increase the acidity of the soil for your gardenias or your rhododendrons.

You should purchase a wheelbarrow, as well as a kneeling stool to help you garden. Using a large portion of your time near or on the ground working on your garden puts a huge strain on your knees; therefore, having a portable, lightweight garden stool will greatly assist you in making horticulture easier on them. Gardeners usually need a wheelbarrow to move the heavy dirt and other objects so they are a good item to buy.

TIP! Protect yourself from sun overexposure while gardening by wearing the proper clothing. Wear sunglasses, wide-brimmed hats, and sunblock.

Plant for fall color. That idea is actually far from the truth. If you plan properly, you can make your fall garden the most colorful time of the year. 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. Some very good shrubs to choose are barberry, hydrangea, and cotoneaster, which is a member of the rose family.

TIP! One way to help your organic garden thrive is to leave an undeveloped area that is conducive to the wildlife around your area. You will see many of the birds and insects that are present will assist in pollination and plant production, helping to create a much better garden.

Gardening helps with relaxation. Everyone wants to find a way to relax and enjoy themselves. Working in the garden is among the simplest. The returns are huge for a very minute up front investment cost. Knowing that you have grown these plants yourself can give you a great feeling of joy and inner peace.

Protect Yourself

TIP! If you are growing plants organically indoors, you have to consider the light that they are getting. If the garden will receive little sunlight, find plants that can grow in medium or low-light environments.

If you know that you’ll be in the garden for an extended period of time, protect yourself from the sun with proper attire. Wear sunscreen, wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses. When you protect yourself against the sun’s rays, you are more likely to avoid both skin cancer and sunburn.

TIP! Cover your flower beds with two or three inches of compost or organic mulch. This will prevent weeds from growing, retain humidity, and feed your plants with the nutrients they need.

In the hottest time of the day, most vegetables are less firm; even the act of harvesting the veggies may cause bruising. Also ensure that you use a tool to cut the vegetables off at the vine. If you just yank or twist the whole plant, it may become damaged.

TIP! Don’t let your organic gardening tasks stack up for very long. Not everyone has time to tend their gardens every day, but by doing little things whenever you have a chance, you can avoid having things pile up.

If you have recently suffered a cut, discontinue gardening until the cut has healed completely. Cuts that are infiltrated by soil or other substances have the potential to breed serious infections. There are now bandages available that will entirely seal off any cut they are applied over.

Coffee Grounds

TIP! Research botanical insecticides that can be purchased locally to aid in ridding your garden of pests. All insecticides are strong, including botanical ones.

Add used coffee grounds to your garden soil. Coffee grounds have nitrogen that plants will utilize. Nitrogen is a nutrient that will help your plants grow taller and bloom faster, so use those coffee grounds, extra compost, or diluted urea to make this happen.

TIP! Mulch should be added to your flower bed and garden using at least 3 inches of material that is organic. You will ensure your garden will be nourished by keeping moisture inside the soil, thus creating a neater appearance of your garden, and repelling weed growth.

Get the most out of what you have, and your property. Landscaping your yard will bring you a big return on your investment. Some plants can even raise your home value about 20%. Put plants in your front yard as well as your garden that need low moisture, and are ideal for the environmental conditions that you face.

TIP! You’re probably aware that compost is very beneficial to organic gardens, but are you aware of what goes into it? It’s a mix of grass clippings, leaves, produce scraps, straw, small twigs and wood chips that break down and turn into a “fake” soil. It is much better to use this in place of chemicals and fertilizers.

Use equal parts of green and dried plant material in your compost pile. Green plant material includes grass clippings, spent flowers, vegetable and fruit waste, weeds and leaves. Dried plant material, however, can include items such as cardboard, sawdust and shredded paper. Avoid using animal manure, charcoal or diseased plants in your compost.

TIP! Learn the right way to buy your plants. Find out if you are supposed to buy them when they are in bloom, when they are budded, or at some time in between.

It is more rewarding to have an organic garden even though it is often more work. Chemicals are extremely efficient, but the organic method is the best way to get healthy produce.

TIP! A good gardening tip is to be sure to grow high-value crops. It is true that the amount of value that a certain plant has is different to everyone.

Any form of horticulture helps you get in tune with the environment, but organic horticulture takes this concept to the next level. Organic gardening techniques allow you to be involved in the entire planting and growing process, while using only the safest and most sustainable resources.

TIP! Take a look at how and where your trees are planted, in order to provide shade. You can get more savings on energy bills because the shade you get from the trees will cool your home naturally.

Hopefully this article has taken all of your apprehension about organic horticulture completely out of the equation. If you make proper use of the advice you have learned, you will soon be able to reap a bountiful harvest from your organic garden.

Your Organic Garden: Great Advice You Can Use Today

~ craigb

TIP! It can be very hard to shovel clay soil, especially when it sticks to your shovel as you are working. Try applying a coat of wax onto your spade prior to working with clay soil, and then buff the spade head with a cloth.

Due to the fact that consuming organic foods is gaining popularity, choosing to live a holistic lifestyle is also becoming more prevalent. The tenets of holistic living require use of herbs and certain other plants, which need to be organic. Read the following article, and get some great tips on how to grow an organic garden.

TIP! The handles on your gardening tools can be used as a convenient measuring instrument. Tools with long handles, such as shovels, hoes and rakes can be made into measuring sticks.

If powdery mildew appears on your plants, don’t purchase expensive chemical solutions. Plain water with a bit of liquid soap and baking soda will do the trick. You just need to spray your plants with this solution once every five days until the mildew is no longer visible. Baking soda is safe for use on your plants and is a gentle, but effective way to care for your plants.

TIP! Make sure you protect any tender deciduous shrubs. Shrubs that are planted in containers are especially susceptible to frost and must be carefully protected.

As you cut your grass, do not trim it too low to the ground. If your grass has more height, roots be able to grow more deeply in the soil, which will make for a stronger lawn and will have a higher resistance to drying out. Short grass on the other hand is more susceptible to drying out.

TIP! You can use boiling water to get rid of weeds naturally. A boiling pot of water is one the best and safest herbicides you can find.

For weeds that aren’t in the middle of your plants, use boiling water to kill their roots. This is a safe way to eliminate weeds, as this will not damage the soil. Literally pour the water on the weeds, avoiding any wanted plants near them, and watch the weeds die over time. Boiling water can hurt the roots of weeds and can prevent them from growing.

TIP! Aerate and dry your plants each day. Many diseases, as well as most parasites, prefer moisture.

Keep your plants dry and aerated daily. Damp leaves can lead to plant disease and parasites. In fact, fungi love a wet plant and can cause a great deal of damage. Proactively treat fungi through the use of fungicidal sprays and treatments.

TIP! Fresh mint is a wonderful addition to a herb garden, but it can quickly take over your entire yard. You should plant the mint in a rather large garden container or pot instead so you can monitor growth.

Irises can benefit from being separated. You can create additional irises by splitting up irises that are growing into each other’s space. When the foliage has died off, it is time to harvest the iris bulbs. As soon as you pick up the bulb, it’ll split into pieces. That’s okay – in fact, it’s desirable. You can replant the bulb pieces and next year you’ll have a healthy bed of new irises. Rhizomes should be divided using a knife. Cut the new pieces from its outside and dispose of the older center. There needs to be a minimum of one healthy offshoot on each of the new sprout sections. Do this cutting beside your garden bed, so that you can place your new groupings into the ground immediately.

TIP! In order to start the best garden possible, remember that you should always start with the seeds and not pre-purchased plants. Starting with your own seeds is more environmentally friendly than buying plants from a nursery.

If you are planning on growing peas, start them indoors before putting them outdoors in your garden. If you plant them inside, they might germinate more effectively. The seedling sprouts will be heartier, giving them a better chance to grow into a healthy adult plant capable of rebuffing diseases. Once the seedlings have become hardy enough to survive, you can transplant them to your outdoor garden.

TIP! Protect the soil around your vegetable plants with an inch or two of organic mulch. Mulch helps the soil surrounding the plants remain moister for a longer time.

Do some research to find out the best time for harvesting your vegetables. Most vegetables have a relatively small harvesting window when they will taste best. Veggies such as zucchini or baby peas, for instance, taste their best if they get picked young. Tomatoes, in contrast, taste better the longer they are allowed to ripen on the vine. Thus, you ought to familiarize yourself with the best times to pick the produce from your garden.

TIP! Think about planting evergreen plants that will produce berries in the backyard. This will keep your garden colorful, even during those months when other plants are not growing.

Use care when you are watering the garden. Use a hose with a soaker attachment to save you time, so the garden can get watered while you are doing other tasks. Use low water pressure with your soaker hose so that the force of the water does not harm sprouts and seedlings. Let the soaker hose do its thing for a couple hours, and your plants are watered.

TIP! Having a good wheelbarrow and a kneeling stool makes garden chores a lot easier. It’s rough on your knees to spend lots of time on the ground kneeling or squatting.

Vegetables are softer when they are warmer, increasing the risk that you will damage them. Also ensure that you use a tool to cut the vegetables off at the vine. If you just yank or twist the whole plant, it may become damaged.

TIP! Broad-spectrum pesticides are really not the optimal choice for pest control in your garden. While broad-spectrum pesticides will kill most pests, they will also kill helpful insects.

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.

TIP! When landscaping and gardening in autumn, choose plants and trees with vibrant colors. That doesn’t have to be it though.

Be sure you plant strawberries in your garden for your children, you want to make sure you especially plant everbearing strawberries as well. Kids are quite eager to pick fruit from a garden, and will help with the planting if they get a nice snack out of it at the end.

TIP! Gardening is an excellent relaxation tactic. A plethora of paths to individual relaxation and inner peace exist.

When planting seeds, it is wise to take your time. Water the soil first. Then, evenly spread the seeds according to the type of plant and how much room they require for good growth. Look at how big the seeds are, multiply that by three, and plant them down into the earth accordingly. Also keep in mind that there are some seeds you should not bury, as light is essential for their growth.

TIP! An English garden mixes plants of various kinds and sizes close together, which helps to give it a more multi-dimensional feel. A uniform and flat bed is created by using plants that are the same height.

As you gain more information and tricks, you will find that gardening will become very simple for you to accomplish, and once you know how to garden overall, then organic gardening won’t be a hard task to learn at all. The tips here can help.

Gardening Advice To Use For Years To Come

~ craigb

Organic horticulture can either be a nice, calming hobby, or a considerable annoyance. The following article is designed to turn you into a successful and happy organic gardener.

TIP! Your plants need to adapt and must be gradually introduced to changes in temperature or condition. Leave them outside in sunlight for a couple of hours on the initial day.

The quick and drastic change in the weather conditions can shock your plants and cause them to die. It’s important that you gradually change temperate conditions over time, so that your plants can adjust. Leave them outside in sunlight for a couple of hours on the initial day. Slowly, day after day, you can leave your plants outside for a little longer. The plants should be prepared to move outside permanently at the end of this week.

TIP! Your first and best line of defense against pests is having healthy soil. Healthier plants are greater in strength and resistance to illness and insects.

Clay is difficult to dig through with a shovel, as it is sticky and compact. Take the hard work out of using a shovel in clay soil by rubbing a light coat of car or floor wax over the surface with a clean cloth and buff the surface. This will make your task easier because the clay won’t stick to the shovel. It will also keep your garden tool from rusting.

Baking Soda

TIP! Pre-soak seeds overnight in a dark place. Place some seeds in your smaller pots and add water almost to the brim.

If you notice powdery mildew on your plants, do not buy an expensive chemical. Put a little baking soda and some dish soap in water. Use a spray bottle to apply to your plants weekly until the issue clears up. Baking soda will bring no damage to your plants, and will treat the mildew in a gentle and efficient manner.

TIP! Coffee grounds can be used to amend soils that are high in alkaline. This is an easy and inexpensive method to increase the acidity of your soil.

Cover fences and walls with lots of climbers. Climbing plants can cover a wall after one growing season only. They can grow through shrubs and trees, or even cover an arbor. Some climbers you plant will have to be tied off and supported, but others have no problem attaching themselves to any surface using their tendrils or twining stems Trusted variations of climbers are honeysuckle, jasmine, clematis, wisteria and climbing roses.

TIP! Get gardening knee pads if you have low-growing plants. Gardening is supposed to be relaxing and enjoyable; you don’t want to finish every gardening session with aching, throbbing knees.

CO2 is essential for growth. When exposed to high levels of CO2, most types of plants will grow better. The best way to get higher CO2 for your plants is to grow them in a greenhouse. CO2 levels are usually kept high to get the best growing situation for your plants.

TIP! You should divide irises. You can increase your stock of irises by dividing up overgrown clumps.

Prepare your seeds by soaking them in a dark environment. Simply place a handful of seeds in a container, cover the seeds up with water, and stash it away. This way, your seeds are well-hydrated and can start growing with a head start. The seeds will then have a greater chance at lasting and blossoming.

TIP! Read instructions before using any gardening tool you aren’t familiar with, including pesticides or other chemicals. Use the tools only as directed in the instructions.

Divide irises. Take clumps that have become overgrown and divvy them up into separate plants. After foliage is no longer alive, remove the flowers with bulbs. The bulbs will split up naturally in your hand, and when replanted, will often flower the next year. Rhizomes, however, need to be divided by using a gardening knife. Cut new outside pieces and dispose of the center. Each piece must have a minimum of one strong offshoot. Replant them immediately.

TIP! Any time that you are gardening in direct sunlight, dress appropriately to prevent skin damage. Make sure you wear a wide brimmed hat along with sunglasses and plenty of sunscreen.

Learn the proper way to handle chemicals, and the right way to use garden tools. If you don’t pay good attention, you could wind up with skin irritations or other issues. Ensure that your body is protected by always following instructions.

TIP! If you can’t wait for a cut to heal before digging in the dirt, then at least protect your cuts from exposure. Cuts that are infiltrated by soil or other substances have the potential to breed serious infections.

Get a wheelbarrow and a kneeling stool to work in your garden. You can make horticulture much more comfortable on your knees by using a portable garden stool. Horticulture also usually requires that you transport heavy loads, such as dirt or mulch, and a wheelbarrow will make this much easier to do.

TIP! Do not plant your seeds in a rush. First, add moisture to the soil where you will be planting.

Learn the best harvesting time for each kind of vegetable you plant. Each variety needs a slightly different amount of growing time to produce the most flavorful vegetable. Harvesting zucchini is best done when they are small and baby peas should be harvested when they are young. Yet, in reverse, tomatoes must wait for prime-ripeness before they are subject to being picked. To get the most out of your gardening efforts, find out when to harvest your crops.

TIP! Spacing is an important factor to consider when planting your garden. It’s common to not think about how much space a plant will need once it’s full grown, and you don’t want to crowd your garden.

Water your garden wisely. A soaker hose will save you time because you won’t have to individually water each plant, like you do with a regular nozzle, or a can that you need to constantly refill. Make sure that your water pressure is set to low, so that no harm will come to any tender plants. Let it water the plants for a while as you do other things.

TIP! A good thing to know when it comes to your organic garden, and running it, is to, a couple times a day, lightly ruffle the seedlings with cardboard or your hand. Even though it sounds strange, it will help plants get bigger.

Planting organic strawberries is a great way to encourage your children to get involved. Your children will enjoy being able to pick strawberries and will be ready to help you if they can get something sweet to eat.

TIP! Organic gardening can be more difficult than gardening with chemicals, but the end result makes it worth it. Although the chemicals may claim greater results, using organic methods to tame your garden will do less harm to your body, and the environment.

It’s important to let your cuts heal prior to doing any gardening without gloves. If an open wound is not protected while you are working in the garden, dirt and bacteria may cause the cut to become infected. Look for newer bandages which are able to completely seal your cut.

TIP! Make sure you look at what lies beneath in order to start off on the right foot. When buying tomato seedlings for the garden, keep an eye on lush green starts with root systems that are bad.

Plastic bags can be kept on hand and reused to slip over your dirty horticulture shoes. This keeps your flow going, so you can get back out to the garden quickly and finish your work.

TIP! Using a soaker hose to water your organic garden is the best method. The water slowly seeps from these hoses and is positioned so the roots get the water, and the leaves remain dry.

Do you prefer to eliminate weeds without the use of harmful chemicals? Pile newspapers on top of each other to kill weeds. Weeds must have sunlight in order to grow. They will suffocate and die if you cover them with newpapers. The paper will break down quickly and cleanly, adding to your compost. Cover the newspaper with a thick layer of mulch for a more attractive look.

TIP! Invite biodiversity into your garden. Including a healthy mix of native grasses and flowers will attract wildlife.

As this article has demonstrated, organic gardening is more complex than some may think. It takes effort and a willingness to learn. It is rewarding for those with patience, supplying healthy food and an attractive addition to the home. The ideas presented above should help you hone your skills and reap a great harvest from your organic garden.

Horticulture Is As Simple As It Is Fun

~ craigb

TIP! Try planting your plants in flower pots first, then transferring them to your garden once they have had a bit of time to grow. This raises the chances of the plants growing until adulthood.

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.

TIP! If you learn that your soil has a high amount of alkaline, mix some used coffee grounds into it. This affordable trick will give back the acid that your dirt requires.

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.

TIP! Use natural pest control when possible. For example, slugs can be deterred by the presence of marigolds or onions.

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.

TIP! Know when to harvest your vegetables at precisely the right time. For the optimum flavor, be sure to follow the guidelines for planting and picking.

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.

TIP! Your children will enjoy the experience of working with you in the organic garden. Toiling together in the garden brings your family closer together and offers many different opportunities to learn new things and instill green values.

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

TIP! It can be easy to prepare the soil in a perennial garden. Only a garden spade and woods chips are necessary.

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.

TIP! Make gardening efficient. Don’t waste your time by looking all over for your tools.

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

TIP! Use an aged laundry basket when you want to collect your produce. An old basket will act like a strainer does.

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.

TIP! Gardening, especially organic gardening, helps you feel more “at one” with the earth. You will learn how to care for you plants from planting the seeds to harvesting your delicious vegetables.

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!

TIP! Look closely at the seedlings you purchase. For example, tomato seedlings can develop bad root systems that will result in failed plants.

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.

TIP! Make sure you know the specifics about what you plan on growing in that organic garden of yours. Some flowers and vegetables require specific types of soil, a certain moisture level, and direct or indirect sun exposure.

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.

TIP! There are a variety of plants that are possible to be grown in organic gardens. Most acid-loving plants really thrive in mulch.

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

TIP! The watering of organic garden plants should be done with care. Test out a soaker hose in your garden.

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.

TIP! By planting garlic around your garden, you can deter bugs from taking up residence. Garlic plants emit a smell that many pests do not like.

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.

TIP! Start your garden by using mulch. Mulch layers also discourage evaporation, which keeps the soil from drying out quickly.

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.

TIP! Consider what particular vegetables are most often on your dining room table and include them when you plan your garden. This will lower your monthly grocery bill, and also make the most use of your garden space.

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.

TIP! Plant dwarf fruit trees in small gardens. Even the smallest garden has room for dwarf trees.

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.