cold weather

How To Increase Your Crop Yields In Your Garden

~ craigb

TIP! Use pots to start your plants, then transfer them to a garden when they become seedlings. This raises the chances of the plants growing until adulthood.

Growing your own fruits and vegetables is an easy thing to do if you use proper techniques. It presents the fact that you are concerned about your plants and you want them to thrive. It is quite admirable. As with any other useful skill, there is always more to learn. The following tips are given to help you with this.

TIP! Get a slug-proof variety of perennials. A particularly vulnerable plant can be killed by snails and slugs overnight.

Choose plant strains that will give you the best harvest with the biggest yield. Many times, hybrid plants tend to resist disease, and tolerate the cold weather better than their traditional counterparts, resulting in higher yields.

TIP! You do not need store-bought chemical treatments for plant mildew. Put a little baking soda and some dish soap in water.

If you’re planning on gardening, carefully watch for stink bugs! You should be particularly careful during Autumn. They like to feast on all kinds of fruits, as well as peppers, tomatoes, and beans. If left unattended, your garden could be ravaged by these bugs, so you need to proactively keep their population under control.

TIP! Climbing plants make a strong addition to walls, fences or other free-standing structures. Climbers have many different uses and spread quickly.

Fill your garden with bulbs if you want to enjoy beautiful flowers through the spring and into summer. Typically, bulbs are simple to grow, and they’ll grow every single year. Include a variety of plantings to get a full season of flowers, from early bloomers to late-season varieties.

TIP! When gardening, be sure to look closely for stink bug infestation, especially during Autumn. Stinkbugs are most prevalent on tomatoes, beans and peppers.

If you’re growing veggies in the garden, they need to be in a spot that lets them get about six hours of sun daily. Many of the vegetables need a lot of sun, so they can grow right and at a faster pace. Some flowers are especially sun-loving as well.

TIP! Fall edibles are a wonderful addition to your garden. Instead of a clay pot, show some fall spirit by using a hollow pumpkin to plant your lettuce or kale in.

Tender deciduous shrubs are very fragile, so protect them. If you have some tender shrubs that are in planters, you need to protect them from cold weather. Tie the tops of the canes together; then take a sheet and cover the wigwam loosely. This tactic is better than utilizing plastic, because it will allow air to circulate.

TIP! Vegetables should be placed in a spot in your garden that will get about six hours of sun every day. If you neglect this, it is likely that you will notice slow growth and reduced quality in your vegetables It’s also the same for some types of flowers.

If you would love to have access to fresh and healthy mint leaves from your own back yard, but dread the way the plant spreads so quickly, worry not. Instead of planting mint in your garden, keep it in a large container or pot to prevent it from spreading. If you prefer, you can even place the container in the ground, but the pot’s walls will prevent the mint from spreading and being a nuisance in your garden.

TIP! Balance your alkaline soil with the acid found in used coffee grounds. This is an easy and inexpensive method to increase the acidity of your soil.

Know when to harvest your vegetables at precisely the right time. Each variety of vegetable has a specific time to be harvested so that you may enjoy its fullest flavor. Some vegetables are best when fully ripe and others taste better when harvested early in their development. The opposite is true of tomatoes. They taste their best if you allow them to ripen on the vine as long as possible. Research the best time to pick your produce.

TIP! Know the ideal times to harvest each of the vegetables you plant. Each variety needs a slightly different amount of growing time to produce the most flavorful vegetable.

If you have a problem with your dog disturbing your garden, you can repel him by spraying perfume or other scents on the grass near the edge. This will mask any scents that might attract your dog and make your garden less interesting to him.

TIP! Plant heather to attract beneficial insects. Bees will go straight for these plants in the spring.

Take care of your knees when you’re gardening. Many people experience back pain and stiffness from bending over and working in the garden for extended amounts of time. Kneeling down on the ground is a more comfortable way for many people to tend to their horticulture chores. You can purchase an inexpensive kneeling pad for horticulture in order to protect your knees.

TIP! To be more efficient when working in your organic garden, have your tools close at hand. You can make use of a bucket, or wear pants that have plenty of pockets.

It’s simple to lay a new perennial bed. Use a spade to dig up some soil, flip the soil over, and finally, sprinkle around 3-4 inches of wood chips on the soil. Give the area a couple of weeks, then dig into it and plant your new perennials.

Coffee Grounds

TIP! When you are planning on growing a garden, you should think about the space you will need to provide a healthy growing area for your plants. Do not underestimate the space that plants need to develop their root systems.

Coffee grounds are good for your soil. Coffee grounds have nitrogen that plants will utilize. The coffee grounds act as a powerful nitrogen source that will help your plants bloom much quicker.

TIP! Use a beer trap to get rid of unwanted pests, like slugs. First, place a glass canning jar in the soil, burying it until the mouth is even with the surface of the soil.

When planting seeds into a container, the depth of your planting should be three times bigger than the seed. There are exceptions, however. Some types of seeds require more direct sunlight than others, and as such they should not be fully covered. Petunias and ageratum are two examples of seeds that require sunlight. If you are unsure if your seeds should be covered, refer to the seed packet, or if that is not available, look for information online.

TIP! Grow garlic. Plant individual garlic cloves early in the spring or fall.

If slugs are problematic in your garden, you can use an all-natural beer trap to do away with them. Place a container in the ground so that the lip is even with the soil surface. Pour beer into the jar until it’s almost full. Leave an inch of space between the beer and the jar top. The scent of the beer will bait the slugs into the jar and they will become trapped.

TIP! Making beds is one of the most important skills you need to acquire. To begin this process, cut under the turf and leave a space open.

Try to use untreated wood, brick or stone and make a raised bed. If you choose wood, ensure that it has not been treated with a sealant or other chemicals. Good choices are cedar, locust and cypress. In order to avoid toxic substances from getting into the ground and perhaps into your vegetables, avoid using treated wood to enclose or demarcate different sections of your vegetable garden. If you have used treated lumber, line your beds with plastic.

TIP! Plants are bound to be healthier if placed in healthier soil, therefore they will be able to avoid diseases as well as damage that can be caused by insects. Though insects may still be in the garden, they will be unable to destroy the plants.

Now you know how you can use these ideas in your own garden. You are ready to start your own garden. The basic tips provided here will give you a good start in building your own body of knowledge as you work. You might find some new techniques that you can test out in your garden.

Your Organic Garden: Great Advice You Can Use Today

~ craigb

TIP! When laying sod, it is important that you do it correctly. Before you use sod, you need to prepare the soil.

Organic horticulture and holistic lifestyles go hand in hand. Anyone living this kind of life usually has to organically grow their own herbs and plants to maintain their way of living. This article provides several useful tips on organic gardening that can help.

TIP! Start your plant in pots before you plant them in your garden. This can give your seedlings the advantage they need to survive and reach adulthood.

Select plant types that will bring a higher profits and yield. A lot of times a hybrid that will tolerate cold weather or disease will give you a higher output than heirlooms.

TIP! Regular weeding is essential to the health of any garden. Weeds steal nutrients from plants, robbing a garden of its potential harvest.

The handles on your horticulture tools can be used as a convenient measuring instrument. You can use larger tools, like rakes, as measuring sticks. On the floor, simply lay out the handles, then take a tape measure and run it next to them. Use a permanent marker to label distances. Now when you go to work in the garden, you will have a ruler that is large at your fingertips!

TIP! Make sure to pre-soak seeds, preferably in a dark location. Place a couple seeds in each container, then fill it close to full with water.

While working in your garden during the fall season, watch out for those stink bugs! They enjoy tomatoes, peppers, beans, and many different varieties of fruits. If they are left in the garden, they can do great damage to your plants, so you should do whatever you can to eliminate them.

TIP! You can alleviate this problem by planting grasses that your cat will naturally gravitate towards. It may also work to add citrus peelings or mothballs to the soil of the plants, because the odor is unpleasant to cats.

Try growing some cat grass or wheat grass in the vicinity of the plants that your cat likes to eat. You can also put something on top of the soil around the plants that has an offensive smell to cats, such as mothballs or citrus peel.

TIP! Make sure air can circulate around your plants, and keep leaves moisture-free. If your plants get too moist, they may get sick or infested with parasites.

Do not cut your grass too short. If you let your grass keep some height after mowing, it will be able to absorb more sun and moisture resulting in a lusher, greener lawn. Short grass means short roots and dead grass.

TIP! In order to start the best garden possible, remember that you should always start with the seeds and not pre-purchased plants. The most “green” way to create a new garden is starting from seeds.

Make sure you protect any tender deciduous shrubs. Cold weather is very hard on these tender shrubs, and potted shrubs should be shielded and protected. Fasten the tops of the canes together, and cover this wigwam loosely with a cloth. This method is preferred to wrapping a plant in plastic, since it promotes circulation and prevents rotting.

TIP! Gardening can be a relaxing hobby. You may be aware of various ways to find peaceful relaxation.

Consider planting evergreens in your garden that produce berries. This will keep your garden colorful, even during those months when other plants are not growing. Some examples include Holly, Snowberry trees, Winterberry and similar plants.

TIP! One particular plant should be the focal point of your garden. There should be a solid focal point for every good garden design.

Pest control is tough when you have a veggie garden. It is important not to use harmful chemical agents, because you are growing produce that is intended to be eaten. Remain alert in order to control garden pests. If you catch pests right away, the easiest way to eradicate them is to pick them off plants by hand.

TIP! Vegetables are softer when they are warmer, increasing the risk that you will damage them. Cut them with a tool rather than pulling or twisting, otherwise you could damage the plant itself.

To help them out, try poring leftover water from steamed vegetables on them. It is also possible to utilize coffee ground or tea to make the soil more acidic for gardenias, rhododendrons and other plants that prefer acidic soil. If fungus is an issue, Chamomile tea sprinkled on the plant may be effective.

TIP! A good tip to help your plants stay healthy and fight diseases is to use aspirin water. Dissolve one aspirin and a half for 2 gallons of water.

Make sure your pesticides are focused on only what you’re trying to kill. These kinds of pesticides kill the helpful insects that destroy the pests. Bugs that are good for your garden tend to be more susceptible to these types of pesticides, and using them could mean an increase in the pests you are actually trying to get rid of. This can cause you to use an additional amount of pesticides in order to attempt to fix this problem.

Involve your children in horticulture. Horticulture helps your children learn about biological processes and serves as a social activity that helps the family grow closer while eating healthier.

TIP! Botanical pesticides that are from your local area can be incredibly effective on pests. In many cases, organic insecticides work even better than commercial products that are full of chemicals.

It is important to allow cuts to completely heal before you do any horticulture in order to protect the cut from exposure to dirt or chemicals. A cut can become infected if dirt is allowed to enter the cut while gardening. Instead, opt for a bandage that entirely covers your wound.

TIP! You can create a garden for perennials easily. Use the spade to get under the turf, flip it, and then apply a layer of wood chips that is several inches deep.

Have plastic bags on hand to put over dirty gardening shoes. Having these available lets you keep your flow in movement, and helps you return to your horticulture fast so you can finish up your day.

TIP! The ideal way to water your organic garden is with a soaker hose. This type of hose allows you to water roots directly without wetting the plants’ leaves.

If you plant tomatoes, make sure you plant a second batch roughly three weeks after the first ones were done. The reason for this is because it helps to prevent the entire harvest from producing all at once. Additionally, should something happen to during one of your harvests, your tomatoes will not all be ruined.

TIP! Transform your organic garden into a shade garden. A shade garden does not require a lot of maintenance from you.

Know how to make beds the correct way, if you want to make an organic garden. You do this by slicing underneath the turf using an appropriate tool. Then, flip the dirt over and cover it with wood chips. The chips should be about 3-4 inches deep when you’re done. Within a week or two, you should be able to cut the ground and plant your seeds.

TIP! You can grow many different plants in your garden. Plants that favor an acid soil need adequate mulch.

Invite biodiversity into your garden. The more varieties of plants that are around, the more wildlife will be around. To create a more natural environment, plant many different kinds of plants. Your garden will become a haven for you to enjoy, as well as a help to the environment.

TIP! Leaves make for a good organic compost pile which you can mix in with soil. When the leaves decompose, they are broken down into a nourishing, rich compost that plants love.

Determine which plants you want to grow in advance when planning an organic garden. Some flowers and vegetables require specific types of soil, a certain moisture level, and direct or indirect sun exposure. Certain types of roses, for example, vary greatly from one another. Make sure you select the varieties that will adapt well to your garden.

TIP! You can use rainwater if you save it. Trap water in rain barrels, other contraptions or even simple buckets to water your organic garden.

To mulch, trees and flowers, use a minimum of three inches of organic material. This aids in environmental conservation and also saves you serious money on water each month. Furthermore, an organic garden with a thick layer of mulch is far more appealing to the eye.

TIP! Mulching is essential when gardening. It also has the added benefit of keeping the soil moister and reducing the likelihood of weeds.

The more you fill your brain when it comes to gardening, the more you have at your disposal throughout the whole process. Keep in mind that the tips offered here are only a few of the great things that you can learn.