early spring

Enjoy Your Own Organic Produce With These Tips

~ craigb

TIP! Always have a plan for the garden prior to the start of planting it. It will be easy to remember where each plant is when sprouts start to shoot up the following spring.

Organic horticulture may seem to be a very complicated matter when examined closely. Choosing to garden organically means learning about many details, such as your soil’s acidity or what sort of insects live in your garden. Growing an organic garden can be a bit difficult for a newbie. Use the tips below to grow like a pro.

TIP! Do you want fresh mint leaves without having to worry about them growing too quickly? Try to keep your mint in a container in your garden to stop their rampage. You can plant the container into the soil if you want to, but the container will restrict the roots, and make sure that the plant doesn’t run rampant in your garden.

Shoveling clay is very difficult and lots of work because the clay is hard and sticks to the shovel, making it tough to handle. 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 make your task easier because the clay won’t stick to the shovel. It will also keep your garden tool from rusting.

TIP! Plant items with fall color. That doesn’t have to be way it is though! The brightest season of the year when it comes to foliage is fall.

In order for plants to grow, they must have enough CO2. When exposed to high levels of CO2, most types of plants will grow better. Getting a greenhouse is the best way to get a higher amount. A greenhouse will help maintain a high level of CO2 and cause the plants to grow faster.

TIP! The flesh of vegetables gets soft in the heat of the day, making them especially vulnerable to inadvertent damage with even the gentlest picking. You should also be sure to cut them off the vine and not twist them, as twisting can hurt the plant.

Use bulbs to ensure continuous flowers throughout the spring and summer. Since bulbs are easy to grow and resistant to poor weather conditions, they will grow without fail year after year. If you choose your plants carefully, you could have flowers in blossom from the first weeks of spring to the end of the summer.

TIP! To attract the right kind of insects, plant heather. Heather is very attractive to bees, and when bees first emerge in the spring, it is an early source of nectar.

In a dark area, pre-soak your seeds overnight. Place your seeds in a container filled with water. This will keep your seeds hydrated and give you a little head start with your growing. The seeds will have a better chance of surviving and maturing.

TIP! Young children will love it if you plant strawberries that bear continually, and organic gardens are the perfect place to do it. Kids really enjoy plucking snacks directly from the ground, and may have greater enthusiasm for the work if they see the results of their labor right away.

If you want an organic way to weed your garden, try “boiling” them. Considering that boiling water is rather safe, you don’t have to worry about toxins in your soil or at your dinner table. Carefully pour boiling water right on the weeds, but be careful not to pour it on the plants you want. What this does it essentially kill the weeds by damaging their roots. The result is that those weeds are unlikely to regrow.

TIP! If you are growing plants inside of your home, you need to keep the thermostat set to 65 to 75 degrees during the day. This is the optimum temperature to ensure strong growth.

In order to rid your garden of pests, take advantage of plant materials and other organic matter. Planting marigolds or onions around the border of your garden will repel slugs. Mulch around the bottom of trees and shrub seedlings with wood ash to reduce unwanted infestation of pests. Natural remedies, like the ones listed, will help reduce the need and usage of harsh chemical pesticides.

TIP! Before planting any perennials, you have to make the ground ready. Simply slice into the ground with a spade, flip the top layer of soil, and then cover it with several inches of wood chips.

Heather can be planted to attract useful insects. Bees love heather, and it is a favorite stop when they emerge in early spring.
Heather beds are also attractive to bugs such as spiders and ground beetles that will kill pests. Always remember this, and wear your horticulture gloves if you prune your heather!

TIP! Do not be in a rush when you plant your seeds. The first thing you should do before planting is moisturize the soil.

Allow your children to actively participate in planting your organic garden. Growing a garden is a great way to teach your children about nature while allowing you to have time to bond with them.

Try to keep plastic bags on hand to cover shoes that are muddy. This allows you to maintain your flow so you can rapidly get back to your horticulture.

Laundry Basket

TIP! Construct raised flower beds of brick, stone, or wood. If you choose wood, ensure that it has not been treated with a sealant or other chemicals.

Use a laundry basket to help you collect produce from your garden. The laundry basket will function as a makeshift strainer for the fruits and vegetables. When you put your produce in a basket, you can then rinse it off and let it strain any excess water through the laundry basket holes.

TIP! Add mulch to your garden to improve the vitality of the soil. Mulch can protect the ground it sits upon.

It can be hard at times to grow your own organic garden, yet it is so much more rewarding in the end. Although the chemicals may claim greater results, using organic methods to tame your garden will do less harm to your body, and the environment.

TIP! The best feature of organics is that they are pesticide free. While this is good for your family’s health, you will want to be sure to check even more for bugs and other pests.

Every year, you should plant different things and in different places. If the types of plants that you grow are consistent from one year to the next, they may be more prone to diseases and plant fungus. The fungus and bacteria will stay in the ground a whole year and attack your plants when the time is right. However, by alternating the locations of your different types of plants, you can naturally prevent the fungi and diseases from developing.

TIP! It’s time to plant some organic garlic. Garlic cloves may be planted in soil with good drainage in either the spring or fall.

Have you ever given any thought to using organic gardening methods to grow garlic? Plant some individual garlic cloves into well-drained soil in early spring. Plant the cloves one to two inches beneath the soil about four inches apart and with the pointed end up. You can cut the shoots of green garlic as they are growing and use them as an alternative to scallions and chives. You will know when to harvest the garlic, because the tops will gradually turn brown. Leave the bulbs out the sunshine for a few days until the skin gets hard. Store them in a cool, dry location. You can store them as loose bulbs, or fasten them together into bunches.

TIP! Get to the root of the matter! Oftentimes, tomato seedlings that show verdant green starts have poor roots. You want to take note of this because starts like this will prohibit seedling growth.

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.

Tips From Experts On A Healthy Garden

~ craigb

TIP! Learn about plant varieties so you can choose the ones with the best yields. 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.

Well, now is as good a time as any. If you’d like more information on horticulture, this article can serve as a starting point for you. Listed below is some very valuable advice that will help tint your thumb green, and bring you horticulture success.

TIP! Plant some perennials in your garden that repel slugs. If slugs or snails find their favorite perennials in your garden, they’ll snack all night.

It is important that you give your plants the chance to gradually adjust to the change in temperature and conditions, or you risk shocking them. You need to give them about an hour of sunlight during the first day. As time goes by, slowly increase the time they spent outdoors. Hopefully, after about a week or so, your plants should have adjusted to the change. Now you can transplant them without any worries.

TIP! Starting off your garden with healthy soil can be the best defense against those pesky garden bugs. Healthy plants grown in robust and enriched soil have an advantage in fighting pest infestation.

Your tool handles can double as measuring sticks. Tools with substantial handles, like rakes, hoes and large shovels are great for taking measurements. All you have to do is lay them on the floor then use a measuring tape to measure their length. Have a marker handy, and mark the distance with it. Now when you go garden the next time, you’ll have a giant ruler at your command.

TIP! Before you even place the first plant in your garden, you need to check the composition of your soil. For a small fee, a soil analysis can be obtained – based on that report – the soil can be properly enriched to support a vibrant garden.

Get a slug-proof variety of perennials. These creatures can wreak havoc on a garden in a short time. These pests prefer plants with thin smooth leaves. Plant some helleborus or euphorbias along with your other perennials. Some perennials, however, leave a bad taste in slugs’ mouths or are difficult to chew through because their leaves aren’t tender. These varieties include achillea, helleborus, heuchera, euphorbia, and campanula.

TIP! If you’re like many gardeners, autumn means that it’s time to get some delicious fall edibles growing in your garden. Clay pots are boring, so replace those ordinary lettuce and kale pots with pumpkins.

Starting off your garden with healthy soil can be the best defense against those pesky garden bugs. Healthy plants are naturally more resilient against pests and disease. You want to cultivate quality soil with adequate salt levels, which leads to healthy plants.

TIP! Soak the seeds and store in a dark area overnight. Place a small amount of seeds in a little container, while filling it to the brim with water.

There’s no need for chemical intervention if you discover powdery mildew on leaves. A great home remedy is to mix baking soda with water and a little bit of liquid soap. Once every week, you should spray the mixture on your plants; the mildew will disappear shortly thereafter. This is a natural solution for ridding your plants of mildew safely.

Early Spring

TIP! Using boiling water to kill weeds is both efficient and organic. The safest herbicide that you can use in your garden is a simple pot of boiling water.

Bulbs will give you wonderful flowers that you can enjoy in early spring and right through the summer. Most people have no trouble successfully growing bulbs, and their flowers will return each and every year. Different varieties of bulbs flower at varied times and if you make the right choices you can have blossoms from early spring through late summer.

TIP! Cooled water left over from steaming vegetables can be fed to them as a little snack. If you have rhododendrons or gardenias, use coffee and tea grounds to acidify the soil.

Both cat grass and wheat grass are good for giving your errant feline pause. Alternatively, you can try putting mothballs, citrus peel or anything else with an odor that cats find distasteful in the soil surrounding the plants.

TIP! While gardening you must make sure your knees are protected. It’s not a good idea to spend much time standing while you are bent over at the waist.

Always make sure to mow your lawn to the appropriate length, always making sure that the cut is not too close. Keeping grass with a little more height makes it healthier. This allows the roots to grow more deeply and makes the blades of grass more resistant to becoming dry and discolored. If you keep your lawn too short, the roots will not go deep enough to survive in case of a heat wave.

TIP! You will garden more efficiently if you keep your tools close by. You can do this by using a bucket, or you can wear rugged pants or a gardening apron that has several pockets.

Keep your fragile shrubs protected from the winter weather. If you’ve got tender shrubs which are potted, you need to protect them from cold weather. Pull the canes together at the top and securely tie them. Next, using a sheet or perhaps even a blanket, cover the structure. People sometimes use plastic to wrap their plants, but plastic can cause the plants to rot because it impedes air circulation.

TIP! You should work efficiently, instead of working hard in your garden, to simplify things. Don’t waste your time looking for missing tools.

Aerate and dry your plants each day. If your plants are moist, this can attract disease and parasites. In fact, fungi love a wet plant and can cause a great deal of damage. Fungicide sprays can deal with fungal infestations, but they are most effective if you apply them before a fungus problem becomes noticeable.

TIP! Tuck away some plastic grocery bags and use them to slip over your muddy boots. You will save time and be back in the garden much more quickly by doing this.

Think about starting your peas indoors rather than planting them directly in the garden. Seeds will always germinate much better when you first plant them indoors initially. The seedling may also be hardier, which means that they can better resist disease and attacks from pests. After the seedlings have grown strong indoors, it will be time for you to transplant them to outdoor beds.

Pectrum Pesticides

TIP! If you over-water your plants, they can’t get all the nutrients they need from the dirt. Before watering plants outdoors, check with some weather stations to find out if it will rain anytime during the day.

When horticulture, avoid the use of strong broad-spectrum pesticides. While broad-spectrum pesticides will kill most pests, they will also kill helpful insects. Beneficial bugs are usually several orders more sensitive to the things you spray than the pests you are trying to kill, so you might wind up dropping the good bug populace and open the door to pest population growth. When this happens, you will spray another round of pesticides to get rid of the pests, thus creating a never-ending cycle for yourself.

TIP! Organic fruits and vegetables grow without being exposed to pesticides and other chemicals. However, although this is a much healthier alternative, it is important to check surfaces of organic fruits and vegetables thoroughly to be sure that no unwanted pests are living in or on them.

Gardening is a great way to relax. Countless methods of unwinding from the stresses of life exist. Gardening is a great way to just kick back, chill out, and enjoy your time with nature. There are numerous returns based on a very small monetary investment. Your beautiful lush garden will allow you to reap a harvest of peaceful tranquility.

TIP! To make sure you have strong seedlings, look deeply. When you are buying seedlings for tomatoes, look at the roots as well as the green parts.

Plant ever-bearing strawberries for your children in the organic garden. Strawberries are a favorite of children due to their sweetness. And since they’re so easy and fun to pick, it’s also a healthy, productive, safe activity that children can assist adults with.

TIP! In organic gardens, like any garden, weeds take a lot of attention to keep them under control. This method is much safer for your other plants.

Now you should be ready to get horticulture. If you thought you knew everything you needed to know before, you might be surprised how much your knowledge has grown with just a simple article. The above tips have hopefully spurred some great ideas that you can use in your own backyard to create a garden you can be proud of.