organic methods

Working Your Soil So You Can Grow Healthy Plants

~ craigb

TIP! Transfer your favorite plants inside so they survive the winter. You should probably save the most resistant or expensive plants.

Planting an organic garden gives you easy access to a source of healthy food, but buying what you need and getting it set up can be tough for a first-timer. There are a lot of different kinds of seeds you can choose from. Keep reading for insight on what is best suited for the garden of your dreams.

TIP! Many people delight in the taste of fresh mint leaves, but become frustrated when the plant spreads wildly. Stunt their growth a little by planting your mint into a garden container or large pot instead.

In order not to shock your plants, you have to gradually accustom them to the change of temperature and conditions. You need to give them about an hour of sunlight during the first day. Over the course of a week, slowly increase the amount of time that you leave them outside. At week’s end, the plants should be welcoming of their new home.

Select plant varieties capable of producing large yields. In most circumstances, a cold-tolerant or disease-resistant hybrid will have a higher yield when compared to a more traditional variety.

TIP! Place organic mulch as close to your vegetables as you can. The mulch will add beneficial moisture to your soil.

When tending a vegetable garden, you might find that pest control is a bit difficult. Avoid spraying harsh chemicals on fruits and vegetables destined for your table. Instead of resorting to these harmful chemicals, you can keep garden pests at bay simply by paying close attention. When you catch a potential infestation early, the solution may be as simple as picking the pests off of your plants with your fingers.

TIP! Know when is the best time to harvest your vegetables. Every vegetable has a proper time to be picked in order to capture the perfect flavor.

Plan your garden, and plant with fall colors in mind. That doesn’t have to be the case. The foliage in the fall probably exudes more color than any other season. Maple, beech, and dogwood trees are many colors in the fall, from yellow to a deeper crimson. Some vibrant shrubs include hydrangea, barberry, and cotoneaster.

TIP! Make a plant you love the focal point of your garden. Any great garden design involves using a focal point to grab someone’s attention and keep it there.

You don’t want to pick vegetables during the day when it is hot, as that is when they are prone to damage due to them being softer. Make sure to chop the vegetables off the vine, but be careful not to twist them. Twisting can actually damage the plant.

TIP! When you are organic gardening, ask your children to lend a hand. Growing a garden is a great way to teach your children about nature while allowing you to have time to bond with them.

To make a creative English garden, include many different kinds of plants and vary their height in the same garden bed. If you use plants that are all the same size your garden will look flat.

TIP! Are you a parent? If you are, try planting some strawberries like everbearing strawberries in your garden. 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.

Let your children be involved in your organic horticulture efforts. Gardening helps your children learn about biological processes and serves as a social activity that helps the family grow closer while eating healthier.

TIP! Keep your plants in a warm, moist environment, if possible. Young plants need a temperature within that specific range to grow.

Protecting your knees while horticulture is essential. Most people can’t bend over while standing up for a long period of time. You should kneel while tending to your plants for the sake of reducing stress to your spine. A kneeling pad can be placed under your knees to help reduce the pain from compression.

TIP! For the best results, properly prepare your garden for planting. The first thing you should do is moisturize the soil.

Do not plant your seeds in a rush. To begin with, you need to dampen the soil sufficiently. Then distribute the seeds so that they are evenly spaced and have sufficient room to grow. The depth at which you bury them should be three times their size. Some seeds you won’t have to bury because they need light in order to grow.

TIP! Work properly in your garden. Don’t spend 30 minutes searching for a tool.

Try to avoid letting your organic garden chores build up. Sometimes it might prove difficult to get in a little horticulture time every day. However, you shouldn’t fret, as there are a few things you can do that can minimize the time you spend gardening when you do manage to get to it. For example, if you are playing in the yard with your child, take a few moments to pull some weeds as well.

TIP! You can cover your muddied gardening footware easily by keeping plastic bags around. Doing this prevents lengthy work interruptions, and allows you to finish the job quickly.

In your compost, use green and dried plants in equal parts. Examples of good green material to use for compost include grass clippings, flowers, leaves, and weeds. Dried materials are things like hay, wood shavings, cardboard and paper. Certain substances will undermine your composting efforts and cancel out any benefits; these include meat, charcoal, ash or plants that have diseases or fungal growths.

TIP! Calibrate how much you water based upon the time of the year and the weather conditions. The amount of water needed will change based on time of the day, the content of your municipal water and what your soil make-up is.

Would you like to kill those obnoxious weeds naturally? You can easily control weeds by using layered sheets of newspaper. Weeds need sunlight to grow. The layers of newspaper will kill the weeds because they no longer receive any sunlight. Newspapers easily break down over a period of time, and eventually become a portion of the compost. Add a layer of mulch on top to make it look more attractive!

TIP! After you plant tomatoes in your garden, plant another set three weeks later. The reason for this is because it helps to prevent the entire harvest from producing all at once.

Use a beer trap to capture slugs and stop them from eating your plants. Dig a hole the size of a glass jar, and bury the jar with the top at ground level. Fill the jar with beer about an inch lower than the top. The slugs will be drawn to the beer and then drown in the jar.

TIP! While gardening, be careful of what products you use. There are many organic fertilizers and pesticides available which are much better options than chemicals.

Many organic gardeners get the best results from watering with a soaker hose. This will allow the water to seep slowly into the soil straight to the plant’s roots. Soaker hoses need less water than their sprinkler counterparts, and it takes less of your time to use one than it does to water each plant by hand.

TIP! Here you have organic gardening, simplified! Stick to native plants, grasses, flowers and bushes when you plan out your landscape. Plants that are naturally suited to your environmental parameters are unlikely to require the degree of fertilization and chemical pest protection that would have to be expended on other plants.

Think carefully about any product you buy to use in your garden. Rather than dousing your garden with chemical fertilizers, use an organic alternative. One of the best substances is simple compost. Compared with chemical-based approaches, organic methods are safer for both the people and the planet.

TIP! Try planting your organic garden in the shade. These gardens are low maintenance, which is very appealing to people.

Dig a large hole in the organic garden when you want to plant a shrub or tree. If the sides of the hole show glaze which was caused by the shovel, the root may be restricted from entering into the adjacent soil.

TIP! Make sure any trees you plant near your home are located to provide optimal shade for your home. This can generate greater savings on your electric bill, as the shade provided by the trees offers a natural cooling method that will reduce your consumption of energy.

As discussed earlier, there are many benefits to growing your garden with natural and organic methods. This opens up a world of possibilities for your flowers, vegetables and herbs. The tips in this article will set you on the right path to a successful organic garden, that provides healthy food for your family.

What Is All Of The Buzz About Organic Horticulture?

~ craigb

There are a variety of all-natural techniques that you can employ that will create a healthy, vibrant organic garden. You just need to learn them and use them.

TIP! If you have a wall or fence that you do not like, plant climbers to mask its appearance. Climbers have many different uses and spread quickly.

Consider planting slug-proof perennials. Snails and slugs can do irreparable damage to your garden in a single night. They’re particularly fond of perennials with smooth and thin leaves, especially if the plants are young. Perennials with hairy leaves or bitter taste are unattractive to snails and slugs, keeping them safe from harm. Achillea, euphorbia, helleborus, heuchera and campanula are good choices that slugs don’t like.

Flower Beds

TIP! Be diligent in your efforts to banishing weeds! If you’re not careful, weeds can take over your beautiful garden, ruining it. White vinegar is one option you can use in your routine weed removal.

Use biennials and annuals to add color to your flower beds. These usually grow quickly, and provide an easy-to-change solution to making your flower beds bright and beautiful. They allow you to select different flowers from one year or season to the next. You can use them between the gaps in shrubs and perennials where there is plenty of sun. There are many different varieties to choose from such as daisies, marigolds, impatiens, and lantana.

TIP! Aerate and dry your plants each day. Moisture on the surface of a plant can attract parasites, and cause disease.

Use climbers to cover walls and fences. You can hide an unsightly wall or fence, in as little as one growing season, with the right selection of climbing plant. Climbers can also be trained to grow and cover an arbor, and they will grow through or around existing trees and shrubs. Some of these plants must have support, and some can attach themselves to something using their stems and tendrils. Some dependable types include honeysuckle, clematis, jasmine, climbing roses, and wisteria.

TIP! Be careful how you water your garden. Use a hose with a soaker attachment to save you time, so the garden can get watered while you are doing other tasks.

Check the soil before you plant anything in your garden. Many nurseries offer a soil analysis service, which will tell you what nutrients your soil is lacking and what you can do about it. Ask about this service at a local university or the county Cooperative Extension office to improve the soil and insure fruitful crops.

TIP! If you know that you’ll be in the garden for an extended period of time, protect yourself from the sun with proper attire. Sunglasses, a nice shady hat, and sunscreen are very helpful.

When horticulture, be sure to look closely for stink bug infestation, especially during Autumn. They thrive on fruits, citrus, peppers and various beans. Decrease their presence as much as possible to avoid them wreaking havoc in your garden.

TIP! You can create a great English garden by mixing types and sizes in one bed. If you only use uniform plants, your bed will look boring and flat.

Using boiling water to kill weeds is both efficient and organic. Considering that boiling water is rather safe, you don’t have to worry about toxins in your soil or at your dinner table. One simple layer across the weeds with a pot of boiling water will take care of the problem, but you have to remember the same applies to your plants, as well. The roots of the weeds are damaged by the boiling water which, in turn, inhibits further growth.

TIP! If you want your children to enjoy your organic garden, plant some tasty strawberries. Little ones will be more likely to help when they can enjoy the fun of harvesting their own fruit.

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 vegetable garden will help repel slugs. Wood ash used as mulch helps repel pests as well when around shrubs and trees. These are methods you can use to get rid of the need to use pesticides.

TIP! For the best results, properly prepare your garden for planting. To begin with, you need to dampen the soil sufficiently.

Have one plant be the most interesting eye-grabber in your garden. 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! Pine needles should not be overlooked as a great source for mulch. Some plants need acidic soil to grow properly, because of their own acid content.

Bring your young ones into the garden with you so they will learn about organic methods. An organic garden will help your child learn more about plants and insects, and it’s a wonderful bonding time while growing healthy produce.

TIP! Your compost pile should contain green plants and dried ones in equal amounts. Green means plant cuttings including grass, produce and weeds.

Prior to working in the garden, make sure any cuts on your hands heal completely, or shield any cuts from contact with chemicals and dirt. A cut will likely become infected if it is exposed to dirt when horticulture. Instead, opt for a bandage that entirely covers your wound.

TIP! You should use wood that is untreated, brick or stone when building the raised bed. Any wood you use needs to be untreated and resistant to rot.

Planted flowers will benefit from organic materials that are built up to as much as three inches. Mulch will minimize weed growth and maximize nutrients and moisture. It also adds a uniform and cohesive look to the garden.

Laundry Basket

TIP! While any kind of gardening can make you feel as though you’re in tune with nature, organic gardening takes this to the next level. You will be a witness of the growing process of many different plants and understand how a whole ecosystem functions.

When it is time to gather your produce, you should use an older laundry basket. The laundry basket can be used as a colander for your produce. The basket won’t be affected by the water and it will drain right off as though it were poured into a large sieve.

TIP! Plant your own garlic with organic methods. Wait until early spring or the fall to plant cloves in a moist soil.

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. However, it has been proven to cause plants to grow larger.

TIP! You need to mulch your garden with about three inches of material that is organic. This affects your garden in a variety of ways, including enriching the soil, locking in moisture, and improving the overall appearance of the garden.

Use a few inches of organic materials to mulch your flowerbed or garden. This will add nutrients to your soil, keep it moist, stop the growth of weeds and keep the garden looking beautiful.

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

The best option available to water an organic garden are soaker hoses. The water seeps slowly out of these hoses and can be directed straight to the roots so that the leaves stay dry. Compared with sprinklers, a soaker hose wastes less water and is far more convenient to use.

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.

When you garden, be aware of what you can use. Try using organic substitutes for the typical chemical fertilizers. Compost is a popular type of fertilizer. Inorganic materials, such as those found in commercial fertilizers, are responsible for toxic chemical buildup in both soil and drinking water. This can be avoided by using eco-friendly organic methods.

Shade Gardens

TIP! One needs to build a border using a fence around the garden prior to planting in it. Being able to keep pests and animals away minimize the factors that could cause destruction in your garden.

For an easy, organic garden option, try a shade garden. Shade gardens do not take a lot of work, people love to hear this! This type of garden requires only a small amount of water, which makes it especially easy to maintain. While the plants in shade gardens grow slower, so do the weeds.

TIP! You need water for a healthy garden. Plants, just like humans, require water for survival.

Anybody can grow a garden, but those who bother to understand what they’re doing will be the only ones to reap rich rewards from their crop. Remember these helpful tips the next time you are working in your garden!

Sound Advice For Gardening WIth Great Success

~ craigb

TIP! It may be helpful to let your plants begin their life in a pot and to transfer them to your garden when they’re seedlings. This boosts the chance that the plants can survive to adulthood.

A garden offers much more than beautiful decoration. Anyone can enjoy this hobby from an amateur to someone with a very green thumb. It is something someone can do to add tranquility and peace to his or her house, as well as a way to appreciate life itself. Even better if you’re a good gardener, you can see tremendous effects.

Soil Analysis

TIP! Don’t mow your grass too short. Higher grass has deeper roots, meaning a healthier lawn that will be less likely to dry out.

Before you even start planting the garden, check the soil. Many nurseries offer a soil analysis service, which will tell you what nutrients your soil is lacking and what you can do about it. Many offices of Cooperative Extension will do a soil analysis, and it is important to know how to improve soil so that all crops can grow in it.

TIP! If you want to grow vegetables in you backyard, it is vital that you place them in an area where they could get roughly six hours of sun on a daily basis. Most members of the vegetable family need this minimum of light for proper growth.

Draw up a garden plan before you plant the first seed. Doing so means you can remember where each particular plant is when you start seeing sprouts arise from the earth. With a plan, you will also be less likely to lose track of small groups or individual plants within a large and ambitious garden.

TIP! Are fresh mint leaves something you love but cannot stand how quickly they grow all over your garden? Try to keep your mint in a container in your garden to stop their rampage. If you would like the mint leaves to still be in the ground, simply plant the container, and the leaves will stay within the boundaries of the pot.

Deciduous shrubs should be protected from the elements. If you have a few potted shrubs, they should be shielded from the wintry weather. Tie these canes at the top, and place a blanket over it. This method is much better than wrapping the plant in plastic, as it allows air to circulate, which can prevent rotting.

Knee Pads

TIP! When you boil vegetables, use the leftover water on your potted plants. If you grow rhododendrons, azaleas or gardenias, increase the acid in your your soil by working in coffee or tea grounds.

Get gardening knee pads if you have low-growing plants. Weeding, watering and picking through your vegetation can cause a lot of damage to your knees if left unprotected. With good knee pads, you can stay in the garden longer, and more comfortably.

TIP! Plant items with fall color. It doesn’t have to be this way, however.

Allow enough room between plants for air to circulate, so that plants do not stay too wet. Moisture on your plants is a sure way to attract parasites and disease. Fungi is the most common parasite for plants. You can control fungi with the application of fungicide sprays. However, the area should be treated before you see the onset of any problems.

TIP! If you’re working to build a sustainable organic garden, try leaving a portion of your garden untouched so that the wildlife will be able to thrive. As the natural wildlife begins to flourish, the various insects, birds, and other natural life around will all blend together and actually assist your garden as it begins to grow.

Take a look at planting berry-producing evergreens in your yard. The evergreens will add some color to your garden or yard, especially during the winter, when other plants have died or lost color. Some evergreens that will provide winter color are the American Holly, Common Snowberry, American Cranberrybush, and the Winterberry.

TIP! Before planting your favorite perennials, you must first prepare the ground. All you need to do is use a garden spade to slice under the turf, flip it over, then spread wood chips over the area about three to four inches deep.

Use a wheelbarrow and a kneeling stool when you’re working in your garden. Spending too much time on the ground working can be quite hard on your knees, and a horticulture 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.

Pectrum Pesticides

TIP! Have plastic bags on hand to put over dirty gardening shoes. This allows you to maintain your flow so you can rapidly get back to your gardening.

When gardening, avoid the use of strong broad-spectrum pesticides. Broad-spectrum pesticides not only kill pests, but also “good” bugs like ground beetles that eat pests. Beneficial insects are more susceptible to strong pesticides than the insects you are actually trying to get rid of. This will lead you to end up killing off the good bugs in your garden, leaving the field wide open for the harmful ones. In the end, you may resort to using even more pesticides in order to erase the problem.

TIP! Spacing is an important factor to consider when planting your garden. Leave a little more space than you think your full grown plant will need to make up for overgrowth.

To create an attractive, quintessentially English garden, you need to use a mixture of different plants that all grow to varying heights in each bed. If you use plants of similar heights, the result will be pretty boring and uniform.

TIP! Increase your property value with landscaping. You can get a very high return from improving your home through landscaping.

One way to encourage an organic garden to be sustainable and healthy is to put aside a section to stay undeveloped, thus encouraging wildlife to approach it. This can be a good area for the types of insects that pollinate plants. It can also be a sanctuary for birds, which will help some plants thrive. This can greatly improve the production of your organic garden.

TIP! Gardening can not only be an excellent hobby for consuming time, but is great for saving money and aiding a healthy diet. When you do this type of gardening, you will start to have a good idea of the whole process of planting from start to finish.

If you choose to use organic methods to care for your houseplants, you should bear in mind that certain plants require more sunlight than others. If your residential space has limited sunlight, it will be best that you grow plants that are ideal for this type of environment. If your plants still need more light, there are always artificial light sources that you can use.

TIP! If you want your starts to thrive, take the time to look underneath the ground. Before buying any organic tomato seedlings to plant in your garden, you should investigate them for green starts and bad root systems.

After sprouting occurs, you will not need to keep seeds as warm. After growth begins, you can remove plants from any excessive heat sources. You can now take off any protective coverings on your plants that were there to shield them from the elements. Watch the seeds so you can know when you do this.

TIP! You may be able to find botanical insecticides locally, which are often very helpful for preventing pest infestations. Natural insecticides are sometimes more effective than the myriad synthetic, chemical-based products available.

Plastic bags can be kept on hand and reused to slip over your dirty gardening shoes. This helps the flow keep going so that you can get into the garden quickly to finish what you’re doing.

TIP! Mulch should be added to your flower bed and garden using at least 3 inches of material that is organic. The mulch retains moisture, enriches the soil, and prevents weeds from growing.

Add used coffee grounds to your soil. Coffee has a lot of essential nutrients that plants need. A strong nitrogen source in your garden area is a wonderful way to have healthy and strong plants.

TIP! Before planting anything in the organic garden, decide exactly what you want to grow. Different varieties of plants call for different environments and climates.

While it’s harder to grow organically than chemically, the rewards are much better. While chemical pesticides and fertilizers may claim to do great things for your garden, organic methods will give you the best crops possible.

TIP! Remember to buy plants for your organic garden in an intelligent manner. This is particularly important when you buy perennials or annuals.

If you over-water your plants, they can’t get all the nutrients they need from the dirt. Prior to watering your outdoor plants, you should check with weather stations to see if it will be raining later in the day. Skip watering your plants for a couple of days if a heavy rainstorm has descended; natural rainwater can be particularly good for your plants as well.

TIP! A cheap, easy way to build your compost pile is to add fruit peels and scraps from your kitchen. You will have a great garden with hardly any cost at all if you use these items to create a organic compost.

Build a garden full of diversity. Packing your garden with multiple species and varieties helps ensure you attract wildlife. Try planting many different groups of plants in the garden so you are able to recreate a more natural environment. If you can manage this, the garden will be the perfect place to relax, and you’ll have done a little something for the environment.

TIP! A cost-efficient way to water your garden is by collecting rainwater. Retain it in barrels or buckets and use it in your organic garden when it’s time to water.

Use the advice given to you and turn your garden into a wonderland. Once your garden is back to its blooming glory, you will feel gratified and renewed yourself. Horticulture could become your new hobby and be a real source of happiness for you.