soil needs

Tips For Growing A Successful Organic Garden

~ craigb

Organic gardening can either be a wonderful hobby, or a nuisance nightmare. Here are some suggestions to get you on the right path to successful organic gardening.

TIP! To get the best results, you must use the right soil. Depending on what kind of plants you want in your garden, the soil might or might not be adapted.

Starting seedlings in pots before planting in your garden is a smart idea. They are more likely to survive the transition to adulthood with this method. You will then be able to lessen the time between planting your seeds. The seedlings are reading for planting immediately after you remove older plants.

TIP! If you are gardening, be wary of stink bugs in your garden, especially in the autumn. They like fruits, as well as peppers, beans and tomatoes.

You can make your flower beds brighter with biennials and annuals. These types of flowers grow at high speed, which gives you more flexibility in changing the look of your flower beds as the seasons change. You can use them between the gaps in shrubs and perennials where there is plenty of sun. You should get varieties such as cosmos, petunia, rudbeckia, hollyhock, sunflowers or marigold.

TIP! Try to keep your plants aerated and dry, every day. If you have excess moisture, this can attract bugs or diseases.

When winter comes around, save some plants by putting them in the house. Your best bet would be try to save the best or most hearty plants. Dig around the roots carefully and transfer the plant to a pot.

Soil Needs

TIP! If you have a vegetable garden, one of your main enemies is garden pests. It is wise to limit the use of harsh chemicals, because the vegetables will be eaten.

Your soil needs to be of good quality before you start a garden. You can get a soil analysis, and if you find your soil needs a supplement, do it! 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! If you pick vegetables around high noon when it is very hot, you are likely to damage them. You can also protect both your vegetables and the plant they grow on by cutting them off instead of twisting them off.

Be sure to do some weeding on a regular basis. Weeds can kill a precious garden. Try using white vinegar to get rid of weeds. White vinegar will kill those pesky weeds. A spray solution is much easier to apply than to rid your garden of weeds by hand.

TIP! 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. Plants that grow to be the same height end up uniform and flat looking.

Draw up a garden plan before you plant the first seed. It will be easy to remember where each plant is when sprouts start to shoot up the following spring. This can also help prevent you from losing smaller plants or smaller groups of plants within a larger garden area.

TIP! Involve your children in gardening. Helping a garden grow is an excellent learning experience for kids, and it allows your family to spend time together while creating healthy, nutritious foods.

Place organic mulch as close to your vegetables as you can. Mulch will retain water so that you won’t have to water your plants as often. It will also prevent the growth of weeds. This can prevent you from having to constantly pull weeds.

TIP! If you are interested in sustainable organic gardening, consider keeping part of your property undeveloped so that wildlife can flourish there. Wildlife can help the plants in your garden to thrive, as insects support plant reproduction, while the excrement of many species contains nutrients which can help to fertilize your soil.

A wheelbarrow and kneeling bench or stool are smart investments 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. In addition, maintaining a garden typically means moving around heavy dirt and other objects, which makes buying a wheelbarrow a very smart purchase.

TIP! If you are growing your organic plants inside of your home or office, it is vital to make sure that the right amount of light reaches them. If your dwelling does not enjoy a great deal of natural sunlight, it makes sense to grow only those varieties meant to thrive in such environments.

You should be cognizant of the peak time for harvesting your vegetables. Different vegetables have different, ideal times that they should be picked for best flavor. As an example, zucchini and baby peas both have the best flavor when they are harvested at a young age. Tomatoes, in contrast, taste better the longer they are allowed to ripen on the vine. So, it is good to learn about the best time to harvest your vegetables.

TIP! Use approximately two or three inches of natural, organic material as some mulch in every single flower bed. This will discourage weeds from growing, add nutrients, and retain the moisture in your garden.

Gardening should be a relaxing activity. There are numerous ways to seek personal comfort and peace. Gardening is a relatively easy way to pursue this goal. The cost is low and the reward is often high. The biggest perk of horticulture is the sense of satisfaction you get from what you grow with your own two hands.

TIP! Leave plenty of growing space when you plant your garden. Many people underestimate the space needed for plants to grow to their full size.

Choose a plant as a focal point. In a well designed garden you should have a focal point so that your eyes will stay there. Quite often a distinctive plant works well as a point of interest.

Involve your children in gardening. 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! Regular maintenance prevents your gardening tasks from becoming overwhelming and unappealing. While you may not be able to spend a lot of time every day in your garden, even little items done daily will stop the mountain of work from growing.

If you have recently sustained a cut, you should allow it to heal entirely before toiling in your garden. If you simply cannot wait to get back to gardening, you should at least cover the cut to protect it. Open wounds can easily get infected while horticulture because you’re exposing yourself to dirt, bacteria and germs. Instead, opt for a bandage that entirely covers your wound.

TIP! When the time has come to gather up the produce, you need to use an old laundry basket. It makes a great strainer for your vegetables.

Plant your seeds carefully, taking your time. Begin by adding moisture to the dirt. You may then distribute your seeds evenly while being sure that they all have adequate space in which to grow. Bury the seed with a planting depth of about three times its size. Some seeds require direct sunlight to grow, and these should be left on top of the soil.

Coffee Grounds

TIP! You can kill weeds naturally. A good thick layer of newspaper can be laid down to control weeds.

It is common knowledge that grounds from brewed coffee are good for soil. Plants can use the nitrogenous nutrients found in coffee grounds. 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! Get your organic garden certified so you can credibly claim that your crops are organic. This will result in generating more sales and creating a loyal customer base.

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. As plants grow and spread out, you will not always know how much space will be required. Beyond just the physical space that the plants will need, you should also consider the airflow that the plants will require. Plan your garden accordingly, and make sure the right distance is between the seeds.

TIP! Use mulch to enhance the health of your soil. Mulch can help protect your soil.

In conclusion, there are more aspects of organic horticulture than one would originally think. With hard work and patience, you will be happy with the end result–a fabulous organic garden. The groundwork of information contained in this article should get you off to a good start.

Garden Tools That Save You Time

~ craigb

TIP! Use climbers for covering fences and walls. These types of plants can climb anything, which makes them perfect for covering up a wall or fence that needs to be hidden.

There’s a lot more to gardening than most people realize. If you want a natural garden, you will have to find out about things such as natural bug repellent or pH balances of a soil. It can be difficult to switch to organic horticulture methods for a beginner. Read on to find some tips to make gardening in a clean, organic fashion a little easier and more fun to do!

TIP! When winter arrives, transfer some plants into the house to save them. It’s a good idea to save any expensive plants or those that will thrive in indoor heat.

A good way to ensure that your seeds sprout effectively is to start them in smaller pots and then transplant them once they reach the seedling stage. They are then more likely to survive and to become thriving, mature plants. In addition, it offers you a smaller time frame between plantings. Once you remove the most recent mature plants from your garden, the seedlings are immediately ready to be planted.

Measuring Sticks

TIP! Let your new seeds soak in a dark spot overnight. Use a small container filled with water to nearly the top and place several seeds in it.

Your tool handles can double as measuring sticks. Tools with long handles, such as rakes, shovels or hoes can work as great measuring sticks. Just run some measuring tape right on the floor next to the handles. Next, use a Sharpie to accurately label the distance between each one. Now when you go to work in the garden, you will have a ruler that is large at your fingertips!

TIP! Try growing wheat grass or cat grass in the area of the plants your cat wants 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.

Plant a variety of flowers to keep your flower garden colorful and interesting. Annuals and biennials can add excitement and interest to your flower garden every season. You can use biennial and annual flowers to brighten the bed, and let you change how it looks. In addition, you might need something to fill empty spaces in your flower garden. Fill gaps with annuals or biennials. Just make sure the flowers will get enough sun to thrive. Notable collections include sunflower, marigold, hollyhock, rudbeckia, cosmos, and petunia.

TIP! Don’t mow your grass too short. If you leave a bit more height, the grass roots will get deeper, making your lawn stronger.

The first thing you should do when planning a garden is test the soil. You can get a soil analysis, and if you find your soil needs a supplement, do it! A lot of extension offices will offer this service and it is worth it so you know what your soil needs.

TIP! Don’t plant a garden without planning it. This way, when the sprouts start shooting up, you can recall where you planted each plant.

Fall edibles are a wonderful addition to your garden. Rather than putting standard clay vessels into use when planting crops of lettuce and kale, think about using pumpkins instead. Cut an opening in the top of your pumpkin, scoop out the inside, and spray the entire thing with Wilt-Proof. This will prevent rotting. When this is finished, you are now ready to plant.

TIP! Your garden can really benefit from evergreens featuring berries. They will provide a splash of color in the drab and dreary winter months when a lot of other plants have lost their colors.

Grow some wheat grass or catnip for your cat to eat instead. 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! When it comes to harvesting your vegetables, know when the optimal time is to do so. For the optimum flavor, be sure to follow the guidelines for planting and picking.

If you have many low-growing plants in your garden, get yourself a pair of horticulture knee pads. The amount of time that you spend gardening on your knees can make your knees hurt by the time you are done. Purchase a great pair of knee pads; they will provide a cushion for your knees while making gardening more comfortable.

TIP! Scent the grass around your garden with old perfume or discarded aftershave to prevent your dog from wandering into your garden. This kind of scent is going to mask the scents your dog is attracted to.

A touch of organic mulch will boost the potential of the vegetable plants in your garden. The mulch will help keep the dirt around the plants more moist. An added benefit is that it also inhibits weed growth. This will save you tons of time from pulling out tons of weeds.

TIP! Any time that you are gardening in direct sunlight, dress appropriately to prevent skin damage. Clothing should keep your skin covered, and don’t forget to wear a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.

It can be tough to keep insects and other plant-ruining crawlies from infesting your garden. You can’t use chemicals as they’re the last thing you want to be eating when you enjoy the fruits of your labor. You can prevent pests from appearing in the garden by adopting a vigilant attitude. If you happen to notice them early on, you can control them just by physically removing them from your plants with your hands.

TIP! You can create a great English garden by mixing types and sizes in one bed. Using plants that all grow the same height result in a flat and uniform looking bed.

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

TIP! Cover your muddy shoes with plastic bags. This way, you can get in and out quickly, and get back to work in the garden.

A mixture of aspirin and water can protect your plants from common diseases. One and one half aspirin crushed and added to a two gallon container of water will be a great help for your plants. The solution can then be used to spray the entire plant, and will offer protection naturally. Spraying should be one time every three weeks.

TIP! Leave plenty of growing space when you plant 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.

You must always take care of your knees when working in the garden. It is not good to bend from a standing position for a long period of time. You can kneel instead to help keep your back relaxed while tending to your plants. You can kneel on a knee pad so that your knees are more comfortable.

TIP! Organic gardening is harder than relying on chemicals, but the results are worth it. While chemicals offer an easy solution to many common gardening problems, the organic method is far healthier for you and everyone you share your food with.

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.

TIP! Each year, you should rotate the plants in your garden. When the same plants occupy a spot in your garden for many years in a row, it can lead to the development of fungi and disease.

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.