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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.