Organic horticulture is an interesting hobby and helps you get in touch with nature. It’s a fun activity that will allow you to enjoy nutritious food that’s free of pesticides. You might think this sounds complicated or expensive. Read the following article and you will gain great knowledge you can use while you garden organically.
Use biennials and annuals to beautify your flower beds. These biennials and annuals are fast-growing, and they allow you to brighten up your flower bed with a change for each season. They can make a handy, gap-filler between shrubs and perennials located in sunny areas. Some flowers you can use are rudbekia, petunias, cosmos, marigolds, or sunflowers.
Pre-soak your seeds to keep them healthy. Soak the seeds by placing them in a container where they are covered with water. This will hydrate your seeds and it will cause them to grow faster. This way, the seeds you have planted will have some chance of growing.
Do not cut your grass too short. By leaving your grass a little higher off the ground, it give the roots a chance to grow deep into the soil which makes the lawn stronger, and that helps keep it from drying out. If you have short grass, you will have short roots and you will dry out your grass.
Coffee Grounds
If you find that you have soil that has high amounts of alkaline, mix used coffee grounds throughout the soil. Used coffee grounds will add acidity, helping to optimize the soil’s pH. When you use them, you will start to notice that your vegetables are tastier and more vibrant in color.
Get some horticulture knee pads if you find yourself kneeling on the ground a lot to do your horticulture. Gardening can really put a lot of pressure on your knees that will leave you cramped and uncomfortable. Having a pair of excellent knee pads for gardening can help cushion the knees to provide additional comfort.
Are fresh mint leaves something you love but cannot stand how quickly they grow all over your garden? That’s why it’s better to place mint in containers rather than letting it have free rein in your garden. You can simply put the container below the soil level. Once you do, the container will constrain the roots, preventing them from overshadowing all of your other plants.
The best gardens from an environmental standpoint originate from seeds, instead of plants. The environmentally conscious way to start a new garden is to start with seeds. It is common for commercial plants to be packaged in plastic that is not commonly recycled, and therefore, it is better to use seeds or purchase plantings only from merchants who make use of organic packaging.
Add aspirin to your plants to help them fight sickness. Dissolve three aspirin in four gallons of water. You can just spray this on them to fight disease. The process can be repeated every three weeks or so.
Do not be in a rush when you plant your seeds. The first thing you should do is moisturize the soil. Next you need to spread the seeds out evenly so they have the room needed to grow. You should bury your seeds deep enough, usually three times their size. Certain types of seeds should simply be dropped on top of the soil due to needing sunlight for growth.
The optimal amount of organic mulch to use in your flower beds is 2-3 inches. A thick layer of mulch will prevent weeds, reduce watering needs and fertilize your garden. This will also give a nice, professional appearance to your garden all year.
Laundry Basket
Use a laundry basket to help you collect produce from your garden. You can also use a laundry basket as a strainer. After you have rinsed your produce in the laundry basket, the water will just drain right out the sides.
Rotate your garden annually. Planting the same family of plants in the same area over and over can cause disease and fungus to start growing. The next year, when you plant the same plants in the same area of your garden, they’ll be exposed to these problems. By using the crop rotation method, you will be able to ward off disease and fungus naturally.
The hobby of organic horticulture will take dedication, patience and a little bit of help from Mother Nature. However, the tastiness of the produce you grow will be a reward in itself. This article is full of advice that you can use, along with a little old-fashioned hard work, to get off to a great start in organic gardening.