Will your neighbor’s lawn always look better? You may suspect that your neighbor is employing some trick you do not know in their garden. The truth is that there is no gardening “secret”. Creating an amazing garden will take a little work and knowledge. This article will help you along in the process of learning to care for your garden.
If you want to effectively weed out young plants, you can try “boiling” away the weeds. This is a safe way to eliminate weeds, as this will not damage the soil. Pour hot water right on the weeds, but do not get any on your plants. Boiling water damages weed and plant roots, so be sure to avoid the plants you don’t want to eliminate.
Think about planting evergreen plants that will produce berries in the backyard. These year-round berries will give the rest of your yard a much-needed pop of color, especially in the winter. Some evergreens that will provide winter color are the American Holly, Common Snowberry, American Cranberrybush, and the Winterberry.
Don’t use broad-spectrum pesticides for your garden. These strong pesticides are non-selective, killing beneficial insects as well as pests. Since these pesticides often affect the good bugs more than the bad, using them can actually increase your pest problem. If this happens, you just fuel an expanding cycle of needing even more pesticides.
The sun can cause irreparable skin damage; therefore, it is essential to dress accordingly when horticulture. Wear sunscreen, wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses. If you cover up from the sun, you are less likely to become burned or get skin cancer.
Are you a parent? If you are, try planting some strawberries like everbearing strawberries in your garden. Children enjoy picking fresh fruit, especially if they can eat it right away.
When you are doing work in your garden, be efficient. One of the biggest time wasters is not keeping track of your tools and having to look for them every time you need them. Have all of your tools gathered and prepared for use before you work in the garden, and make sure to put them away neatly. Wear pants with several pockets or use a tool belt.
Try to keep plastic bags on hand to cover shoes that are muddy. Doing this prevents lengthy work interruptions, and allows you to finish the job quickly.
Rotate your garden annually. 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. These plant killers can be stored in the dirt and attack the plants the next time you plant them. If you mix things up, by planting in different spots, you will have enlisted a natural method of keeping fungus and diseases at bay.
Try cultivating organic horticulture. Plant individual cloves of garlic in the early spring or fall in moist, well-drained soil. Each clove should be planted end-up, four inches apart and between one and two inches below the surface of the soil. You can cut green garlic shoots while they grow, you can then use them in place of scallions and chives. The bulbs are ripe for harvesting when the tops area turns brown. The bulbs should be left outside in the sunshine for a few days to dry and harden the skin. Finally, store the garlic in an area with low temperatures like a pantry, either by themselves or tied into bunches.
Botanical Insecticides
Research local botanical insecticides which can help keep any pest population down. Natural insecticides can sometimes kill pests more powerfully than synthetic pesticides. However, due to their biological makeup, botanical insecticides often have very fast decay periods and disappear rapidly.
If you are interested in using organic gardening techniques to plant perennials, you will be pleased to know that it is very easy. Dig into the existing turf with a shovel or spade, flip it, and then layer the entire area with wood mulch. After the new bed has settled, you can start planting your perennials.
Make sure your garden has biodiversity. The more plant varieties you have, the more animal varieties you will attract. You can create a very realistic environment if you plant a wide variety of species in your garden. Different varieties can give you a pleasant garden to relax in, while doing good things for the environment.
You are aware of how helpful compost is in growing your organic garden, but do you have any idea what is actually in it? It’s a mix of grass clippings, leaves, produce scraps, straw, small twigs and wood chips that break down and turn into a “fake” soil. It is much better to use this in place of chemicals and fertilizers.
Make certain to learn what to look for when purchasing the plants you wish to include in the organic garden you will cultivate. This is evident when purchasing perennials or annuals. You should purchase plants that show buds that have not bloomed yet. This ensures that the plant has a better chance of taking root in your garden.
Use materials that you have around the house to make a winter tent for your garden. Take a few bean poles and place them at the corners of your plant beds. Then, throw sheets on top of them, and use bricks to keep the edges held down. This is a cheap method of building a tent to ensure that you save your crops during the winter.
So, you can see that these suggestions are rather simple and easy to follow. Once you have a good grasp of the basics, then you are ready to put these ideas into motion in your own garden. Observe the response of your plants to the various techniques you try. Experimenting with already existing plants will only lead to disaster. In time, you will begin to see the fruits of your labor and your garden will become the talk of the town.