Tag: horticulture knee pads

A Healthy Start: How To Grow An Organic Garden

TIP! Starting off your garden with healthy soil can be the best defense against those pesky garden bugs. Healthy soil leads to healthy plants with more strength to deflect those insects and various diseases.

In the world of organic horticulture, there are plenty of great resources available to both new and experienced organic gardeners alike. There are many e-guides, books, videos, and other resources available. This set of tips contains some of the best advice for helping a good organic gardener become a great organic gardener.

TIP! Before you begin to plant your garden you will need to 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.

Put sod down the right way. Get your soil ready before you lay your sod. Weeds should be removed, and you should break up the soil into a tilth. Next, you want to make the soil compacted by applying light but firm pressure. Make sure the soil creates a flat surface. Dampen the soil completely. Stagger your sod so that each joint offsets from joints in adjacent rows. Sod should be firm and have an even, flat surface without gaps. Water the sod for two weeks and then you can safely walk on it as it will have had time to properly root.

TIP! Coffee grounds can be used to amend soils that are high in alkaline. This is a simple way to replenish your soil with acid.

Trying to shovel through clay soil can be extremely difficult and tiresome. To make your digging project easier, apply a coat of automobile wax to your shovel first and then buff it lightly. The wax prevents the clay from sticking to the shovel, and stops rust from forming.

Baking Soda

TIP! If your landscape includes low-growing plants, you should invest in a set of knee pads specifically designed for gardening. Without pads, you may have pain in your knees from spending too much time kneeling on the hard ground.

If your plants have a powdery mildew, don’t use expensive chemicals on them. Mix some baking soda and a very small amount of liquid soap into water. Spray this mixture on your plants weekly until the mildew is gone. Your plants will not be harmed by the baking soda, but the mildew will definitely not like it!

TIP! To keep pests away, you can use plants in the garden or other natural materials. Slugs can be kept at bay with a patch of marigolds or pungent vegetables.

During winter, you should take your favorite plants inside. Think about saving your resistant plants or the expensive ones. Carefully dig around the rootball and replant in an appropriate pot.

TIP! You should start pea seedlings indoors instead of planting them outside right at the start. Pea seeds tend to germinate much better when planted indoors, before being moved to an outside garden.

Soil needs to be rich in certain nutrients to grow healthy plants. Depending on what kind of plants you want in your garden, the soil might or might not be adapted. You can also create an artificial area with only one kind of soil.

TIP! Your children can help you with your garden. Gardens are terrific teaching tools for kids, and provide great opportunities for interaction, growth, and instruction on healthy living.

Check your soil before you begin planting your garden. You can do a soil sample analysis for an affordable fee and then know what you need to properly treat your soil with so you can grow the best plants. A lot of cooperative extension offices can provide this service to you and it is worth knowing what you need to do in order to avoid ruining your plants.

TIP! If you’re growing indoor organic plants, you should ensure that you think about how much light is available for them. The amount of light available can determine which type of organic plants you should grow.

Soak the seeds and store in a dark area overnight. Use a small container filled with water to nearly the top and place several seeds in it. This will keep your seeds hydrated and give you a little head start with your growing. The seeds will most likely survive and mature this way.

TIP! It’s simple to quickly prepare your soil for the planting of a perennial garden. It isn’t as hard as it may seem; you basically just slice down under the turf, flip it over, and spread wood chips four to three inches.

Balance your alkaline soil with the acid found in used coffee grounds. Basically, the grounds resupply the soil with acid. This is one of the most inexpensive ways to achieve this result. When you can eliminate excess alkaline from the soil, it makes what you are growing much healthier. This means your veggies will taste better, and your flowers will be more vibrant than ever.

TIP! To be most efficient in your gardening, always keep your tools close at hand. Large pockets or a sturdy bucket can be used to store tools.

Draw up a garden plan before you plant the first seed. Use this to remind you where certain things were planted, later when they start sprouting. This can also help prevent you from losing smaller plants or smaller groups of plants within a larger garden area.

Horticulture Knee Pads

TIP! 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. You can underestimate how much space you need when they are growing.

If you have a lot of low-growing plants to take care of in your garden, purchase 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. Pick up a good pair of horticulture knee pads to help cushion your knees.

TIP! Adjust your watering to the season and climate. The level of necessary watering turns on the type of water you use, the kind of soil in your garden and the amount of direct sunlight you have.

All of your vegetable plants should have approximately two inches, just outside the stem, of organic mulch placed around them. Mulch helps the soil surrounding the plants remain moister for a longer time. An added benefit is that it also inhibits weed growth. This will save you a ton of time and work.

TIP! One of the most wonderful things about buying food that is organic is that they don’t contain pesticides. Although this is better for your health, you do need to check organic produce for infestation of bugs before eating it.

Being a novice gardener, you should ensure that you follow the directions carefully for tool and chemical use. It may seem simple enough, but not following it could lead to chemical burns and skin irritations. So make sure you take precautions, follow the simple directions and be safe.

TIP! When mulching around trees and flowers, the depth of the organic material should be at least 3 inches. When you do this, you save money by conserving the amount of water you use, and it also helps out the environment in the process as well.

Be sure to plant some strawberries for your children and grandchildren. Ever-bearing ones are especially nice. Children are thrilled to harvest fruit from their own garden, and doing so often makes them more enthusiastic about helping out with the more hum-drum aspects of tending a garden.

TIP! The healthier the soil the healthier your plants are, and when they are healthy they become that much more resistant to insects and disease. Insects will still buzz around, but they will cause less damage, so a happy medium is achieved.

If you have a cut on your hand, take the time to make sure it is either healed or completely covered before you put your hands in the soil. If you have an open cut while horticulture, contact with dirt or debris can infect the wound. There are bandages out there now that can seal cuts completely.

TIP! While you may have heard a few things here and there about composting, how much do you really know about it? It is made from a variety of items, including wood chips, bits of produce, twigs, straw, grass clippings, and leaves, all of which have decomposed into a sort of soil. It is recommended that you use this compost in place of commercial fertilizer on your organic garden.

Keep your garden tools close at hand to make the most of your gardening time. For example, you could use an over-sized tote bag or an apron with multiple pockets. Keep your gloves, a trowel, small pruning shears and other tools handy and make quick work of your garden maintenance.

TIP! If you plan to keep your organic garden going in the winter, consider making a tent over the garden with a few household items. Old bean poles stuck at the end of your beds provide the support.

Spend your time working efficiently in your organic garden. Keep all of your tools together; do not waste time looking for them! In addition to keeping your horticulture tools in one location, you should also clean your tools after each use. Get a tool belt if you need to, or a pair of pants with a lot of pockets.

TIP! Fencing a garden in before starting a garden is a good idea. This keeps animals out from the beginning, before you have sprouts or plants visible.

The advice given here is perfect for helping you to know the best ways of organic gardening. You can find out a ton of information on the subject, you you really need to be aware of how to use it. Use the tips and build them into your own horticulture strategy and you’ll find great growing success!

Grow A Lovely Organic Garden With These Tips

TIP! If you have any mildew on the plants, do not go out and buy anything. Mix plain baking soda with a small bit of liquid soap and water.

The trend toward organic foods has gradually escalated to become more of a movement; a permanent shift in the way we think about the foods that we put into our bodies. Those who live this lifestyle grow their own foods for their health benefits and they tend to do this via organic horticulture. This article will provide some great tips to help you explore the world of organic horticulture.

TIP! Split up the irises. Splitting up overgrown groups of irises will allow you to easily increase the number of irises in your garden.

You may be able to re-pot some plants to bring indoors for the winter. Perhaps save the most resistant or expensive plants. Cautiously avoid the roots while digging, and put your plant into a perfectly sized pot.

TIP! Use natural pest control when possible. Slugs are repelled by bordering your vegetable garden with either onions or marigolds.

When you are tending your garden in the fall, be on the alert for stink bugs. They like fruits, as well as peppers, beans and tomatoes. Proper measures should be taken in order to ensure minimal damage to your crops.

TIP! Buy a wheelbarrow and kneeling stool to work with in the garden. Gardening can take a toll on the knees, but a small ergonomic stool will be a comfortable solution.

When fall arrives, it’s time to plant your autumn vegetables. A hollowed out pumpkin can become a festive container for kale and lettuce. Once you cut an opening at the top of the pumpkin and scoop out the insides, spray the inside and edges with Wilt-Pruf to keep the pumpkin from rotting. After you have finished this, you will be ready to start planting.

Horticulture Knee Pads

TIP! Tend to a garden as a way to relax. You can relax and be at peace in many different ways.

If many of the plants in your garden grow close to the ground, some horticulture knee pads will prevent pain and knee injuries. Long hours tending your garden can leave your knees sore and achy. A pair of good horticulture knee pads can cushion your knees for more comfort.

TIP! Avoid sun damage by dressing appropriately whenever you will be gardening in the sun. Make sure you wear a wide brimmed hat along with sunglasses and plenty of sunscreen.

A quality garden must be grown from seeds. It’s better for the environment to begin from seed. The problem is those plastic trays which end up in landfills and are not generally recycled. Plants in organic packagingn or seeds sown in your garden, are fine .

TIP! If you are looking at creating an endurable organic garden, you should think about keeping some of your property vacant so that wildlife may flourish there. The kind of birds and insects needed for pollination will be naturally present on your property and help with your organic garden.

Keep your garden fertilized. Manure is great in enabling plants to grow, although it’s vital to use commercially composted products in order to lessen the risk of a variety of pathogens. There are a lot of different ways to fertilize plants; make sure you actually take the time to do it.

TIP! When growing organic plants indoors, it is important to consider the amount of light that is available to them. If your house or apartment doesn’t get a lot of natural light, one option is to grow something that only requires medium or low light.

Think about planting evergreen plants that will produce berries in the backyard. They offer terrific color during the dreariest times of the year when nothing else you have planted has any hue remaining. Other winter plants include the American Holly, Winterberry, The American Cranberrybush and the Common Snowberry.

Protect Yourself

TIP! For the best results, properly prepare your garden for planting. You should start by moisturizing the soil.

Protect yourself from sun overexposure while gardening by wearing the proper clothing. Clothing should keep your skin covered, and don’t forget to wear a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. If you properly protect yourself from the sun, you will not get a sun burn and you will decrease your risk of getting skin cancer.

TIP! You should add a two to three inch layer of organic mulch to your flower bed. This is a simple method of discouraging weeds, retaining moisture, and adding excellent nutrients into the garden.

Heather is a magnet for friendly insects. Heather attracts bees, and when they come out in the spring, this provides an early nectar source. Since a heather bed is normally left undisturbed, ground beetles, spiders and other beneficial insects tend to live inside it. For this reason, you should always remember to put on your horticulture gloves when tending to your heather.

Include your children in your efforts to organic horticulture. The benefits for your children will be a closer bond with nature and an understanding of where food comes from.

TIP! Consider using botanical pesticides to keep the pest that plague your garden under control. Natural insecticides are sometimes more effective than the myriad synthetic, chemical-based products available.

Do not let your gardening chores add up. If your busy life prevents you from tending your garden every day, do small tasks to avoid having so much work when you do have some time. For example, if you have a dog, pull a few weeds while you are outdoors with the dog. Over time, you keep your garden weed free without adding any additional time on to your day.

Thick Layer

TIP! There are all kinds of plants that can grow in your organic garden. Mulch is something that you will likely rely on quite heavily, particularly for acid-loving plants.

Do you want to know how to kill weeds in a natural way? A good thick layer of newspaper can be laid down to control weeds. Weeds can only grow in sunlight. When you put newspaper on top of weeds they will suffocate because they are not getting enough light. The paper will break down quickly and cleanly, adding to your compost. Cover the newspaper with a thick layer of mulch for a more attractive look.

TIP! Mulch your garden with no less than 3″ of organic bedding material. This is a technique that provides benefits to the land itself, but that also minimizes water usage, allowing you to save money and the environment simultaneously.

The correct depth for planting seeds in containers is triple the seed’s size. Certain seeds are an exception to that rule, since they require sunlight to germinate, so they should be barely covered or not at all. Ageratum and petunias fall into this category. The directions for how to handle the seeds will usually be found on the seed’s package. You can also find this information online.

As in most things, the more you know about organic gardening, the more successful you will be. The tips here can help.