There are a variety of all-natural techniques that you can employ that will create a healthy, vibrant organic garden. You only need to learn about them and implement them.
Start your plants in containers, and then transplant the seedlings into the garden later on. This will help the plants make it to full growth. The period between plantings will also be shorter. Your next crop of seedlings will be started and ready to be planted immediately after you remove your last crop from the garden.
Slug-proof your garden with smart perennial choices. Slugs and snails can decimate a plant in one night. Snails and slugs have a good time destroying perennials that are young and have tender and smooth thin leaves. Slugs and snails will leave some perennials alone, particularly those with a bad taste or tough, hairy leaves. Wonderful varieties of such perennials include euphorbia, campanula, helleborus, achillea, and heuchera.
Baking Soda
If you notice powdery mildew on your plants, do not buy an expensive chemical. Plain water with a bit of liquid soap and baking soda will do the trick. Spray this onto your plants about once per week or until it subsides. No damage will occur to your plants, and the baking soda is mild and efficient.
Plant vines like ivy to cover fences and dividing walls. Many climbers are so robust that they can cover an unattractive wall or fence in a single growing season. They also have been known to grow through existing trees or shrubs, or can be easily taught to cover any size arbor. Some must be tied to supports, but some climbers use twining stems or tendrils and attach themselves to those surfaces. Honeysuckle and jasmine are very beautiful varieties of such climbers.
For proper optimum growth, plants require sufficient amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2). With a high level of CO2 plants will grow much better. A greenhouse is the best way to create an environment rich in CO2. CO2 levels are best kept high, in order to provide optimal growing conditions for your plants.
While working in your garden during the fall season, watch out for those stink bugs! These destructive pests enjoy many kinds of fruit, as well as beans, peppers and tomatoes. If left uncontrolled, they can cause substantial damage in your garden, so make plans for how to protect your plants from these pests.
Be diligent in your efforts to banishing weeds! Weeds will cause your garden to become overgrown and cluttered. A simple tool that is useful in removing weeds is white vinegar. White vinegar can not only kill the weeds, it’s also a non-toxic spray that won’t harm pets or people. Spray white vinegar onto those troubling weeds.
Be sure to split the irises. Splitting up overgrown groups of irises will allow you to easily increase the number of irises in your garden. When you see the foliage is definitely dead, lift up the bulbous irises. If you split the bulbs that you pull up, and replant them, they will bloom the following year. If you have a rhizome you will need to split it with a knife. Cut out new pieces from outside the bulb and throw away the old center. Each piece should retain a minimum of one sturdy offshoot capable of spurting new growth. Replant right away.
See to it that you fertilize your garden. One type of fertilizer that really helps plants grow is manure, but be sure to utilize a type that is commercially composted to reduce the chances of pathogens. There are a wide variety of fertilizing options available, although which type you use is not that important; just make sure to use something.
Two items you need to invest in when working in a garden are a wheelbarrow, and a kneeling stool. Spending a lot of time near the ground working is very hard on the knees, so a lightweight and portable garden stool will make gardening more comfortable. It is also normal to move heavy objects and dirt around the garden, so a wheelbarrow is something you should have.
Every good gardener knows when the best time is to begin harvesting one vegetable or the other. Each type of vegetables has its own ideal time for picking for the best flavor. Veggies such as zucchini or baby peas, for instance, taste their best if they get picked young. Contrarily, tomatoes should be left on the vine until maximum ripeness has occurred. Take the time to learn when your produce will be at its best for harvesting.
Are you a parent? If you are, try planting some strawberries like everbearing strawberries in your garden. Children love to snap up these sweet juicy fruits for themselves and will be much more willing to eat other foods you’ve planted as well.
Make sure you consider adequate spacing when planting your garden, so that each plant is given room enough to grow and flourish. It can be easy to underestimate how much space your plants will need once they begin growing. Proper spacing is important not just to accommodate the plants’ sizes but also for air circulation. Try to plan your garden and place sufficient distance in between your seedlings.
Anyone can plant a garden, but only those with the proper knowledge will receive the most out of their crop. Use what you have learned to make your garden grow!