This could be a great time to get started. You most likely have a head full of questions and concerns regarding how you should begin, and then what to do once you actually have. Luckily, you’ll be able to find some answers to those concerns in the paragraphs below. Read on for some great ideas on how to get started on your new gardening journey.
Digging in hard clay soil is made even more difficult because it sticks to the shovel. To make the clay soft so you aren’t working as hard, take floor or car wax and rub a light coat on the surface of the shovel using a clean cloth, then buff the surface. Not only will the clay slide off the surface, but it will keep the end from rusting.
Start your plants in containers, and then transplant the seedlings into the garden later on. This can give your seedlings the advantage they need to survive and reach adulthood. It also helps you make your planting times more frequent. When you take out the prior set of adult plants, your seedlings will then be prepared to go in.
Plant slug-proof perennials. Snails and slugs can destroy plants in just one night. Certain perennials that don’t have tough leaves are especially tasty to snails and slugs. Slugs and snails will leave some perennials alone, particularly those with a bad taste or tough, hairy leaves. Examples of these slug-proof plant varieties include achillea, euphorbia, and helleborus, to name a few.
Baking Soda
When powdery mildew appears on your plants, you should not rush out to purchase a costly chemical treatment. A great home remedy is to mix baking soda with water and a little bit of liquid soap. Spray this onto your plants about once per week or until it subsides. Baking soda is safe for use on your plants and is a gentle, but effective way to care for your plants.
Check your soil before you begin planting your garden. For a small fee, a soil analysis can be obtained – based on that report – the soil can be properly enriched to support a vibrant garden. You can often find Cooperative Extension offices that provide this service, which can help to make your garden flourish.
Be sure to do some weeding on a regular basis. Unwanted weeds fight for the same nutrients that more desirable plants do, and they also are unsightly. To help with weed destruction, use white vinegar. You can use white vinegar to eliminate weeds! So, if weed pulling is tiring you out, spray a white vinegar solution all over them.
When the fall season approaches, you must prepare to plant your favorite fall veggies and other edibles. Instead of a clay pot, show some fall spirit by using a hollow pumpkin to plant your lettuce or kale in. First, cut out the pumpkin’s top layer and remove the seeds. Then, spray some Wilt-Pruf on the insides to prevent the rot that would follow otherwise. Now you can use the pumpkin as a planter.
If you have a lot of low-growing plants to take care of in your garden, purchase gardening knee pads. You will end up spending a good deal of time on your knees and this can cause a lot of pain by the end of the day. Purchase a great pair of knee pads; they will provide a cushion for your knees while making horticulture more comfortable.
Spray old aftershave, perfume, or scented products around the grass of your garden to prevent your dog from entering it. Your dog will be less attracted to your garden when these scents overpower compost scents and other smells dogs like.
To create a unique English garden, use a variety of plant types and lengths in the same flower bed. If you use plants of similar heights, the result will be pretty boring and uniform.
Make sure you have your gardening tools near you, so you can maximize your gardening efficiency. Keep the tools in a big bucket, or store them in strong pockets in your pants. You should be able to do your garden work quickly if you keep a trowel, gloves, small pruning shears, and other handy devices close to you.
Seeds that have sprouted don’t require the extra warmth that was needed before they sprouted. As your plants grow, you will want to put a little distance between them and heat. Additionally, remove any plastic films that were on your containers. This will keep out warmth and humidity. Unless you closely monitor your seedlings, you may not move them in time.
Have plastic bags on hand so that you may cover your muddy gardening shoes. This helps the flow keep going so that you can get into the garden quickly to finish what you’re doing.
Coffee Grounds
It is common knowledge that grounds from brewed coffee are good for soil. Coffee grounds have nitrogen that plants will utilize. Plants need nitrogen in order to thrive, so give it a natural source with coffee grounds, then watch everything come to life much more quickly.
Do you want to kill weeds naturally? You need to have many layers of newspapers in order to provide proper weed control. Weeds can only grow in sunlight. When you put newspaper over them, they suffocate from lack of sunlight. As an added benefit, the newspapers will decompose over time, becoming organic compost. You can then add a mulch layer right on top so that it looks more attractive.
Now that you have read this article, you are better prepared than ever before in the field of gardening. You thought you knew all about horticulture, but now, you know even more! The tips in the article should have set you on the right path to having a great garden and growing like the professionals.