Horticulture not only benefits you physically and emotionally, it can also feed your family and drive a business. Don’t waste money on equipment, plants or seeds without first figuring out exactly what you need.
Learn about plant varieties so you can choose the ones with the best yields. If yield is important, choose hybrids designed to resist cold and diseases rather than traditional varieties.
The first thing you should do when planning a garden is test the soil. You can get a soil analysis, and if you find your soil needs a supplement, do it! 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.
CO2 is essential for growth. Most plants grow better in higher levels of CO2. Greenhouses typically provide plants with high levels of CO2. Make sure to keep CO2 levels high to provide the best growing environment for your plants.
Fill your garden with bulbs if you want to enjoy beautiful flowers through the spring and into summer. A hardy perennial addition to your garden, bulbs will continue to delight every year. Different varieties of bulbs flower at varied times and if you make the right choices you can have blossoms from early spring through late summer.
If you’re like many gardeners, autumn means that it’s time to get some delicious fall edibles growing in your garden. A pumpkin can be used as a planting container instead of clay pots. To use the pumpkin as a planter, it is important to prevent it from rotting. To do this, you simply spray the entire inside and any edges with a gardening spray called Wilt-Pruf. This is done after you’ve opened the pumpkin at the top and removed the insides. When this is finished, you are now ready to plant.
If you’re growing veggies in the garden, they need to be in a spot that lets them get about six hours of sun daily. Most vegetables require this amount of sun in order to grow properly and at a quicker pace. This arrangement will also benefit some types of flowers.
Don’t plant a garden without planning it. It will be easy to remember where each plant is when sprouts start to shoot up the following spring. It can also aid in identifying the less prominent fledgling plants that lie withing a larger landscaped garden.
If you are looking for an all-natural, organic way to weed your garden, consider “boiling off” the weeds. Considering that boiling water is rather safe, you don’t have to worry about toxins in your soil or at your dinner table. Pour boiling water on any weeds, but be careful not to spill it on plants you want to keep. The extreme heat of the water will cause damage to the weeds’ roots, which will stop them from growing any more.
Try to ensure your plants are dry and have enough air, daily! Moisture on the surface of a plant can attract parasites, and cause disease. Fungus is a common problem when plants are allowed to remain damp. You can control fungi with fungicides, but you must remember to use it before you notice any problems in order for it to work.
Irises can be easily divided. You can divide those overgrown clumps and increase the amount of irises you have. When you see the foliage is definitely dead, lift up the bulbous irises. As soon as you pick up the bulb, it’ll split into pieces. That’s okay – in fact, it’s desirable. You can replant the bulb pieces and next year you’ll have a healthy bed of new irises. Make use of a knife to split up rhizomes. Cut rhizomes from around the outside then throw away the remaining center. Make sure that every cutting contains a viable offshoot. Immediately replant all your selected cuttings.
If you are horticulture for the first time ever, read and follow all directions and instructions that come with your chemicals and tools. If you fail to do this, you could cause yourself all sorts of injuries, the most common of which is irritated skin. Be careful when it comes to your body, and always follow directions.
Know the ideal times to harvest each of the vegetables you plant. Most vegetables have a relatively small harvesting window when they will taste best. For instance, zucchini and baby peas have the best taste when you pick them early. Tomatoes, in contrast, taste better the longer they are allowed to ripen on the vine. Remember that the vegetables will taste best if you harvest them at the proper time.
If you choose to use organic methods to care for your houseplants, you should bear in mind that certain plants require more sunlight than others. Almost every type of plant you grow requires ample sunlight, so think about how much natural light you home receives or if you perhaps need to supplement with UV lamps. You could also consider using grow-lights for this exact purpose.
You simply need to do your homework, spend some time working outdoors, and cultivate your patience. Once your garden starts to thrive, you’ll see that your efforts were all worthwhile.