Organic horticulture can either be a wonderful hobby, or a nuisance nightmare. Use the tips presented here to make the most out of your earth friendly organic garden.
Plant perennials that are resistant to slug and snail infestations. Snails and slugs can quickly wreak havoc on a garden. These pests are especially attracted to tender sprouts and to delicate, soft leaves. Perennials that have thick, furry leaves and unpleasant tastes are less likely to attract slugs and snails. Achillea, euphorbia, helleborus, heuchera and campanula are good choices that slugs don’t like.
Pre-soak your seeds through the night in a dark area. Drop your seeds into a small jar that is filled with cold water. This hydrates your seeds and jump-starts their growth. The seeds will then have a greater chance at lasting and blossoming.
Whenever you are planting a veggie garden, it is vital that you place them in a location where sun shines down on them for six or more hours per day. Most vegetables need at least that much sun for optimal growth speed. Some flowers also need six hours of daily direct sun in order to grow and blossom well.
Protect your delicate deciduous shrubs from harsh elements. Fragile shrubs, that are planted in pots, should be covered to protect them during the cold season. Fasten the tops of the canes together, and cover this wigwam loosely with a cloth. This method is preferred to wrapping a plant in plastic, since it promotes circulation and prevents rotting.
A set of knee pads is a great investment if your garden has a lot of low-growing plants. 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. You can be more comfortable in the garden with a good pair of gardening knee pads.
Try to keep your plants aerated and dry, every day. Excess moisture on a plant will invite unwanted parasites or diseases to the plant. An example of a common plant parasite is fungi. You can rid your garden of fungi with fungicidal sprays. However, it is best to treat your garden before there are problems.
Place at least an inch of mulch that is organic in with your veggies! The mulch will help keep the dirt around the plants more moist. It also prevents weed growth. This could save you lots of weed-pulling time.
Get a wheelbarrow and a kneeling stool to work in your garden. You can make gardening much more comfortable on your knees by using a portable garden stool. In addition, maintaining a garden typically means moving around heavy dirt and other objects, which makes buying a wheelbarrow a very smart purchase.
Pick a plant that will be a focal point. In any good garden design, a focal point will grab the eye and hold it there. Usually this focal point is a luscious plant that is distinctly different from the plants and scrubs that surround it.
Don’t let the chores for your organic garden pile up. Even doing just a few small things each day can keep chores from piling up and eventually becoming unmanageable. This will save you a lot of time in the long run. Even if you’re just taking the dog for a walk, bend down and pick a few weeds.
Kill Weeds
You can kill weeds naturally. Pile newspapers on top of each other to kill weeds. In order to grow, weeds need sunlight. When you put newspaper on top of weeds they will suffocate because they are not getting enough light. In time, the newspaper will decompose into the soil. You can add mulch on top for aesthetic reasons.
When maintaining your organic garden, try lightly petting your seedlings — either with the palm of your hand or something like a sheet of cardboard — once or twice each day. Believe it or not, aerating the soil in this manner can actually make your seedlings grow larger.
Rotate the plants that you grow each year by switching up where you plant them. Planting the same area with the same plants year after year will lead to disease and fungus. These plant killers can be stored in the dirt and attack the plants the next time you plant them. Moving the plants to different areas will prevent these invaders from growing on your plants.
If you are planning to plant trees or shrubs in your yard, you should pay close attention to the hole that you have dug. If you place a plant in a hole with glazed sides, the roots will not be able to penetrate the soil properly.
Organic Horticulture
Organic horticulture is a more involved form of horticulture than is often realized. Getting your organic garden to produce rich results requires much effort and patience, but you will find the end results quite worth it. By following the above tips, you are well on your way to increasing your organic horticulture skills.