Gardening is a good way to make your yard a source of fresh fruits and vegetables. Nothing beats hand-picked tomatoes on your salad or producing the contents of the whole salad right from your garden. Glean some great horticulture information from the following article that will help your garden be the best it can be.
Using a shovel in clay soil is a lot of work, not only is the clay hard, but it will stick to the shovel and make it twice as hard to handle. To ease the digging, apply some car wax or floor wax to the head of the shovel and buff. The clay will no longer stick to the shovel, and this also helps to prevent other problems like rusting.
Baking Soda
If you see mildew that is powdery, stay away from expensive chemicals to treat it. A great home remedy is to mix baking soda with water and a little bit of liquid soap. Spray this on the plants once per week until that mildew goes away. No damage will occur to your plants, and the baking soda is mild and efficient.
When winter arrives, transfer some plants into the house to save them. This is especially useful if you have a particular plant that you love or was expensive. When you dig up the plant, carefully avoid the roots then place it in a container.
When horticulture, beware of stink bugs and other insects, particularly in the autumn. They like fruits, as well as peppers, beans and tomatoes. If they go unnoticed, they can cause large amounts of harm to your garden, so remember to take protective measures to reduce the population of stink bugs there.
Boiling away unwanted weeds is an odd, but productive method used in many gardens. Boiling water is a very safe alternative to other potent herbicides. Just douse the weeds directly with boiling water, taking care to avoid damaging nearby plants. Boiling water can hurt the roots of weeds and can prevent them from growing.
Ensure that your plants are kept dry, and aerated daily. Parasites and pests are attracted to excess moisture on the plants. Fungi is a common problem in the world of plants. Fungicidal spray treatments can contain fungi, but spraying prior to problems even developing in the first place is the best way to go about it.
Fertilizer is important when you garden. Manure is a great garden additive, but it is important that you choose a manure that has been composted commercially so that there is less of a risk of pathogens. Choosing a specific type of fertilizer is not particularly critical; as long as you’re using fertilizer, you’re improving your soil.
Place organic mulch as close to your vegetables as you can. Mulch will retain water so that you won’t have to water your plants as often. It can also prevent weeds from growing. This can save you a lot of time and effort in pulling out the weeds.
Fall Colors
Use plants to get some autumn color. That doesn’t have to be, however. Fall is the most colorful time of year for foliage. You can find beautiful maple and beech trees in many different fall colors. There are practically as many types of shrubs chosen for their fall colors are there are gardeners! Barberry, hydrangea and cotoneaster are particularly popular choices.
Grow heather so that you can attract useful insects. Bees will go straight for these plants in the spring. Heather beds are typically left untouched, which is why helpful little critters like ground beetles and spiders call them home. Because of this, you should put on a pair of gloves when it’s time to prune the heather.
After your seeds sprout, the containers do not need to stay as warm as they once did. Move your plants further away from your heat source as they grow. Remove plastic films on containers to prevent warmth and humidity from penetrating them. Monitor the seeds carefully so you know the best time to do it.
Increase your property value with landscaping. Landscaping has one of the highest returns you can get from home improvement. Some plant investments can raise your resale value by 20% or more. Select plants that will adapt well to your regional area and require minimum maintenance.
As stated initially in this guide, gardening is a good way to grow delicious, fresh vegetables and fruits in your own garden. Serving a meal that includes the vegetables and fruit you grew in your own garden will leave you feeling satisfied. Put the points in the preceding paragraphs into play if you want to maximize your horticulture efforts.