Horticulture has been an enjoyable activity for centuries. People can garden just for the sheer joy of the activity, or they can garden in order to provide their family with fresh produce. The following article will give advice for making gardening more fun.
Healthy Plants
Having healthy soil in your garden is your number one defense against pests! Healthy soil equals healthy plants and healthy plants can fight off diseases with ease. So if you want your garden to provide plants that are as healthy as possible, you need a good quality soil that contains few chemicals and that can accumulate salts over time.
Use annuals and biennials to brighten your flower garden. Your flower beds will look different from one season to another. In addition, you might need something to fill empty spaces in your flower garden. Fill gaps with annuals or biennials. Just make sure the flowers will get enough sun to thrive. There are many different varieties to choose from such as daisies, marigolds, impatiens, and lantana.
Analyze the soil before you even get started with working in a garden. An inexpensive soil report can be used to adjust soil nutrients to optimum levels, which will ensure your garden thrives. Several Cooperative Extension locations offer this service, and it’s advantageous for you to know what type of soil you have, in order to avoid growing faulty crops.
For flowers throughout the spring and the summer, be sure to plant some bulbs. Planting and growing bulbs is very simple, and once planted the bulbs will grow for years. Choose from the variety of bulbs that bloom at various times of the growing season for a garden of color all spring and summer long.
Try to ensure your plants are dry and have enough air, daily! Moisture on your plants is a sure way to attract parasites and disease. Fungus infections are common in overly moist plants. You can control fungi with the application of fungicide sprays. However, the area should be treated before you see the onset of any problems.
Irises should be divided. Increase your iris population when you divide up overgrown clumps. When foliage is dead, lift bulbous irises. The bulbs should split up normally in the hand, and should flower when replanted for the next year. Use a knife to divide the rhizomes. Cut new pieces from the outside and discard the old center. Each piece must have a minimum of one strong offshoot. Replant your pieces right away.
Keep your garden fertilized. Manure is probably the best fertilizer. Choose a commercial product to reduce the risks of pathogen exposure. There are many fertilization methods out there; the type is not quite as important as actually using something.
If you are just getting into gardening, make sure you heed all of the directions on fertilizer and chemical labels. Failing to heed this simple advice can mean skin irritation that you are going to remember, and not pleasantly at that. Protect yourself and follow all instructions.
You should think about adding evergreen plants that yield berries into your yard space. This will allow your garden to have color, even in the dreary winter months. Some plants provide color during the winter like the Winterberry, and American Holly, the American Cranberrybush and the Common Snowberry.
Be aware of the optimum time frame for harvesting vegetables. Every vegetable has a proper time to be picked in order to capture the perfect flavor. Zucchini and baby peas, for example, have the best flavor when harvested early. Tomatoes, however, are best picked from the vine later when they are very ripe. Simply educate yourself on what the best time is to harvest each of your garden vegetables.
Keep your garden free from broad-spectrum pesticides. These pesticides will also kill any beneficial insects that consume the pests you are trying to get rid of. Good bugs are often more sensitive to pesticides than their bad counterparts, so if the population of good bugs goes down, the pest problem can grow. This can cause you to actually use more pesticides than you originally needed to combat the problem.
Choose one plant to be the focal point. A focal point can help direct a viewers gaze. Many times, it’s just a plant that differs from the surrounding plants.
Gardening can be hard on your knees. It’s difficult for most people to bend while standing, especially at the waist. You should kneel while tending to your plants for the sake of reducing stress to your spine. For extra comfort, purchase a knee pad for use as a cushion between your knees and the ground.
When your plants begin to sprout, they can survive in somewhat cooler temperatures. Move your plants further away from your heat source as they grow. You should also remove plastic films that you had on your containers to keep the humidity and warmth out. To know when it is time for this, keep a careful eye on your seeds.
Working in the garden doesn’t have to be grueling; learn to work more efficiently. Have your tools laid out in an orderly way so you do not have to search for them. Prepare all the tools you need before you go out to work on your garden, and put them away nicely when you are done. A good way to keep your tools at hand is to buy a tool belt or utility pants with many large pockets.
As previously mentioned, gardening is something that has been enjoyed by many throughout the centuries. A long time ago, people had to garden to survive. Although some people still do it to get food, others do it for fun. No matter what reason you wish to garden, you now have some useful advice. You are going to gain a greater appreciation for the benefits you reap from your horticulture efforts.