Gardening can be very useful, rewarding and fun. Whether you grow vegetables or flowers, growing and caring for plants is very soothing and rewarding. Think of this article as a helpful guide to making the most out of your garden.
You must gradually introduce your plants to changing conditions and temperatures, so you do not shock them. Leave them outside in sunlight for a couple of hours on the initial day. Then over a weeks time, slightly increase their time outside. Once the transition is complete, your plants will probably be able to tolerate the outdoor conditions.
Start your plants in containers before transferring them to the garden. This increases the chance that your plants will survive to adulthood. In addition, it lets you tighten the time in between plantings. You will have healthy seedlings that are ready to be planted when you get rid of old plants.
When winter comes around, save some plants by putting them in the house. Choose the plants that are most likely to survive. Always be careful when digging around the roots, and put the plant in a suitable pot.
If beautiful flowers throughout the warmer months are important to you, make sure you put bulbs into the ground. Most people have no trouble successfully growing bulbs, and their flowers will return each and every year. 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.
As fall arrives, it is the time to prepare for planting fall edibles. Clay pots are boring, so replace those ordinary lettuce and kale pots with pumpkins. 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. Once this is done, you are ready to plant!
If you want a strange, yet successful, green answer to getting rid of weeds, boil them to death. Boiling water is a very safe alternative to other potent herbicides. Although this method is organic, it does pose a danger to your plants. Weeds will usually stop growing if boiling water damages their roots.
Try dividing the irises. You can increase the number of irises you have by splitting clumps that are overgrown. When the foliage dies it’s time to lift the bulbous irises out of the ground. The bulbs will naturally split in your hands, and after you replant them, will flower about a year later. Use a knife to carefully divide rhizomes. Cut out new pieces from outside the bulb and throw away the old center. Make sure that every cutting contains a viable offshoot. Replant right away.
You should think about planting evergreens that yield berries in your garden. This will aid in giving your garden great color, even during the winter when other plants have lost their colors. Plants that provide instant winter color include Holly, Winterberry, American Cranberrybush, and the American Holly.
Plant things that will give you color for the fall. However, you can still maintain your gardening hobby throughout the fall months. The fall season is probably the most colorful of the year in terms of foliage. Fall hues of orange, yellow and red can be seen falling from maple trees, and dogwoods and beech trees offer comparable spectacles. Some vibrant shrubs include hydrangea, barberry, and cotoneaster.
Chill out by taking time to garden. Peace and relaxation can be found through several different avenues. Gardening is one of the easiest ways to attain this. Without too much effort, you can enjoy great returns. Knowing that you have grown these plants yourself can give you a great feeling of joy and inner peace.
Use care when you are watering the garden. Consider a soaker hose as a way to water multiple plants while saving time. Use low water pressure for your hose so that you do not cause harm to the tender members of your garden. Let it water the plants for a while as you do other things.
If you know that you’ll be in the garden for an extended period of time, protect yourself from the sun with proper attire. Wear sunglasses and hats with wide brims, and apply sunscreen. Proper protection from the sun means a lower chance of sunburn, as well as a decreased risk of skin cancer.
Have all of your tools available to you as you garden to increase efficiency. Keep the tools in a big bucket, or store them in strong pockets in your pants. Keep your trowel, pruning shears and gloves handy so you can do your garden work quickly and easily.
You probably know just how rewarding gardening can be. Whether it is the beauty of flowers or the fresh vegetables, the benefits are evident and never ending. If you heed these suggestions, you can enjoy gardening more than ever.