Organic gardening can help you to landscape in environmentally safe ways. It can also provide you with healthy foods to eat. Rather than purchasing it from stores, you can choose to grow it yourself. This article will get you started with the knowledge you need construct your personal organic garden.
Take the proper approach to laying sod. Make sure you prepare your soil before you lay any sod down. Weed the soil well, and till the entire lawn area. Compress the soil lightly yet firmly, and make certain it’s flat. Make sure the soil is moist all the way through. Be sure to stagger the rows of sod. The joints should be offset like bricks in a wall. Make sure the sod is firmly placed to ensure a surface that is sufficiently flat and even. Also, make sure to use soil to fill the areas where there are gaps in the sod. Keep the sod moist and avoid walking on it until it is well-rooted, usually two to three weeks.
During winter, you should take your favorite plants inside. Choose the plants that are most likely to survive. Carefully loosen the dirt around the roots, then transfer the plant into a pot filled with the same soil.
If you learn that your soil has a high amount of alkaline, mix some used coffee grounds into it. This is an easy and inexpensive method to increase the acidity of your soil. This solution will make the vegetables you grow healthier and more flavorful.
Aerate and dry your plants each day. Parasites are attracted to the moisture on plants. One common organism that thrives on moisture is the fungi family. Fungus can be handled with sprays specifically formulated for fungi control, but you must treat the area with spray before seeing any kind of problems.
Natural Materials
You can keep pests away from your garden by using other plants or natural materials. A border of marigolds or onions around your veggies can prevent slugs. You can also prevent insect pests by using wood ash like mulch around your trees and shrubs. Natural materials and plants can be just as effective as chemical pesticides at keeping unwanted visitors out of your garden!
Your vegetable plants need about two or three inches of mulch placed around them. Mulch will keep soil moist for longer. It will also dramatically decrease weed growth. You’ll find this is a time saver since you won’t have to pull them later.
Do not use broad-spectrum pesticides within your garden. This particular type of pesticide will also kill the useful insects that consume the pests. Many times good bugs will be more sensitive to harmful pesticides than the ones you are trying to get rid of. If your good bug population goes down, your problem will only get worse. This can result in your using more pesticides to eradicate the problem.
It is easy to quickly prepare your perennial garden ground. Only a garden spade and woods chips are necessary. To prepare the garden, slice out sheets of turf using the spade, and flip the turf upside down. Then, cover the newly turned soil with wood chips, approximately three inches deep. After a few weeks, you may then utilize the area to plant your flowers.
Use several inches of organic materials for mulch in your flower beds. Mulch discourages weeds and helps retain moisture while adding nutrients to your flower bed. It will also increase the visual appeal of the flower beds.
When you are working in your garden, you will want to have all of your tools in a convenient location. Don’t waste your time by searching high and low for that packet of seeds or spade. Prepare all of your tools prior to working in the garden, and then put them away neatly when finished. Get yourself a tool belt, or wear pants with many pockets.
Plant Material
Use equal parts of green and dried plant material in your compost pile. Green plant material can include items such as leftover produce waste, grass clippings and leaves. Dried material includes straw, shredded paper, and cardboard. Don’t include ashes, diseased plants, charcoal meat, or carnivorous animal waste.
A good general rule when planting your seeds into containers is that the depth of the planting should be about three times the size of the seed. It is important to note though, that not all seeds are covered to this depth, as some need direct sunlight to grow properly. This is true of popular flowers like petunias and zinnias. Always be sure to check online or with the company you’re purchasing the seeds from as to their sunlight needs.
Every year, you should plant different things and in different places. Fungus and diseases will appear if you have the same kind of plants in the same place from one year to the next. These diseases can build up in the soil, reinfecting your plants the next year. When you rotate your crops, fungus and disease have less chance to spread.
You can create a garden for perennials easily. Use a spade to cut beneath the turf, and cover the entire area with wood chips after flipping it over. Wait a few weeks before planting perennials in the new bed.
You will no longer have to purchase your produce. Use the suggestions outlined above to help you start growing your very own fruits and veggies today.