Organic horticulture is a rewarding hobby that anyone can enjoy, as long as they know what they’re doing. But, if you’re just getting started, the various challenges of horticulture can seem insurmountable. How can you begin to learn about organic horticulture? Well, reading through the tips in this article is a start.
Pay attention to how you lay sod. Your soil should be prepared before you lay the sod. Pull any weeds that you see, and work to break up the soil so that it is a fine tilth. Make sure your soil is flat and compacted. Thoroughly water the soil. Then lay the sod in staggered rows so the joints are offset. Firm the sod down to form a flat, even surface, and fill in any gaps between the sod with a little soil. Once it is in place, the sod requires frequent watering for at least two weeks. This is usually the amount of time it takes for the sod to grow roots, making it ready to grow seamlessly into place.
Think about planting your seeds in indoor pots and then transplanting them to your garden once they become seedlings. Your plants will have a better chance of getting big and healthy! It also helps you make your planting times more frequent. The seedlings are ready to go, once you remove the mature plants.
Choose perennials that are not vulnerable to attack by slugs. A plant can be completely demolished overnight by slugs and snails. These pests gravitate to young perennials with smooth, tender, thin leaves. Perennials that have tough or hairy leaves are often times unappetizing to snails and slugs. Some perennial families that snails and slugs won’t eat include achillea, campanula, and helleborus.
Use both biennials and annuals to add color to your flower bed. Fast growing biennials and annuals will brighten a garden and permit you to change looks from one season to another. Use these beautiful flowers to line your driveway, surround trees and shrubs, and for decorative hanging baskets. Some of these that you might consider are petunias, marigolds and sunflowers. If those are not flowers you like, you can also try cosmos, holyhocks or rudbeckias.
All soil is not the same. You need to check the soil to make sure it’s the best for what you’re planting. A soil analysis report can be acquired for a nominal fee. You can then use the results of that report to determine if the soil needs to be modified before you begin planting. You can often find Cooperative Extension offices that provide this service, which can help to make your garden flourish.
Always take the time to get the weeds out of your garden. If you’re not careful, weeds can take over your beautiful garden, ruining it. To aid in this venture, you might want to use white vinegar. White vinegar will kill those pesky weeds. Putting white vinegar on your plants gets rid of much of the need to pull out the weeds.
Try to pour a bit of leftover water from your steamed veggies on them. In order to help acidify the soil for plants like gardenias and rhododendrons, you can use coffee and tea grounds. A natural cure for plant fungus is chamomile tea. Sprinkle some on the plant, and see if it works.
Keep your pet out of the garden with old perfume or aftershave in the grass. This will mask any scents that might attract your dog and make your garden less interesting to him.
Be sure to plant some strawberries for your children and grandchildren. Ever-bearing ones are especially nice. Little ones will be more likely to help when they can enjoy the fun of harvesting their own fruit.
If you have plants inside, make sure the thermostat stays between 65 and 75 degrees. Warm temperatures encourage plant growth. If you aren’t wanting your house to be this warm in the winter, you can use a heat lamp on the plants.
Take the time needed to plant your seeds. Make sure the soil is wet before you begin. You should then spread the seeds evenly, and make sure they have room to grow. Seeds should be buried about three times deeper than their own size. Make sure you are not burying the seeds that need light to grow.
As the seeds sprout, they’ll need less warmth. Remove plants from the heated environment once they begin growing. Make sure you remember to remove any plastic films that were on the plant containers to repel humidity and warmth. Watch your seeds carefully to know when you can take these steps.
When planting seeds in containers, remember that the depth should be at least three times bigger than the seed. There are some seeds, however, that you should not cover at all, since they need sunlight to germinate. Example of these kinds of seeds include the petunia and the ageratum. If you are not sure whether your seeds need to be exposed to sunlight, resources are usually provided with the seeds or can be found online.
Keep slugs out of your organic garden naturally, using a beer trap. Take a glass jar and bury it so that the soil is even with its mouth. Fill that with beer just under an inch from the top of your jar. Slugs will be attracted by the beer and fall into the jar.
With what you learned you should now feel a bit more confident when it comes to horticulture, and you should think of it as an easy task to tackle now. It provides so much opportunity for relaxation in a soothing environment and so much reward when the garden flourishes. These tips are your key to becoming a top-flight organic gardener.