Gardening is a relaxing, rewarding pastime for many and offers a long list of benefits. Whether you grow flowers or vegetables, there is just something about growing plants and caring for them that is so rewarding. Think of this article as a helpful guide to making the most out of your garden.
Create useful rulers from your tool handles. Large handled tools like rakes, hoes or shovels may be used like measuring sticks. Lay the handles on the floor, then run the measuring tape down next to them. Use a permanent marker to label distances. Now when you go to work in the garden, you will have a ruler that is large at your fingertips!
Bulbs will give you wonderful flowers that you can enjoy in early spring and right through the summer. Planting and growing bulbs is very simple, and once planted the bulbs will grow for years. Bulbs bloom during different seasons, if you pick them carefully you will have flowers almost all year.
Plant a little catnip or wheatgrass in the area surrounding the plants that your cat is devouring. You could also place mothballs and citrus peels around your plants to keep your cat away.
If your plants do not grown very tall, try buying some knee pads used for horticulture. Long hours tending your garden can leave your knees sore and achy. Purchase a great pair of knee pads; they will provide a cushion for your knees while making gardening more comfortable.
Split up irises. To increase the number that you have, you need to take all your overgrown clumps and split them up. After the foliage dies, pick up bulbous irises. The bulbs will then split naturally in the palm of your hand and if they’re re-planted, they can flower next year. You should divide rhizomes using a knife. Cut several new pieces out of the outside and get rid of the old center. Divide your pieces carefully; they should each have one good quality offshoot apiece. Replant each one immediately.
You can prevent pests using other plants or natural materials. For example, if you plant onions or marigolds along the edges of your vegetable garden, you can ward off slugs. Wood ash used as mulch helps repel pests as well when around shrubs and trees. By utilizing these methods, you will not have to apply chemical pesticides on your vegetation.
Surround your vegetable plants with organic mulch, a few inches worth. Mulch will retain water so that you won’t have to water your plants as often. It also prevents weed growth. That helps you save a great deal of effort and time in weed eradication.
Take a look at planting berry-producing evergreens in your yard. This gives your garden a bit of a “splash” of color, even in winter when everything is nearly colorless. Some examples include Holly, Snowberry trees, Winterberry and similar plants.
Spray fragrances such as old perfume or aftershave on grass around your garden to help keep your dog away from the plants. This will work to mask any scent that is attracting dogs, and will make the garden a much less interesting place to for dogs to be.
Beautiful insects are attracted to heather when you plant it. Bees are drawn to heather, as heather is an early provider of spring nectar. Because it is usually left alone, heather beds can become a home for spiders, beetles and other insects. Keep this in mind and always wear gloves when you prune your heather!
If you are horticulture with a cut, make sure that you adequately protect it from dirt and chemicals. A cut may become badly infected if it’s exposed to a lot of dirt or grime when you garden. The key is to use bandages capable of covering cuts in their entirety.
Preparing the soil for your perennial garden is easy. 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 can then dig into the turf and plant the perennials of your choosing.
Stay on top of your organic gardening to-do list, and don’t let the work pile up. Even if you end up being too busy to do garden chores every day, do small tasks that will help you avoid having to do large tasks when you finally do have time. You can pull a few weeds when you take your dog outside.
In order to claim your crops are legitimately organic and be credible, it is important to your customers that you become organic garden certified. This also does several things to boost your business. First, it is likely to increase your sales as it builds trust in more customers. Second, it shows customers who have been loyal that the quality produce you provide is top notch.
Ensure your soil is health by adding mulch. Mulch can protect the ground it sits upon. Mulch will ensure your soil is kept cool on hot days and protect your roots. It greatly reduces water loss, keeping the soil moist with fewer waterings. This will also help to keep weeds under control.
Any type of horticulture can be a fun hobby because it brings you closer to the earth, but creating an organic garden is really good at this. Organic gardening is an excellent lesson in the plant life cycle and how to get the most from the planting process.
As discussed at the beginning of this article, horticulture has many rewards that come with it. For flower horticulture, the beauty alone is rewarding. Vegetable gardening adds economic, culinary and health rewards. Take your gardening to greater heights of enjoyment with the tips you’ve gotten here.