Anyone can learn how to maintain an organic garden and enjoy it. But, when a person begins organic horticulture, they may feel overwhelmed. So, how should a beginning organic gardener learn the basics? Reviewing the advice that follows would be a good place to begin!
You will need to properly lay sod. Before you lay the sod, the soil has to be prepared. Remove the weeds, then break up the soil into fine tilth. Flatten the soil back into place, gently but firmly. You then will want to thoroughly wet the soil. Lay the sod in rows, and make sure the joints do not overlap. Compact the sod down so you form a flat and even surface, then fill in any crevices within the sod by using some soil. Keep the sod moist and avoid walking on it until it is well-rooted, usually two to three weeks.
Flower Garden
Plant a variety of flowers to keep your flower garden colorful and interesting. Annuals and biennials can add excitement and interest to your flower garden every season. Fast growing biennials and annuals can enliven a flower bed while letting you change up the look each season and year. 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. Notable biennials and annuals include marigold, sunflowers, hollyhock, petunia, and cosmos.
Draw up a garden plan before you plant the first seed. Doing so means you can remember where each particular plant is when you start seeing sprouts arise from the earth. You can also prevent yourself from losing small plants within a large garden.
Interested in using Mother Nature to keep pests at bay the natural way? Slugs stay away from marigolds and onions when they are planted in a garden. Another way to get rid of pests is to spread wood ash at ground level around shrubs and tree plantings. You can avoid using pesticides that contain harsh chemicals if you employ these techniques.
Try planting berry-bearing evergreens in your yard. This will aid in giving your garden great color, even during the winter when other plants have lost their colors. Other winter plants include the American Holly, Winterberry, The American Cranberrybush and the Common Snowberry.
Use care when you are watering the garden. A soaker hose is a great way to water all of the plants at once, and will save you a lot of time. Use low water pressure for your hose so that you do not cause harm to the tender members of your garden. Give it a few hours to water the plants so you have schedule freedom to tend to other matters.
You can attract the insects you need by planting heather. Heather is quite alluring to bees; when spring comes along, it provides the bees with a source of nectar early. Spiders, ground beetles and other insects helpful to your garden tend to live in a heather bed, because heather beds are generally undisturbed. If you do have to tend to your heather, wear gloves in case you accidentally annoy one of the residents!
Try to put an aspirin in the water to get rid of plant diseases. You will need 2 gallons of water and one and one half aspirin mixed together for a wonderful add-on to your plants. Spray the plants with the aspirin water to assist plants in battling disease. Your plants should be sprayed one time each three weeks.
When working in the garden, try to work as efficiently as possible. It’s frustrating to search for a tool for a half hour. 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.
Dried Plant
When creating a compost pile, use dried plant materials and green plants in equal parts. “Green” material refers to things like wilted flowers, weeds, leaves from your yard, and grass clippings. Sawdust, straw, cardboard, paper and wood pulp are all examples of dried plant material. Avoid using animal manure, charcoal or diseased plants in your compost.
When planting seeds into a container, the depth of your planting should be three times bigger than the seed. There are exceptions, however. Some types of seeds require more direct sunlight than others, and as such they should not be fully covered. These seeds include petunias and ageratum. Always be sure to check online or with the company you’re purchasing the seeds from as to their sunlight needs.
If slugs are an issue in your garden, a beer trap can make them go away. Bury a glass jar in your garden so that its open mouth is level with the top of the soil. Fill the jar with beer to an inch below the jar’s top. Slugs will be attracted by the beer and fall into the jar.
While organic horticulture takes a little extra work, it is healthier and more gratifying than regular gardening. Growing your crops organically will offer the best reward for those who eat the foods.
You could simply make a new perennials garden in a couple easy steps. Cut under the dirt with a spade and turn it over. Next, cover the area with three to four inches of organic wood chips. Wait a few weeks before planting perennials in the new bed.
You are aware of how helpful compost is in growing your organic garden, but do you have any idea what is actually in it? It is made of things such as wood chips, lawn cuttings, fallen leaves, bits of produce, straw and other yard waste that has started to decompose. This is an ideal substitute for commercially sold fertilizers.
Now you have the groundwork of knowledge necessary to start enjoying organic horticulture. Taking care of a garden is a fun and relaxing experience. By applying the advice and insights of this article, you can garden as good as the professionals.