This article contains tip to help you cultivate a healthy garden. If you ascertain beforehand exactly what you need, you will not be throwing away money on unnecessary items, or plants that are not suited to your environment.
Do not plant perennials that are prone to snail infestation. Creatures like snails or slugs can destroy a plant in a single night. Snails and slugs have a good time destroying perennials that are young and have tender and smooth thin leaves. Some perennials, however, leave a bad taste in slugs’ mouths or are difficult to chew through because their leaves aren’t tender. Some varieties of these plants are campanula, helleborus, heuchera, or euphorbia.
Check your soil before you begin planting your garden. Have a soil report done. It is cost effective and you can make necessary adjustments, based on the report, to your soil so it is correctly enriched to encourage plant growth. Ask about this service at a local university or the county Cooperative Extension office to improve the soil and insure fruitful crops.
Pull all the weeds in your garden. Weeds can take over a healthy garden faster than you think. For this task, try using white vinegar. That’s right, you have safe way to get rid of weeds right there in your kitchen cabinet. So, use a spray solution of white vinegar if you are tired of pulling those weeds by hand.
For flowers throughout the spring and the summer, be sure to plant some bulbs. Most bulbs are extremely hearty and grow easily. They also come back year after 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.
Coffee Grounds
If your soil has a problem with high alkaline levels, mixing in some coffee grounds that have been used is a great solution. Used coffee grounds will add acidity, helping to optimize the soil’s pH. This solution will make the vegetables you grow healthier and more flavorful.
Make a landscaping plan before you dig your first hole. Having a planting plan will help you correctly identify the young plants once they start to sprout. This is also a great way to keep track of all your plants.
For an unusual, but effective, organic solution to weeding young plants, try “boiling” the weeds away. This is a safe way to eliminate weeds, as this will not damage the soil. All you need to do is apply boiling water right to the weeds you want to get rid of. Be careful not to get any on the plants you want to keep. Weeds will usually stop growing if boiling water damages their roots.
Plant items with fall color. It doesn’t have to be this way, however. Fall is the most colorful time of year for foliage. Maple trees produce yellow and red leaves, just like Beech and Dogwood trees. Some very good shrubs to choose are barberry, hydrangea, and cotoneaster, which is a member of the rose family.
If you have a problem with your dog disturbing your garden, you can repel him by spraying perfume or other scents on the grass near the edge. Using this will cover up the odors that your dog likes and will cut down on the intrigue of your landscaping for your furry friend.
In order to bring in good insects to your garden, you need to plant heather. Bees like it because it gives them nectar in the springtime. Spiders, ground beetles and other useful insects are drawn to heather beds because they don’t tend to get jostled around. Because of this, don’t forget to protect your hands when pruning heather beds.
If you want your children to enjoy your organic garden, plant some tasty strawberries. Kids really enjoy plucking snacks directly from the ground, and may have greater enthusiasm for the work if they see the results of their labor right away.
One of the problems that people come up against when trying to grow organic plants indoors is a lack of natural light. Ideally, these plants should be kept in a room that offers natural light from a window or glass door. Otherwise, you could simply use your own lights.
Top all your garden beds with several inches of organic mulch. By doing this, you can lock in moisture, discourage weed growth, and nourish your plants. As an added bonus, a nice mulch can help make your garden look more finished.
When you are working in your garden, you will want to have all of your tools in a convenient location. If it takes you thirty minutes to find a needed tool, then you are doing something wrong. Keep your tools well-maintained and stored away in a designated place. That way you always know where they are and they are ready to use when you need them. Get a tool belt if you need to, or a pair of pants with a lot of pockets.
A little bit of research will go a long way, especially when you pair it with patience. However, while you watch something grow that you planted, the satisfaction will make it worthwhile.