TIP! Clay soil can be very hard to work with, and you will often find that it sticks to the shovel. To make digging clay soil easier, try applying a light coating of wax, either car wax or floor wax, and then buff off and commence digging.
Many people find gardening to be a great way to relax and have some fun. Knowing the type of soil, equipment, and when you should plant the seeds are common gardening questions. Continue reading for some expert gardening advice.
TIP! The handles on your gardening tools can be used as a convenient measuring instrument. Larger handled tools like rakes, hoes, and shovels make great measuring sticks.
Gradually acclimate plants to temperature changes and conditions, if you want to avoid shocking them. Leave them outside in sunlight for a couple of hours on the initial day. Throughout the week, gradually increase the time they are spent outside. By weeks end, you should have plants that are ready for a permanent home outside with no problem!
TIP! If you want flowers in spring and summer, plant bulbs in the garden. Planting and growing bulbs is very simple, and once planted the bulbs will grow for years.
Clay is difficult to dig through with a shovel, as it is sticky and compact. Coat the shovel with floor or car wax, and buff it with a clean rag to make the job a lot easier. The wax will help keep dirt from sticking to the shovel, and will also keep the metal from rusting.
TIP! A simple way to lower the alkaline content of your soil is to dilute it with coffee grounds. Used coffee grounds will add acidity, helping to optimize the soil’s pH.
Do not plant perennials that are prone to snail infestation. Snails and slugs can destroy plants in just one night. Certain perennials that don’t have tough leaves are especially tasty to snails and slugs. There are perennials that slugs do not want to eat, the ones that they hate have hairy leaves, or are unappealing to their taste. These varieties include achillea, helleborus, heuchera, euphorbia, and campanula.
TIP! Protect your deciduous shrubs which are tender. Shrubs that are planted in containers are especially susceptible to frost and must be carefully protected.
Fight pests before you even plant, by getting your soil in shape. Healthy plants can better ward off pests and diseases. Begin with a high-quality soil with less chemicals to avoid salt accumulation, and you give your garden an excellent chance of growing healthy plants.
TIP! To defend your garden from errant dogs, spray something with a strong scent, including aftershave or old perfume around the perimeter of the garden. Your dog will find more interesting scents to explore elsewhere and leave your garden alone.
For showy flowers throughout the spring and summer, plant plenty of bulbs. Planting and growing bulbs is very simple, and once planted the bulbs will grow for years. Remember that different bulbs will bloom at all different times of the year, so if you are careful to choose the right bulbs, you will see blooms in the early spring, and have flowers all the way to late summer.
TIP! If you pick vegetables around high noon when it is very hot, you are likely to damage them. You can also protect both your vegetables and the plant they grow on by cutting them off instead of twisting them off.
When mowing your lawn, avoid mowing the grass too short. If you leave more height to your grass, the roots will grow deeper into the soil, making the lawn stronger and more resistant to drying out. Cutting your grass too short will cause it to dry out and turn brown in patches throughout your yard.
TIP! Make sure any open cuts are completely protected from dirt and chemicals before you go to work in your garden. Cuts that are infiltrated by soil or other substances have the potential to breed serious infections.
A good fertilizer is important to add nutrients to your soil. Manure can be very helpful in growing plants, but it is essential to use a commercial product that has been composted, in order to minimize pathogen risk. There are numerous types of fertilizers available. What type you select is less of a concern; any kind of fertilizer is better than none.
TIP! One of the most important things to consider when plotting your garden is to make note of your available space. It is easy to underestimate the amount of space that the plants will take up once they start to grow.
Try growing your peas indoors for the first couple months. Seeds that are planted indoors will enjoy superior germination. This will also make the seedlings hardier, which will help them resist diseases and pests. Once your seedlings are sturdy, you can then move them outside.
TIP! When the time has come to gather up the produce, you need to use an old laundry basket. This type of basket can double as a large colander for the fruits and vegetables you pick.
Place a few inches of organically based mulch around your vegetable plants. Mulch has a nice moisturizing effect on the soil it’s spread over. It also helps prevent weeds from growing. This can save you a lot of time and effort in pulling out the weeds.
TIP! If you are planting seeds in containers, a good rule of thumb is that the seed’s depth should be around three times its overall size. Be aware that some seeds shouldn’t be covered, as they need sunlight.
Broad-spectrum pesticide is not a good garden choice. It’s true these pesticides kill the pests you don’t want, but they also lay waste to the advantageous insects that make those same pests a regular meal. Good bugs are often more sensitive to pesticides than their bad counterparts, so if the population of good bugs goes down, the pest problem can grow. If this happens, you just fuel an expanding cycle of needing even more pesticides.
TIP! Any gardening can connect you with Mother Nature, but particularly if you employ organic gardening techniques. When you garden organically, you see the entire process from the beginning to the end.
To keep your dog out of your garden, spray old perfume, aftershave, or other scented items in the grass around it. This can make scents that dogs are attracted to, and make your garden less interesting in general for pets.
TIP! Rotate where you plant each type of plant each year. For example, if you usually plant corn in one area of your garden and flowers in another, switch which plant is planted in each section.
In order to maximize the efficiency of your gardening, ensure your horticulture tools are kept close by you. You have several options including using a bucket to hold your tools or wearing pants with lots of sturdy pockets. You should always have your gloves, pruning shears and a trowel close to you.
TIP! An easy to grow plant to grow in your organic garden is garlic. Cloves of garlic should be planted in well-drained soil with frequent watering in either the fall or spring.
Remember to plan for adequate spacing when you first lay out an organic garden. Plants take up quite a bit of space as they grow, and it’s easy to underestimate just how much. Air circulation and room to grow is important for any plant. Plot out all of these considerations before putting that first seed in the ground.
Plant Material
TIP! Here is a great way to make organic gardening fun and easy. Chose plants that are native to your area.
When developing your compost pile, use equal measures of dried and green material. Grass clippings, vegetable and fruit leftovers, and grass clippings are all examples of green plant material. Dried plant material, however, can include items such as cardboard, sawdust and shredded paper. Do not include charcoal, ashes, meat, carnivorous animal manure or diseased plants.
TIP! When preparing to plant a shrub or tree in your garden, consider digging a hole that looks ugly for planting them. If you create holes that have “glazed” sides created by shovels, it’s possible that one of those holes will restrict any root from getting into the soil nearby.
It’s not what’s on the surface that counts. If you’re buying some tomato seedlings to use in your garden, keep a look out for starts that are lush and green, but have poor root systems. Some green starts can last for several weeks, which will actually inhibit the growth of new seedlings that are delayed.
TIP! An effective way of organic gardening is to grow produce that costs a lot to purchase at the grocery store. Certainly, different people place different ranges of values on various types of plants.
Do some research on the botanical insecticides that are available in your area, many of which are extremely helpful in preventing pests from invading your garden. Sometimes natural insecticides are more efficient than the synthetic pesticides you can buy. However, botanical pesticides rot rather quickly and tend to disappear.
TIP! You should plant trees in a manner that allows them to serve as shade for your home. You can create natural shading for your home and save on your energy bills.
In summation, gardening can be fun and satisfying, but you should follow some basic guidelines in order to get the most from your garden. Remembering good advice and planning well can help your garden flourish. Simply use the advice presented here and wonderful garden will be growing from your land.