Organic horticulture requires a green thumb and a lot of patience. You want to grow healthy and non-contaminated food that can be enjoyed by you and your loved ones. It actually isn’t as hard as it sounds. Read the tips below to see what you need to begin growing like a pro.
If you work with clay soil, you have probably found using a shovel very frustrating and exhausting. Make your shoveling job easier by lightly coating a shovel with a layer of wax, then buffing the surface. Either car wax or floor wax will work just fine. The clay will slide off of its surface and it will prevent rust.
In order for plants to grow, they must have enough CO2. When exposed to high levels of CO2, most types of plants will grow better. Growing plants in a greenhouse is the best way to contain CO2 for use by your plants. It’s very important to keep the CO2 levels high so your plants have the best possible growing conditions.
When it’s autumn, it’s time to start planting all of your fall edibles. Rather than using clay pots or planters for your lettuce and kale, plant them in a pumpkin! Use some Wilt-Pruf to prevent your pumpkin from decomposing and then you can put your plants right inside. Once the pumpkin has been prepared, it is ready for planting.
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 simple act can lead to vegetables that taste better and look more appealing.
A good but unusual organic solution for weeding your plants is try “boiling” your weeds way. A pot of boiling hot water can be one of the most safe weed destroyers. Make sure to pour only on the weeds and to stay away from healthy vegetation. Boiling water damages the weed roots and will inhibit future growth.
Keep your plants dry and aerated daily. Moisture on plants is sure to attract disease and parasites. A commonplace plant parasite is fungi. It is possible to get rid of fungi after it appears with anti-fungal sprays, but it’s better to spray at-risk areas before fungi appear.
Start your garden off right with seeds, not plants. The environmentally conscious way to start a new garden is to start with seeds. Most nurseries use a lot of plastic that is not recycled. If you want to buy plants, find a nurseries that uses organic methods or grow your plants from seeds.
Aid them by dumping any leftover water from steaming vegetables over them. Try adding used coffee grounds to the soil around plants that grow in acidic soil. Some types of plant fungus problems can be solved by sprinkling with chamomile tea.
Choose plants that will provide color in autumn. However, that does not have to be the case! The fall season is probably the most colorful of the year in terms of foliage. You can find beautiful maple and beech trees in many different fall colors. Cotoneaster, barberry and hydrangea can provide vibrant color if you are considering shrubs for your garden.
One particular plant should be the focal point of your garden. In a well designed garden you should have a focal point so that your eyes will stay there. You want to choose a plant that will stand out, as opposed to blending in with the other plants adjacent to it.
Use smarts when watering your garden. You can save time by using soaker hoses when watering plants. By doing this, you won’t need to water your plants individually. Avoid damage to new plantings by keeping the water on low to move the water slowly through the soaker. Allow it to water your plants for a couple of hours, so that you are free to do other things.
To garden properly in an organic fashion, requires a lot of patience, a lot of elbow grease and even more know-how. The rewards are healthy, delicious foods without the harsh chemicals of today’s corporate farming practices. If you put in the work, learn through trial and error, and most importantly, keep this tips in mind, your organic gardening skill will increase greatly.