Organic gardening may seem to be a very complicated matter when examined closely. If you plan on doing it naturally, you probably need to know certain things, such as natural bug-fighting concoctions and the soil’s pH balance. It can be difficult to switch to organic gardening methods for a beginner. Be sure you can hang with even the pros by using the tips you learn from this article.
Consider starting your plants in pots and then planting the seedlings in your garden. This insures that the plants will grow and thrive into adulthood. It also helps you make your planting times more frequent. You will have healthy seedlings that are ready to be planted when you get rid of old plants.
A handy trick is to turn the handle on a tool that you use often into a makeshift ruler. Tools with long handles, such as a shovel or rake, are absolutely perfect for this job, and make your workload a little bit smaller. After laying the handles on the floor, run the measuring tape along beside them. Label the distances onto them using a permanent marker pen. Now, the next time you’re down in the garden, you’ll have a handy ruler without needing to look anywhere else.
Use annuals and biennials to brighten your flower garden. You can use biennial and annual flowers to brighten the bed, and let you change how it looks. If there are gaps between the perennials and shrubs you have planted in a sunlit area, try filling those gaps with annuals and biennials. The most popular varieties to use include petunia, zinnia, cosmos, snapdragon, marigold, hollyhock, and sunflower.
Always take the time to get the weeds out of your garden. Weeds can take a promising garden and turn it into a shell of its potential. To aid in this venture, you might want to use white vinegar. Weeds can be killed by white vinegar! Keep a solution of vinegar diluted with water on hand to spray on weeds.
Think about starting your peas indoors rather than planting them directly in the garden. By initially planting them indoors, the seeds tend to germinate better. They will also be healthier and hardier, allowing them to better resist pests and disease. The seedlings can then be transplanted outside after becoming strong enough to withstand the elements.
If you have a vegetable garden, one of your main enemies is garden pests. Since you are growing the vegetables for your own consumption, you want to stay away from pesticides. Persistence and care is a much better solution for pest control, but many avoid it because it actually requires some work on their behalf. If you catch them when there are only a few around, you can actually pick them off the plants by hand.
If sustainability and organic horticulture are appealing to you, leave a portion of the property you own undeveloped to give wildlife a place to thrive. You will see many of the birds and insects that are present will assist in pollination and plant production, helping to create a much better garden.
Pine Needles
Pine can make a great mulch. Some plants do better in soil with high acidity as they are highly acidic themselves. If your garden contains plants like this, there are few things simpler than spreading some pine needles across your beds. Sprinkle the pine needles over your beds. As the needles decompose, they add to the acid level in the soil.
Now, you shouldn’t get your hopes up and believe that a few tips are going to turn you into an instant professional gardener. However, these tips are a great starting point if you do plan to grow organically. As you implement these tips and hone your skills, you’ll be a professional green-thumb-holder in no time.
Originally posted 2014-05-24 01:29:23.
