You probably have friends who claim to eat only organic, or maybe you’ve seen these items in the store. These items are usually easy to recognize and you should be able to notice a difference in quality. Organic items usually cost more and are packaged differently. Keep reading for a variety of tips and tricks for maintaining an organic garden.
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. The coffee grounds provide a cheap way to re-supply needed acid to the dirt. When you use them, you will start to notice that your vegetables are tastier and more vibrant in color.
Take extra care of any fragile shrubs that are known to drop their leaves in the autumn. Cold weather significantly affects these plants, especially if they are in pots. Tie the tops tightly together, and cover the wigwam with a sheet or blanket draped loosely over it. This is more effective than putting plastic on the plant, it will let the air flow.
Start a new garden from seeds. It’s better for the environment to begin from seed. The planters used to hold nursery plants are generally not made from eco-friendly materials, and thus get thrown into landfills. Starting from seeds, or buying from one of the few nurseries that use biodegradable planters, prevents this.
Have one plant be the most interesting eye-grabber in your garden. Gardens are like art; you need to give the piece (or garden) an initial focal point. A perfect example of a focal point is using a plant that doesn’t bear any resemblance to those that surround it.
When you water your garden, do it with care. To save time, use a soaker type hose so each plant doesn’t need individual watering from the nozzle of a hose or a little watering can. Use low water pressure for your hose so that you do not cause harm to the tender members of your garden. Let your soaker hose run for a few hours while you do other things.
Any time that you are gardening in direct sunlight, dress appropriately to prevent skin damage. There are many ways to protect yourself from the sun’s damaging rays such as wearing sunglasses, sunscreen and wide-brimmed hats. Wearing sun protection will prevent your skin from burning and by extension will reduce your risk of developing skin cancer.
Add some heather plants to your garden, to attract good insects. Bees will go straight for these plants in the spring. If your heather bed is undisturbed, as it would be in nature, many beneficial insects will make it their home. With this in mind, be sure to prune your heather while wearing horticulture gloves.
In order to maximize the efficiency of your gardening, ensure your gardening tools are kept close by you. You could do this by using a big bucket, or just wear old pants that have some deep pockets. You should always have your gloves, pruning shears and a trowel close to you.
Don’t use pesticides – kill your weeds naturally! You should layer some newspaper to get weeds under control. Weeds need sunlight to grow. The layers of newspaper will kill the weeds because they no longer receive any sunlight. It’s easy for newspapers to break down over an extended period of time, making them great for compost. It can look more attractive by adding a mulch layer.
Use a beer trap to capture slugs and stop them from eating your plants. Take a glass jar and bury it in your garden, making sure that the lip of the jar is even with the soil. Next, fill up the jar with beer until there is around one inch between the liquid level and the jar top. Slugs are attracted to the beer and become trapped in the container.
Growing your garden at home might not be the most convenient thing for you, but you will save a lot of money and always have the confidence that what you’re eating and feeding your family is as fresh and as healthy as possible. Use the tips you’ve learned here and get started on your garden today.
Originally posted 2014-01-14 22:52:10.
