If you are environmentally conscious and worried about the toxic effects of chemicals, organic gardening may be for you. Organic gardeners eschew the harsh chemicals and fertilizers used by large corporate farms. Another benefit of organic horticulture is that it is relatively inexpensive. To begin your journey into the world of organic horticulture, follow these tips.
Start your seedlings in pots inside and then transplant them into your garden. Once the plant is hardy enough, plant it in your garden. This also enables you to close gaps between planting cycles. After you remove the mature plants from your garden, you can immediately replace them with the seedlings and start the cycle over again.
Transplanting plants and bringing them indoors can protect them from harsh winters. This is especially useful if you have a particular plant that you love or was expensive. Dig carefully around their roots and place them into a pot.
Plants all need a good supply of C02 to grow properly! Plants will not thrive if they don’t have an adequate amount of CO2. A greenhouse can concentrate the levels of CO2. To maximize your plants’ growth, make sure to monitor these levels to ensure they’re adequate.
Coffee Grounds
If your soil is highly alkaline, try mixing used coffee grounds into the soil. The coffee grounds are an inexpensive way to give some acid back to the dirt. By amending your soils, you will help your plants grow and flourish.
Using boiling water to kill weeds is both efficient and organic. This is a safe way to eliminate weeds, as this will not damage the soil. Pour the boiling water directly onto the weeds, just make sure you do not damage the nearby plants. The boiling water will damage the roots of the weeds and will usually prevent further growth.
When you are horticulture out in the sun, wear the proper clothing so that you do not get any type of sun damage. There are many ways to protect yourself from the sun’s damaging rays such as wearing sunglasses, sunscreen and wide-brimmed hats. If you properly protect yourself from the sun, you will not get a sun burn and you will decrease your risk of getting skin cancer.
When gardening, protecting your knees is important. Bending over from a standing position is something many people cannot do. Kneeling can relieve pain in your back, but can instead be painful to your knees. You can pick up a knee pad for you to rest on so that your knees are at ease on the ground.
If you’re working to build a sustainable organic garden, try leaving a portion of your garden untouched so that the wildlife will be able to thrive. Wildlife can help the plants in your garden to thrive, as insects support plant reproduction, while the excrement of many species contains nutrients which can help to fertilize your soil.
If you have recently suffered a cut, discontinue gardening until the cut has healed completely. Cuts that are infiltrated by soil or other substances have the potential to breed serious infections. Bandage all cuts completely, using bandages that cover and seal cuts.
When helping organic plants flourish inside, it is vital to keep in mind how much light is reaching them. If your home does not let in sufficient light, then consider getting plants that thrive in low-light situations. Otherwise, you could simply use your own lights.
When your seeds sprout, they will not be in need of the warmth they needed to germinate. Sprouting plants can be removed from the heat source. Take any plastic film off of your containers because they hold in heat and humidity. Keep a close watch on your seeds to know when to do this.
By following some of the tips we include in this article, you’ll be up and running in no time and will soon have a good supply of produce grown in your own garden. When you work to keep your garden in tune with nature, you’ll also see more birds and animals stop by for a visit.
Originally posted 2013-04-29 22:58:29.
