In the world of organic horticulture, there are plenty of great resources available to both new and experienced organic gardeners alike. There are many e-guides, books, videos, and other resources available. This set of tips contains some of the best advice for helping a good organic gardener become a great organic gardener.
Lay sod properly. You will need to prepare your lawn soil before laying the sod. Weed the soil well, and till the entire lawn area. Flatten your soil and make it slightly compact. Now make sure the soil is thoroughly dampened. When laying down sod, create staggered rows with offset joints. Firm sod until there is an even, flat surface; fill in gaps with soil. According to your climate, you will likely need to water the new sod daily over a period of a couple of weeks. This will insure proper root formation and establishment.
When planting perennials, seek out those that are resistant to slugs. It is alarming to see how quickly slugs, and their cousin snails, can annihilate a plant. Young plants with susceptible leaves are favorite meals for slugs, including those with smoother or thinner leaves. There are perennials that slugs do not want to eat, the ones that they hate have hairy leaves, or are unappealing to their taste. Good choices in this category are plants such as achillea, campanula, and euphorbia. Heuchera and helleborus also work well.
Your first and best line of defense against pests is having healthy soil. Healthier plants are greater in strength and resistance to illness and insects. 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.
Flower Beds
Try using annuals and biennials to add color to your flower beds, and brighten them up. These types of flowers grow at high speed, which gives you more flexibility in changing the look of your flower beds as the seasons change. You can also use these flowers to fill gaps between shrubs or perennials. Some of these that you might consider are petunias, marigolds and sunflowers. If those are not flowers you like, you can also try cosmos, holyhocks or rudbeckias.
Use climbers if you want to cover any fences or walls. Climbing plants are known to be very versatile, and can help hide any ugly wall or fence, and this often only takes one growing season. You may also be interested in training them over an arbor or trellis. You can also grow them among existing landscape trees and plants. Some climbers you plant will have to be tied off and supported, but others have no problem attaching themselves to any surface using their tendrils or twining stems Plants such as clematis, wisteria, climbing roses, or honeysuckle are always great choices.
Keep your plants thriving through the winter by bringing them inside. Choose the plants that are most likely to survive. Use caution when digging around the roots of your plant. You need to keep the root structure intact for it to thrive after being potted.
It is best to aerate and dry your plants daily. Excess moisture creates an appealing environment for disease and parasites. One parasite you have to watch out for in particular 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.
A great garden starts from the seeds and not from the plants. It’s better for the environment to begin from seed. The plastic used in nurseries often end up in landfills, that is why it is advised to use seeds or purchase from nurseries that make use of organic materials when packaging their plants.
In conclusion, the tips that you have read above should have you well on the path towards becoming the best organic gardener you can be. There is a ton of info out there when you know the right places to look, and your job is to take that information to apply it to your gardening. With these tips in mind, you will be able to create your very own methods of creating a great organic garden.
Originally posted 2014-03-07 17:15:58.
