The processes involved in successfully gardening can be complicated. Once you have decided to garden organically, you need to learn about your soil’s pH balance, as well as things like natural pesticides. It can be hard for a rookie to grow organic. Be sure you learn to be a pro by using the tips laid out below.
Learn how to properly lay sod. Get your soil ready before you lay the sod. Do some weeding if necessary, then break the soil until it is no longer packed. Compress the soil lightly yet firmly, and make certain it’s flat. Be sure the soil is thoroughly moist. The sod should be laid in staggered rows, with the joints offset from one another. Make sure the sod is firmly placed to ensure a surface that is sufficiently flat and even. Also, make sure to use soil to fill the areas where there are gaps in the sod. Water the sod everyday for the first two weeks until the roots grow enough.
Clay Soil
Clay soil is hard and will also stick to a shovel, making it difficult to work with. To make digging clay soil easier, try applying a light coating of wax, either car wax or floor wax, and then buff off and commence digging. The wax prevents the clay from sticking to the shovel, and stops rust from forming.
It is a good idea to pre-soak your seeds in a dark environment overnight. Put a few seeds in a small container and fill it near to the top with water. This will allow seeds to be watered and they will get a kick start when growing. This way, the seeds you have planted will have some chance of growing.
If growing vegetables, make sure they are in a location in your garden where they will be exposed daily to at least six hours of the sun. Almost all vegetables need this much sunlight, so that they can grow correctly and in a shorter amount of time. Some flowers also need six hours of daily direct sun in order to grow and blossom well.
Make sure you protect any tender deciduous shrubs. Tender shrubs are very sensitive to cold weather, especially those that are planted in pots. Pull the canes together at the top and securely tie them. Next, using a sheet or perhaps even a blanket, cover the structure. This is more effective than putting plastic on the plant, it will let the air flow.
If you want to effectively weed out young plants, you can try “boiling” away the weeds. The safest herbicide that you can use in your garden is a simple pot of boiling water. Just douse the weeds directly with boiling water, taking care to avoid damaging nearby plants. This can cause enough damage to the roots of any plant to kill it.
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 2013-07-02 07:27:58.
