In the gardening world, it is important to to try to grow and maintain the best plants that you can. That is where smart gardening techniques come in handy. This will help you grow the most plentiful, beautiful and healthiest plants that you can. Follow these tips to become a better gardener.
If you need the extra ammunition to rage war on weeds, consider planting your plants closer together even if it means planting them closer than what is recommended. Dense plantings will ensure that no seeds from unwanted weeds will sprout and grow in your beautiful landscape design. If weeds begin to sprout near the edge of the foliage, consider adding heavy mulch to drown out the pesky weeds.
Plants need room to grow. Packing too many plants in proximity to one another will make them compete for resources and you'll subsequently either have one plant die, or have both plants grow in much worse conditions. It's advisable to research the full size of a plant and look at how deep and how far apart the plants should be grown.
Avoid chemicals for pest control. Chemicals are effective but can also damage your plants. You should look for natural methods instead. For instance, you can buy jars of ladybugs and release them on your plants. Ladybugs are natural predators for a variety of smaller insects that eat flowers and other plants.
Divide up your perennials while they still look healthy. It's best to divide a perennial at the end of the growing season during which it hits its peak. As the plant starts to overgrow, the center of the plant will start to have dying stalks and weaker flowers. Allowing perennials to grow too long may also lead to them overtaking neighboring plants.
To store your garden-fresh onions for use throughout the winter and avoid having them rot or mold, store them in pantyhose! Yes, pantyhose! Simply place the onions into the legs of pantyhose, and, to avoid letting them touch one another (which is what helps create mold and rot), place a twist tie between each onion and the next. To store, hang the pantyhose by the gusset in a cool dry place and cut off or pop a hole in the pantyhose to grab an onion when you need it.
When planting your vegetable garden you must keep in mind that some plants do not grow well together while others do. Remember that some plants cannot be planted next to each other, so you must avoid certain combinations. For example, broccoli cannot be planted next to tomato, and so on.
Make sure your plants are always evenly spaced by turning your rake or shovel handle in to a measuring stick. Simply lay a yardstick next to your shovel and copy the markings to the handle with a permanent marker. The next time you're ready to put in new plants all you'll need is your shovel.
When you are trying to decide your plant watering schedules, make sure you are testing your soil regularly. Persistent over-watering is just as likely to kill your plants as under-watering. An easy way to check is to put your fingertip in the soil, if it is moist, do not add water.
To give your plants all the iron they need, bury old, rusty pieces of steel in your garden. Damaged steel should break down http://arto.com/section/user/profile/?id=5825568 quickly, allowing the soil to absorb iron from it and feed it back to your plants. This is also a useful way to get rid of junk that might be clogging up your garage.
To make sure you don't harm your plants when you water them, only use water at a lukewarm temperature. Cold water can shock your plants, making it more difficult to absorb the water properly. Try filling your watering can before you go to bed at night so that it'll be the perfect temperature when you're ready to water your plants in the morning.
Be sure that you have earthworms in your soil. Earthworms are vital to good organic horticulture, because they aerate the soil. Also, the by-products of earthworm digestion are actually great plant food. Earthworms encourage soil bacteria that provide needed nutrients to your plants while competing with harmful insect pests, reducing the need for chemical pesticides and fertilizers.
When growing organic plants hook your plants up to an electric timer that will turn lights on and off continuously throughout the day at the same time. By doing this, you will ensure that your plants receive the proper amount of light that they need.
Are you busy with your organic garden? Remember, before you replant your flowers or vegetables outside in cooler weather, you need to get them ready for the change in temperature and light! For a few weeks, move your plants to a colder spot with no light for a few hours. Gradually increase the amount of time you leave your plants in the cold. After a few weeks, your plants should be ready for the cooler outdoors.
Research plants before bringing them home. When you are trying to get the best plants for your organic landscape, you should take the time to get educated. Chose plants that are suited to growing conditions you already have, rather than trying to build an environment for a plant you didn't properly plan for.
If your organic garden uses containers, you may need to swap seedlings to larger http://www.123peppy.com/play/terrace-decor containers as they outgrow them. When you do this, make sure to handle the seedlings by the leaves and roots. To be more specific, you should avoid touching the stems as they are extremely fragile and can be easily damaged. After you have swapped containers, it is recommended to water the roots as this will help them merge with their new environment.
Make mulch spreading easier with the right tools. After laying out the mulch, use a flat-headed rake to efficiently spread the manure around. The tines of the rake help pull the mulch and spread it, while the flat side of the rake evens out the area. Use the rake with a pushing and pulling motion.
Before you begin planting in your garden, it's a good idea to test your soil's acidity first. Home testing kits are readily available. Your soil should have a pH around 6.5 for most vegetables. If the pH is too low, you can boost it by spreading lime. If it's too high, you can use powdered sulfur.
If you want to have great organic produce but are unable to grow it yourself, then you should be sure to check out your local farmer's market. These places always have a different rotation of produce but typically have great prices for some of the best products that you can find in the area.
As mentioned before, gardening has been appreciated by millions of people throughout the centuries. A long time ago, it was often the only way to feed yourself and family. Today, horticulture is still done for need but also for profit and pleasure. The advice you learned here can help you get the most joy out of your garden. Enjoy everything that gardening has to offer!
