Horticulture is a surprisingly complicated subject at times. If you plan on horticulture the natural way, you might have to understand certain complexities like the soil's PH balance and bug fighting concoctions. Growing organic can be a little on the difficult side for a rookie. Give yourself an advantage by applying the advice from the following article.
A great horticulture tip to use is to always select types of plants that are more likely to produce a high yield. If yield is important, choose hybrids designed to resist cold and diseases rather than traditional varieties.
Start your plants in containers, and then transplant the seedlings into the garden later on. This increases the chance that your plants will survive to adulthood. It also helps you make your planting times more frequent. Once you've removed the previous group of plants, your seedlings can go into the ground.
Do a soil analysis prior to planting. You can actually get an analysis of soil for a little fee, and with the report you get back you can figure out how to create a vibrant garden by enriching it properly. There are numerous places to find this service, such as your local Cooperative Extension office. The cost is well worth it to avoid a potentially ruined crop.
Co2 Levels
To grow properly, plants need adequate levels of CO2. In general, higher amounts of CO2 are related to better plant growth. A great way to reach these CO2 levels is through a greenhouse. If you have a greenhouse, keep CO2 levels high.
If beautiful flowers throughout the warmer months are important to you, make sure you put bulbs into the ground. Most bulbs are extremely hearty and grow easily. They also come back year after year. Different bulbs will bloom during different time periods. Therefore, if you select your bulbs correctly, you could have blooms in your garden for all of spring and summer.
Try to grow some wheat or cat grass around your cat's favorite plants. You could also repel your pet by planting rosemary or placing citrus fruit peels around your garden.
Your vegetable garden should get at least six hours of sun daily. Most vegetables require this amount of sun in order to grow properly and at a quicker pace. Some flowers need the same thing.
Protect your delicate shrubs from harsh, wintry elements. If you have them in pots, you need to guard them from cold weather that will damage or kill them. You want to then tie the tops of the canes together, and cover them with a sheet or blanket. People sometimes use plastic to wrap their plants, but plastic can cause the plants to rot because it impedes air circulation.
Learn the best harvesting time for each kind of vegetable you plant. Every type of vegetable has a different moment of ripeness. Baby peas, for example have much better flavor if they are harvested early in the ripening process, as does zucchini. Tomatoes, however, are best picked from the vine later when they are very ripe. So, it is good to learn about the best time to harvest your vegetables.
Be smart when you water your garden. A soaker hose will save you time because you won't have to individually water each plant, like you do with a regular nozzle, or a can that you need to constantly refill. Keep water pressure on your hose low so you don't harm fragile plants. You can take care of other tasks or just relax while your plants are automatically watered for an hour or so.
In the middle of the day the vegetables have softened, which means they are easily damaged. Cut vegetables off at the vine, and don't twist them off, as this could hurt the plant.
Try mixing various plants that have different heights to create an interesting garden setup. Using plants which grow to the same length or height will make your bed look uniform.
Seeds that have sprouted don't require the extra warmth that was needed before they sprouted. You should move your sprouted plants farther from the heat when they are past the sprouting stage. You can now take off any protective coverings on your plants that were there to shield them from the elements. Keep a close watch on your seeds to know when to do this.
Flower Beds
The optimal amount of organic mulch to use in your flower beds is 2-3 inches. A thick layer of mulch will prevent weeds, reduce watering needs and fertilize your garden. This also gives your flower beds a more aesthetic aspect.
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.