Does the grass always look greener on the other side? You might think your neighbor has got a magic formula to their lovely garden. In reality, there's no secret method for creating a gorgeous garden. You just have to learn how to properly maintain your plants. This article will help you along in the process of learning to care for your garden.
When choosing plants, pick those that produce a high yield. A disease-resistant hybrid plant can be a good option to consider over a more traditional variety due to its tendency to produce higher yields.
Turn the handles of your garden tools into measuring rulers. It is possible to utilize tools with long handles, such as rakes, hoes and shovels, as measuring sticks. Simply lay the handles out on the floor and run a measuring tape next to them. You can label distances using a permanent marker. Now you have easy access to a long ruler whenever you are horticulture.
Flower Beds
Give your flower beds a boost by introducing annuals and biennials. Annuals and biennials that grow quickly can really wake up your flower beds, and they allow you to have a new garden look every season or every year, if you choose to. You can fill any spaces between shrubs and perennials when they are in the sun. Notable varieties include cosmos, rudbeckia, petunia, hollyhock, marigold and sunflower.
Save some plants in the winter by bringing them indoors. You may want to save the most beautiful or expensive ones. Dig around roots carefully before transferring to a pot.
Start Planting
When it's autumn, it's time to start planting all of your fall edibles. A hollowed out pumpkin can become a festive container for kale and lettuce. Hollow out the pumpkin and spray with Wilt-Pruf to prevent rot. You can start planting now.
Make a plan for your garden. Doing this makes it easier to keep track of where you planted what when you first start to see sprouts. The plan will also help you keep track of your more diminutive plants and smaller groups that could otherwise become lost among a sea of larger plantings.
Good green gardens begin from seeds, not plants. It's better for the environment to begin from seed. Seeds eliminate the waste of plastic containers from nurseries which rarely get recycled. There are some nurseries, however, that send their plants out in organic potting materials.
There are natural materials, and you can also use other plants to help keep pests away from your garden. Onions and marigolds can help to deter slugs. Keep insects away from shrub and tree seedlings with mulch containing wood ash. By utilizing these methods, you will not have to apply chemical pesticides on your vegetation.
Give them a boost by watering them with the cooled water that is left after steaming vegetables. If you grow rhododendrons, azaleas or gardenias, increase the acid in your your soil by working in coffee or tea grounds. Chamomile tea can be effective if you have problems with fungus in your garden. Simply sprinkle it on the affected plant.
When gardening, don't use any broad-spectrum pesticides. In addition, these pesticides destroy the good insects which eat pests. Since these pesticides often affect the good bugs more than the bad, using them can actually increase your pest problem. This may then lead to using even more pesticides to eliminate this new problem.
Flower Beds
Add three inches of mulch to your flower beds. Covering the beds with mulch serves multiple purposes; it helps the flowers by retaining moisture and adding nutrients, and it discourages the growth of unwanted plants. Your flower beds should also look beautiful all year long.
Improve the value of your home. Landscaping has one of the highest returns you can get from home improvement. In fact, you can boost your home's value by a fifth with the right landscaping, and in the right market. Get low moisture plants for your garden and yard that are suited for your environment.
Stay on top of your organic horticulture to-do list, and don't let the work pile up. Even doing just a few small things each day can keep chores from piling up and eventually becoming unmanageable. This will save you a lot of time in the long run. You can pull a few weeds when you take your dog outside.
When planting seeds you should cover them with fine soil. Determine its depth by looking at the seed's size and multiplying it by three. However, some seeds do not need to be covered, they need the sunlight. This is true of popular flowers like petunias and zinnias. If you're not sure if your seeds need sunlight, you can find out online or through the seeds' package.
Rotate where you plant each type of plant each year. For example, if you usually plant corn in one area of your garden and flowers in another, switch which plant is planted in each section. Planting the same family of plants in the same area over and over can cause disease and fungus to start growing. Harmful things may take root in the soil, preparing to take over your garden. If you mix things up, by planting in different spots, you will have enlisted a natural method of keeping fungus and diseases at bay.
So, you can see that these suggestions are rather simple and easy to follow. Put the knowledge you have just learned to good use by horticulture in a creative way. Monitor the response of your plants when you apply these tips. If you find that it's not working for you, try something different. Your neighbors will envy your garden if you practice patience.