Organic gardening is a movement that is rapidly gathering satisfied followers. With the advice provided here, you'll soon be learning how to create your very own organic garden. Just put these tips to work in your own garden to yield delicious and nutritious results.
Try planting your plants in flower pots first, then transferring them to your garden once they have had a bit of time to grow. This boosts the chance that the plants can survive to adulthood. This also enables you to close gaps between planting cycles. As soon as the mature plants are removed, you can replace them with fresh seedlings.
Use perennials resistant to slugs and snails. These creatures can wreak havoc on a garden in a short time. These pests are particularly fond of young perennials and those varieties with leaves that are tender, smooth, and thin. Perennials that are unappetizing in taste, or that have hardened and hairy leaves, are not a favorite of slugs or snails. Some of the best varieties of these include achillea, campanula, euphorbia, and heuchera.
Save some plants in the winter by bringing them indoors. You might want to transplant your most valuable varieties. Always be careful when digging around the roots, and put the plant in a suitable pot.
Check the nutrients in the soil before you plant your garden. Pay a small fee to have your soil analyzed, and you'll be glad that you did when you understand what nutrients your soil is lacking. Many Cooperative Extension offices will provide this service, and it is well worth knowing exactly what the soil needs to avoid ruining a crop or two.
If you would like to have flowers in your garden that last through the spring and summer seasons, plant bulbs. Bulbs are hardy, easy to grow into flowers, and will blossom for several years. The types of bulbs you use will determine the time of year your flowers will bloom, giving you the pleasure of blooms from spring to summer, if you plant them right.
Let your new seeds soak in a dark spot overnight. Soak the seeds by placing them in a container where they are covered with water. This will keep your seeds hydrated and give you a little head start with your growing. Seeds that are grown in this way have a higher survival and maturity rate.
Plant a little catnip or wheatgrass in the area surrounding the plants that your cat is devouring. It may also work to add citrus peelings or mothballs to the soil of the plants, because the odor is unpleasant to cats.
Don't mow your grass too short. When the grass is a little longer, the roots will be stronger and the lawn becomes more resistant. Leaving the grass short makes it more prone to drying out, which leaves your lawn look really brown and yucky.
If your soil has high alkaline amounts, mix some coffee grounds into it. This is a great and cheap way to increase the acid levels in your dirt. This simple act can lead to vegetables that taste better and look more appealing.
Peas have a better chance of survival when their seeds are started indoors as opposed to outside, exposed to the elements. The seeds will grow better in your home if planted there first. They will also be stronger, and better equipped to resist disease and insects. You can transplant the seedlings outside after they are sturdy enough.
Water your garden regularly and smartly. Use a soaker hose to save time so that you do not have to water each plant individually with a hose nozzle, or a watering can that needs to be refilled repeatedly. Make sure that your water pressure is set to low, so that no harm will come to any tender plants. It can water the plants for two hours so that you can do other things.
Plastic bags can be kept on hand and reused to slip over your dirty gardening shoes. This allows you to work steadily and without distractions, making you a happier and more productive gardener.
Over-watering can essentially drown the roots of plants, making them unable to grow well. You should always check the weather forecast, in advance, for chances of rainfall before you water the plants. If it is going to be a wet day, you don't need to water the plants yourself.
While all kinds of gardening can help you feel more connected to the planet, gardening organically is especially good for this. You will learn how to care for you plants from planting the seeds to harvesting your delicious vegetables.
The best option available to water an organic garden are soaker hoses. This will allow the water to seep slowly into the soil straight to the plant's roots. They're easier than hand watering and don't use as much water as sprinklers.
Make sure you know the specifics about what you plan on growing in that organic garden of yours. Even within the family of a specific flower or vegetable, the different varieties available have differing environmental requirements. Each type of rose may need different types of environments, for example. Keep this in mind as you plan your garden to ensure that you are choosing appropriate plants.
Loving Plants
There are many options when growing an organic garden. Acid-loving plants really love mulch. Acid-loving plants require mulch that consists of pine needles during the fall months. The needles will decompose and transfer their acidity to the soil.
Keep the soil healthy for optimum plant health so they can combat disease, and even destruction caused by insects. Even with insects present, you can avoid the damage they cause, so you and the bugs are happy.
As you previously learned, it takes time and patience for a great organic garden. Take the information contained above as an example. If you can use these tips to your advantage, you can take the guess work out of an otherwise complicated venture. You can succeed as an organic gardener. You will have tasty, fresh vegetables and a beautiful addition to your home.