A green thumb and a great deal of patience is needed to take on the hobby of organic horticulture. You want to grow healthy and non-contaminated food that can be enjoyed by you and your loved ones. However, organic gardening can seem quite daunting, especially if you do not possess the proverbial green thumb. Read on for suggestions on what you will need to start horticulture like a pro.
You can use the wooden handles of your tools as measurement sticks. You can convert any large handle tool, such as a hoe, shovel, or rake into a measuring tool. Lay the handles on the floor, then run the measuring tape down next to them. A permanent marker can be used to label distances. When you decide to work in the garden again, you will now have a ruler at your disposal.
Do not plant perennials that are prone to snail infestation. Snails and slugs can do irreparable damage to your garden in a single night. These garden pests prefer perennials with thin, flat, delicate leaves, particularly if the plant is not yet mature. Perennials with hairy leaves or bitter taste are unattractive to snails and slugs, keeping them safe from harm. Good choices in this category are plants such as achillea, campanula, and euphorbia. Heuchera and helleborus also work well.
Cover fences and walls with lots of climbers. Climbers have many different uses and spread quickly. They can also grow through existing shrubs or trees, or be trained to cover an arbor. Some climbers will attach themselves to a support using twining stems or tendrils, while other varieties need to be held up by tying them in place. Trusted variations of climbers are honeysuckle, jasmine, clematis, wisteria and climbing roses.
While working in your garden during the fall season, watch out for those stink bugs! They enjoy tomatoes, peppers, beans, and many different varieties of fruits. If you do not keep them under control, the damage can be excessive, so keep an eye out for them.
You must be sure to remove all of the weeds that grow in your garden. Weeds steal nutrients from plants, robbing a garden of its potential harvest. To aid in this venture, you might want to use white vinegar. White vinegar is natural, very inexpensive, and can really kill the weeds! Mix white vinegar and water into a spray bottle instead of pulling the weeds by hand.
Vegetables in a garden need to have at least six hours of sun every day in order to thrive. Proper sunlight is a prerequisite for proper growth. This is true of some flowers.
Apply organic mulch generously around your vegetable plants. Mulch helps the soil surrounding the plants remain moister for a longer time. Mulch will help a lot in preventing weeds from growing. You will save time by not pulling weeds.
If you have a vegetable garden, one of your main enemies is garden pests. You can't use chemicals as they're the last thing you want to be eating when you enjoy the fruits of your labor. You can prevent pests from appearing in the garden by adopting a vigilant attitude. Natural pest control depends on the type of soil in your garden and the variety of plants growing there.
When planting seeds, it is wise to take your time. Begin by adding moisture to the dirt. You may then distribute your seeds evenly while being sure that they all have adequate space in which to grow. Bury them 3 times as deep in relation to the seed's size. Certain types of seeds should simply be dropped on top of the soil due to needing sunlight for growth.
It is common knowledge that grounds from brewed coffee are good for soil. Coffee grounds are full of nitrogenous nutrients that growing plants need. A strong nitrogen source in your garden area is a wonderful way to have healthy and strong plants.
Gardening can actually increase the value of your property! Of all the home improvement options that you might consider, landscaping is the most cost effective. Adding certain plants to your yard can raise the resale value to as high as 20% or more. Different plants thrive in different environments, so be sure to invest in plants that are low in moisture, and will flourish in your garden.
Laundry Basket
You can use something like a laundry basket to gather all of your produce together when the time comes. An old laundry basket makes an excellent strainer for cleaning your produce. Rinse off your produce while it's in the laundry basket, and any excess water will be strained out through the basket's holes.
Use a beer trap to capture slugs and stop them from eating your plants. Bury a single glass jar with the open mouth level with your soil in the garden. Fill the jar with beer within one inch of the top. Slugs will crawl into the jar to get the beer and not be able to get out again.
Plant some organic garlic. Plant individual cloves of garlic in the early spring or fall in moist, well-drained soil. Plant each bulb at least four inches from each other. Bury them about two inches in the soil with their pointed end facing up. Green garlic shoots can be cut as they grow, and used in place of chives or scallions. Harvest the garlic bulbs when the tops of the plants turn brown. Leave the bulbs out the sunshine for a few days until the skin gets hard. Store the cloves in a cool area. They can be tied or left loose.
The hobby of organic horticulture requires patience and effort, with a little help from Mother Nature. It is an activity that uses the power of the earth to create something delicious an nourishing. If you want to make the most of your clean, green, organic garden, you should put your new skills to the test.