If you want that green, lush garden, there are many things to do in order to get there. Even though gardening takes effort, it is also loads of fun! Below you will find some wonderful tips for making horticulture more fun and less work!
Clay soil is hard and will also stick to a shovel, making it difficult to work with. Rubbing wax on the shovel prior to digging can kick this challenge to the curb. The clay will no longer stick to the shovel, and this also helps to prevent other problems like rusting.
Choose perennials that are not vulnerable to attack by slugs. Slugs and snails are voracious eaters that can destroy a plant literally overnight. These garden vermin prefer plants with tender, herbaceous stems and leaves, particularly seedlings and young plants. You can discourage snails and slugs from eating your perennials by choosing plants with tougher or distasteful foliage. Wonderful varieties of such perennials include euphorbia, campanula, helleborus, achillea, and heuchera.
A garden needs the right type of soil to grow properly. A soil analysis is inexpensive and can be used to figure out which nutrients should be added to provide a healthy garden environment. A lot of cooperative extension offices can provide this service to you and it is worth knowing what you need to do in order to avoid ruining your plants.
If you have planted vegetables within your garden, make sure that they are getting at least six hours of sunlight each day. Most vegetables that can be grown need that much sun to grow well and quickly. This is the same for many varieties of flowers.
If you are considering planting a garden take the time to plan it out. Doing this makes it easier to keep track of where you planted what when you first start to see sprouts. It’s also a good way to keep smaller plants from getting swallowed up by the rest of your garden.
Knee Pads
To save your knees from the wear and tear of horticulture, invest in some knee pads if your garden includes a lot of low-growth plants. Gardening is supposed to be relaxing and enjoyable; you don’t want to finish every horticulture session with aching, throbbing knees. Pick up a good pair of horticulture knee pads to help cushion your knees.
Aerate and dry your plants each day. Excess moisture on a plant will invite unwanted parasites or diseases to the plant. In fact, fungi love a wet plant and can cause a great deal of damage. You can control fungi with the application of fungicide sprays. However, the area should be treated before you see the onset of any problems.
Surround your vegetable plants with organic mulch, a few inches worth. Mulch has a nice moisturizing effect on the soil it’s spread over. It will also prevent weeds from growing. This can save you a lot of time and effort in pulling out the weeds.
Spacing is an important factor to consider when planting your garden. When the garden is bare, it is sometimes hard to envision how much space a mature plant actually needs. The plants will inevitably need to unfurl and spread, but they also need the circulation of air from open spaces. Make sure your seeds have a good amount of space between each other for optimal growth.
A useful technique for organic horticulture, is to gently disturb your seedlings by using your fingers or a piece of cardboard one or two times daily. However odd this may sound, research shows that this touching encourages seedlings to grow better than they would without touching.
With these tips, you’re better equipped to grow the most beautiful garden you can imagine. In learning how to create your dream garden, you’ll also be growing as a person. That’s because learning how to nurture your plants will not only help you reach the goal of having a great garden, but it will help you learn to nurture yourself.