As the organic movement gains momentum, increasing numbers of people are being attracted to holistic lifestyles. Many people who choose to live this lifestyle grow their own plants and herbs, so they can benefit from them. Read on to glean some new organic ideas in the following article.
Plants that result in a larger yield should be higher on your priority list when planning the garden. In many cases, a disease-resistant or cold-tolerant hybrid will produce a higher yield than a traditional variety.
Think about starting plants in pots, and then placing the seedlings in the garden later. Your plants will be more likely to mature this way. This method also gives you the freedom of tightening time periods between each planting. As soon as you harvest the mature plants in your garden, your new seedlings will be large enough to plant outside!
Transfer your favorite plants indoors to rescue them from the winter frosts. Maybe you could pick out the most expensive plants or the most hardy ones. Dig carefully around their roots and place them into a pot.
Analyze the soil before you even get started with working in a garden. Many nurseries offer a soil analysis service, which will tell you what nutrients your soil is lacking and what you can do about it. Before you ruin any crops, make sure you do this. Soil can be analyzed at a lot of cooperative extension offices, so make sure you plan accordingly.
Don’t cut your grass down by the soil when you run the mower. If you leave a bit more height, the grass roots will get deeper, making your lawn stronger. When you cut the grass too short, the roots are often not deep enough, which causes your lawn to have dry patches of brown, discolored grass.
Get a wheelbarrow, and a stool so that you can kneel down while horticulture. Working on the ground for long periods of time can be painful on the knees, so a small garden stool can really allow you to work in comfort. A wheelbarrow will come in handy to easily move dirt, rocks and other heavy objects.
To give them a helping hand, pour the water you obtain after steaming vegetables over your plants. Used teabags or grounds from coffee are a great way to add acid to the soil. Chamomile tea can be an effective treatment against fungus attacking plants.
Spectrum Pesticides
Keep your garden free from broad-spectrum pesticides. Broad-spectrum pesticides not only kill pests, but also “good” bugs like ground beetles that eat pests. Beneficial insects are more susceptible to toxic pesticides than their annoying counterparts, so a broad-spectrum pesticide could kill all of the good bugs first, allowing the population of bad pests to multiply. Your problem will only get worse and you will find yourself using more pesticides.
Plant for fall color. That doesn’t have to be it though. In the fall, the foliage displays every color of the rainbow. For example, maple, beech, and dogwood trees all change from their usual green to a vibrant spectrum of yellow, orange, and red. Cotoneaster, barberry and hydrangea can provide vibrant color if you are considering shrubs for your garden.
Water your garden carefully. You can save time by using soaker hoses when watering plants. By doing this, you won’t need to water your plants individually. Use low water pressure with your soaker hose so that the force of the water does not harm sprouts and seedlings. Set the soaker hose to water your all your plants over a couple hours, and then you will be free to get other things done.
Scent the grass around your garden with old perfume or discarded aftershave to prevent your dog from wandering into your garden. Your dog will be less attracted to your garden when these scents overpower compost scents and other smells dogs like.
Organic Horticulture
The more information you have on the subject of organic horticulture, the more proficient you will become. Keep in mind that this advice is the beginning of your organic horticulture knowledge.