Gardening is a relaxing and fun hobby for many people around the world, but doing it organically is even more rewarding. Yet for someone who is just a novice, gardening can be a really intimidating thing to think about. So, how can you best prepare yourself as a novice organic gardener? Start by reading the advice in this article.
Select plant varieties capable of producing large yields. Frequently, a hybrid that is able to deal with extreme temperatures will bring higher yields than the more traditional variety of a plant.
Start your plants in containers, and then transplant the seedlings into the garden later on. This increases the chance that your plants will survive to adulthood. It also allows you to tighten up the time periods between plantings. When you take out the prior set of adult plants, your seedlings will then be prepared to go in.
Starting a garden with the best soil is a great defense mechanism against pests. Healthier plants are stronger, which in turn can help the plants you grow to become more resistant to disease and bugs that can harm them. You want to cultivate quality soil with adequate salt levels, which leads to healthy plants.
Before you begin to plant your garden you will need to check the soil. You can obtain a soil analysis for a nominal fee. Using that report, you can amend your soil as needed for a thriving garden. A lot of Cooperative Extension locations offer this service, and you can prevent ruining a few crops by identifying the specific steps to take.
It is very important to keep the weeds from taking over in your garden. Weeds and gardens do not mix; they will destroy your garden. White vinegar can be used as a natural herbicide. White vinegar can not only kill the weeds, it’s also a non-toxic spray that won’t harm pets or people. Try spraying some white vinegar in water when you are pulling weeds from your garden.
Set your mower blades higher, so you don’t cut the grass too short. If you leave your grass kind of high, your roots will be deeper and your lawn will be stronger and not dry out. If the grass is too short that will lead to shallow roots, which will cause a brown and dried-out lawn.
Allow enough room between plants for air to circulate, so that plants do not stay too wet. Plant moisture is a big attraction to both parasites and plant diseases. Fungus infections are common in overly moist plants. Fungus can be handled with sprays specifically formulated for fungi control, but you must treat the area with spray before seeing any kind of problems.
Divide your irises. To increase the number that you have, you need to take all your overgrown clumps and split them up. Lift the dead bulbous irises. As soon as you pick up the bulb, it’ll split into pieces. That’s okay – in fact, it’s desirable. You can replant the bulb pieces and next year you’ll have a healthy bed of new irises. Make use of a knife to split up rhizomes. Cut the new pieces from its outside and dispose of the older center. Every piece is suppose to have at least one durable offshoot. Replant the new shoots right away.
Try placing evergreens that grow berries around your garden. This will allow your garden to have color, even in the dreary winter months. Some plants that will provide color in the winter include the American Cranberrybush, the American Holly, the Common Snowberry, and the Winterberry.
Be aware of the optimum time frame for harvesting vegetables. Each type of produce has unique time frames for harvesting at the peak of flavor. Some vegetables are best when fully ripe and others taste better when harvested early in their development. However, you get better taste out of tomatoes that have been allowed to ripen as much as practical while still on their vine. Educate yourself about the best time to harvest your veggies.
If you want to keep dogs our of your garden, take some aftershave, old perfume, or any other scented item and spray the grass around the area. This can make scents that dogs are attracted to, and make your garden less interesting in general for pets.
Plastic bags are great to cover gardening shoes when they get muddy. This way, you can get in and out quickly, and get back to work in the garden.
Now you have the groundwork of knowledge necessary to start enjoying organic gardening. Growing a garden the right way is a rewarding and relaxing experience. Using what you’ve learned here will help you sow your organic garden.
