You must have both patience and skill to grow an organic garden. This is a hobby where the goal is to grow food that is healthy and pesticide free. It might sound easy, but is it? Read the following tips to discover how to begin horticulture like a pro.
Always allow your plants to adapt gradually to any changes in light conditions, temperatures or soils, if you do not, you might shock them and cause them to die. Place them outdoors in the sun for about an hour or two on the first day. Over a period of several days, slowly increase the time they are allowed to stay outside. The plants should be prepared to move outside permanently at the end of this week.
Plant perennials that slugs and snails won’t be interested in eating. Slugs or snails can kill a plant very quickly. These pests prefer plants with thin smooth leaves. Plant some helleborus or euphorbias along with your other perennials. Others, though, are disliked by slugs and snails. Those with rough leaves or an unappetizing taste will be less desired by slugs and snails. Achillea, euphorbia, helleborus, heuchera and campanula are good choices that slugs don’t like.
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.
In the cold winter months, you can salvage certain plants by bringing them into the house. You should probably save the most resistant or expensive plants. Dig the plant up without damaging the roots and place it a big enough pot.
Grow some plants that cats like to eat – try catnip or wheat grass. Offensive smells also work to repel cats and other pesky animals from eating your plants. Try putting mothballs, citrus peels, garlic and other pungent items on the topsoil.
Invest in a quality wheelbarrow and a kneeling stool if horticulture work is going to happen often. It can be very uncomfortable on the knees when working so close to the ground, so a light, portable stool makes gardening easier. Also, gardening can involve a lot of heavy lifting and moving items, therefore a robust wheelbarrow can make that aspect much easier.
Learn the best harvesting time for each kind of vegetable you plant. Every vegetable has a proper time to be picked in order to capture the perfect flavor. Zucchini and baby peas, for example, have the best flavor when harvested early. Yet, in reverse, tomatoes must wait for prime-ripeness before they are subject to being picked. Take the time to learn when your produce will be at its best for harvesting.
Scent the grass around your garden with old perfume or discarded aftershave to prevent your dog from wandering into your garden. This covers up the smells that bring dogs to gardens in the first place, which means dogs are less likely to enter the garden.
If you have children, plant strawberries, especially everbearing strawberries, in your organic garden. Children find it fun to pick strawberries and love to assist with the harvest if they get some yummy treats as they work.
It’s important to let your cuts heal prior to doing any horticulture without gloves. It is possible for a cut to become extremely infected if it comes into contact with dirt and grime while gardening. There are now bandages available that will entirely seal off any cut they are applied over.
Organic gardening allows you to work hard and enjoy the fruits of your labor. This skill utilizes a simple patch of ground to produce healthy, delicious, natural foods. If you put in the work, learn through trial and error, and most importantly, keep this tips in mind, your organic horticulture skill will increase greatly.
