Horticulture is a complex process. If you chose to garden naturally, you need to acquire some knowledge of the implications of the acidity of your soil, and you need to know how to utilize the correct bugs and insects instead of pesticides. An organic garden can be more than a little challenging for the novice. To succeed, you must learn as much as possible about organic horticulture principles. For valuable advice, keep reading.
Your first and best line of defense against pests is having healthy soil. Healthy plants grown in robust and enriched soil have an advantage in fighting pest infestation. Start your garden off with a high-quality soil that you can enrich over time.
If you’re like many gardeners, autumn means that it’s time to get some delicious fall edibles growing in your garden. Why not plant lettuce and kale inside a hollowed-out pumpkin? Simply carve open the top of a pumpkin so you can remove the innards, and then spray inside and out with something like Wilt-Pruf to prevent pumpkin rotting. Once you’ve done this, you can plant.
Draw up a garden plan before you plant the first seed. It will be a while before things start to sprout and visually remind you of what was planted where, so a written record can be helpful. You can also prevent yourself from losing small plants within a large garden.
When it comes to harvesting your vegetables, know when the optimal time is to do so. Each type of produce has unique time frames for harvesting at the peak of flavor. For instance, zucchini and baby peas will taste a lot better if you pick them when they are young. However, you get better taste out of tomatoes that have been allowed to ripen as much as practical while still on their vine. Thus, you ought to familiarize yourself with the best times to pick the produce from your garden.
Wisely water your garden. Instead of watering each individual plant with a can or hose, utilize a soaker hose, which can water all the plants at once. Turn the water pressure on low so the soaker hose will not harm tender plants. This allows you to leave the hose running as you go about your business.
Always dress appropriately when horticulture in order to protect yourself from the harmful effects of the sun. Try wearing a large sunhat and sunglasses to protect your face and eyes, and use sunscreen on any exposed skin. Utilizing the correct sun protection makes it less likely that sunburn will occur and decreases the chance that skin cancer will develop.
Vegetables are softer when they are warmer, increasing the risk that you will damage them. You should also be sure to cut them off the vine and not twist them, as twisting can hurt the plant.
Protecting your knees while you are gardening is very important. It is not good to bend from a standing position for a long period of time. Concentrate on kneeling. This will still make it easy to reach plants as well as minimize back stress. You can use knee pads to kneel without the pain.
Now, you shouldn’t get your hopes up and believe that a few tips are going to turn you into an instant professional gardener. However, these tips are a great starting point if you do plan to grow organically. As you implement these tips and hone your skills, you’ll be a professional green-thumb-holder in no time.
