Well, you’ve decided to enter into gardening. Pretty, exciting, huh? Well, except for the fact that there is so much information that you have no clue where to even begin! Don’t be afraid, gardening tips are here! Listed below are some tips that will help you get started and organized so that you can become a successful gardener.
If you are planting vegetables, choose varieties that don’t require processing in order to keep. For example, sweet potatoes and onions will keep for months as long as they are kept cool and dry, without any additional work on your part. This reduces the amount of time you have to spend after harvesting.
Start a compost bin, and enjoy nutrient-rich fertilizer that you can use for your vegetable plants, herbs, flowers and more. Food scraps and peels, coffee grounds, eggshells, newspaper, paperboard, yard waste and other organic matter are perfect additions to your compost bin. Keep a small bucket or bag in your freezer as an odor-free way to collect kitchen waste, and empty the container into the outdoor bin when it is full.
If you want your garden to be successful, focus on your soil. In order to protect your plants from unwanted pests, it is essential to have healthy soil. It will nourish your vegetation and help them grow into strong plants that are able to fight off disease and damage from bugs.
Make sure your pot is the right size for your plant. If the pot is too small, the plant’s roots may not have enough room to grow. The roots will become “root bound”, stop growing, and begin to suffocate. The size of the root system can determine the size of your plant and yield.
If your favorite flower pot or garden container has a hole or crack where dirt is leaking through, try lining that area inside the pot with a coffee filter. It works great to hold dirt in and keep your walkways and container gardens neat and clean. Try them out on hanging baskets as well!
Plant fruits and vegetables that you know you like. If you have children, having them help in the garden will make them want to eat the food that they grow. You will be able to save money on your fresh produce as well as know that your family is eating the best produce around.
Choose certain plants for shady areas. All plants need light to survive, but not all of them require bright sunshine. Woodland natives, for example, are happiest when given a little protection from the sun’s rays. Be generous when enriching the soil if the plants are under a canopy of trees, as they are competing for the food supply with the big guys! Ajuga, anemone, foxglove, cyclamen, hosta, viola and allium all enjoy a shady area.
Mini roses are very popular and are low maintenance. They come in many bright colors and offer a variety of interesting flower shapes. However, if you want to add a rose to your garden for the fragrance, then a mini-rose may not be a good choice because they produce little to no fragrance. If fragrance is your preference, try a larger, hybrid rose for the most intense fragrance.
Give your garden a boost with instant color. If your garden is looking a little dull, a quick trip to your local nursery will do the trick. There, you will find colorful annuals and perennials in full flower, waiting to be planted into the ground, a window box or a hanging basket. This is especially handy if you are entertaining, and you need to brighten up the yard, or if you are trying to sell your house. Spots of color help to make a home look inviting and cheery.
You should get a heat lamp to warm your plants during the winter months if you are growing an indoor garden. Plants need a constant temperature around 65 degrees. It can be expensive to keep a home or apartment at that constant temperature. A heat lamp is a cheap and inexpensive way to give the plants the heat they need to grow.
Take care of your containers. You do not have to spend a lot of money on containers: you can reuse common items as pots. Make sure you clean your containers thoroughly and disinfect them to avoid diseases. Drill a few holes in the bottom so that the extra water can be drained.
Composting is a great way to fuel your garden. You can add pretty much anything, like grass clippings, shredded paper, coffee grounds, and much more. Basically, you can use anything that was living at one time (but try to avoid animal products). If you buy some worms and keep the compost bin in a warm, sunny place it will turn into perfectly dark and rich soil in no time.
Keep track of your organic garden’s progress in a gardening journal. Make note of everything – the dates you plant, the dates you fertilize, pests that arrive, which repellents work, when you begin harvesting, and how fruitful your garden is. This information will be valuable to you as you plan your garden in the years ahead and will help you to be a successful gardener.
If organic gardening is something that you are interested in, make sure you do your research. There are so many resources available in print and also on the internet. Find out what you need to get started in your organic gardening ventures. It can be fun and rewarding in the end.
Attract worms to your garden. Earthworms are great allies to have in your gardening efforts. Good organic practices such as mulching, composting, and using natural fertilizers will attract them. Having plenty of earthworms in your garden plots will keep the soil aerated, and provide additional natural fertilizer to your plants.
Now, don’t you feel better after reading all those tips? That was a lot of information to think upon and read through, but at least now you know what to do and where to begin with your gardening. Plus, you can always refer back to the above list of tips if you forget. Pretty convenient, huh?