Do you prefer organic fruits and vegetables, but balk at the high costs? Do you enjoy doing things yourself rather than paying someone to do a shoddy job? Then why not grow your own organic produce right in your home garden? Read on to find out how to start making your own produce and have fun doing it!
If you are new to gardening, be sure to keep it simple. Overplanting at first can lead to stress and a backyard that’s a mess rather than a beautiful garden. Also, larger gardens are more prone to weeds. Keep it small at first, and you will have a better experience.
Spend the additional money to fence in your garden. You are about to make real investment in time and money to create a garden of your own, but it can all go to waste through the stomping feet of playful children, pets and other small animals. Protect your investment with a small fence that keeps the kids and critters out.
Make sure you recycle your garden waste and organic kitchen waste to create compost for your garden. A compost heap makes an excellent soil conditioner. It can also save you a lot of money, as you won’t need to buy bags of expensive commercial compost or fertilizer to make your plants grow.
If you want a patch of green in your garden, consider planting a ground cover instead of a lawn. Lawns require a lot of water and maintenance. On the other hand, a ground cover usually uses less water, and certain varieties discourage weeds from growing. Many varieties of ground cover have the green color comparable to a lawn. You can save time and money with a ground cover.
Make a do it yourself twine holder by grabbing a rolled up length of twine and putting it into a small clay pot. Pull a small portion of the twine out the drainage hole and flip the pot upside down. You will always know where your twine is instead of digging around for it in a toolbox or shed.
Make sure to keep your eye on your garden for pests. They can eat away your plants or foods and cause irreparable damage. If you do find them in your garden, it is important that you get rid of them as soon as possible before they reproduce and create more problems.
Use stones as plant markers if you want to keep a natural looking motif. You can write with permanent magic marker on the flat side of stones and surround your plant with them. That way you will be able to tell what type of plants you have without having an unsightly white mark.
If your tomato plants have long branches that are not flowering or producing fruit, go ahead and pinch them off. It won’t hurt the plant, but will actually help. Pruning back the branches that are not producing fruit, allows the plant to focus its energy and nutrients on producing larger and more flavorful fruit.
Try using latex or plastic gloves instead of cloth gardening gloves. Cloth gardening gloves do not block moisture well – a problem when working with moist soil, and they often get stiff, crinkly, and uncomfortable after a few uses. A sturdy pair of plastic or latex gloves, like those used for cleaning, are a much better choice. They protect against moisture, and cleaning is as simple as rinsing them off under a hose and hanging to dry.
Pay attention when watering your roses. Until their roots are established roses should be well watered, afterwards they will only need watering during dry spells. Water from a can, not a hose, pouring closely to the ground. Splashing the leaves with water can lead to mildew if there isn’t enough sun to dry them off before nightfall.
For a healthy, weed-free lawn, cut your grass at the highest point recommended for the blend of grass you’re growing. Cutting your grass too short won’t mean you have to mow less often. Instead, it allows weeds to take hold, and causes water to evaporate. Longer grass can better protect itself against weeds, drought, and pests.
Economize when watering. When watering your garden, try to water using a vessel instead of a hose: this way you will be able to direct the water straight to the roots. Using a hose means that a lot of water will end up on the leaves, and may evaporate before it has a chance to reach the soil. Only water in the early morning or late evening, as this can help to reduce evaporation. Whenever you plant something new, it will require constant watering to become established, so if possible, put off new planting until the Fall. This way, nature will be able to do much of the watering for you.
Keep your seeds warm and humid. Most seeds are healthy at a temperature of about seventy degrees. Place your pots next to a heating vent or install an additional heater if needed. You can cover your pots with plastic films so that the seeds can keep their humidity and warmth.
While Mother Nature will eventually do the work needed to create compost from a backyard pile, even if it is not actively tended, you can give her a helping hand by adding compost starter to the mix. Compost starters, available from the garden centers, add microorganisms to the soil that help speed up the decay process.
A great tip when beginning an organic gardening is to add lime to your seed-starter mix. This is done to reduce the acidity of your peat. Too much acidity can damage it. You should aim to add around 1/4 teaspoon of lime in every single gallon of your seed-starter mix.
Not only will creating your own garden save you money and give you healthier fruits and vegetables, but it will also help your state of mind as you work in your garden and grow your very own food. Use these tips to become your own farmer, and reap the benefits!