More and more people are becoming interested in organic gardening as a safe alternative to store bought produce, which can contain all kinds of dangerous chemicals and may even present unforeseen threats with untested methods of genetic engineering. Also, organic horticulture can save you a lot of money. This article provides several useful tips that will help you improve your organic gardening techniques.
Pay attention to how you lay sod. Get your soil ready before you lay the sod. Get rid of weeds and tilth the soil finely. Gently compact the soil until it is flattened. Now make sure the soil is thoroughly dampened. Lay the sod in straight rows, ensuring the seams meet perfectly. Cut away extra sod and save it to fill in gaps you may create later. Water the sod for two weeks and then you can safely walk on it as it will have had time to properly root.
When winter comes around, save some plants by putting them in the house. You should probably save the most resistant or expensive plants. Dig carefully around their roots and place them into a pot.
You can alleviate this problem by planting grasses that your cat will naturally gravitate towards. Try putting mothballs or citrus on your soil to wards pets away.
If growing vegetables, make sure they are in a location in your garden where they will be exposed daily to at least six hours of the sun. Most vegetables that can be grown need that much sun to grow well and quickly. Some flowers also require direct sunlight for a portion of each day.
Make sure that you divide your irises! Increase your iris stocks by dividing your overgrown clumps. When foliage is dead, lift bulbous irises. If you split the bulbs that you pull up, and replant them, they will bloom the following year. If you have a rhizome you will need to split it with a knife. Cut new outside pieces and dispose of the center. At the least, each piece will need to have one strong offshoot. The quicker you can replant your cuttings, the better chances they will reappear next season.
There are natural materials, and you can also use other plants to help keep pests away from your garden. For example, slugs can be deterred by the presence of marigolds or onions. You can also prevent insect pests by using wood ash like mulch around your trees and shrubs. By utilizing these methods, you will not have to apply chemical pesticides on your vegetation.
Know the perfect time to harvest the vegetables in your garden. Each kind of vegetable should be picked at a specific point for maximum flavor. As an example, zucchini and baby peas both have the best flavor when they are harvested at a young age. However, tomatoes should be as ripe as they can be when pulled from the vine to ensure the best taste. So, be aware of the best harvest time to pick your veggies.
Consider planting strawberries, especially ones that are everbearing, for your garden if you have small children. For kids, there are few things as fun as picking fruit fresh from the garden. Your children will be much more interesting in helping out if they know they’ll get to enjoy some tasty strawberries.
Try to keep plastic bags on hand to cover shoes that are muddy. Having these available lets you keep your flow in movement, and helps you return to your horticulture fast so you can finish up your day.
Pine can be a wonderful mulch. Some plants have a naturally high acidic level, and therefore like acidic soil. If you are growing these types of plants, simply gather up fallen pine needles for use in your garden. Cover up your beds with a few inches of needles. As they start to decompose, they’ll spread out acid onto the ground and soil.
Start using these tips to grow your own organic food and help preserve the environment. You might actually notice more wildlife in and around your garden due to your natural horticulture methods.
