A garden is more than just a way to decorate. In fact, it is even more than simply a hobby for enthusiasts with green thumbs. It is a way to provide the person tending it with peace, tranquility, and an appreciation of life itself. Even better if you’re a good gardener, you can see tremendous effects.
To prevent your plants’ systems from becoming shocked, you need to gradually transition them from higher to lower temperatures. Leave them outside in sunlight for a couple of hours on the initial day. Over a week, increase the time outside slowly. After a week’s time, the plants should be fine staying outside.
Make garden tools do double duty as handy makeshift rulers. Tools that have long handles such as rakes, hoes and shovels can be used in place of a measuring stick. Lay the tools down on the floor, then place a measuring tape along the handle. A permanent marker can be used to label distances. This modified ruler will serve you well as you begin working in your garden.
Use biennials and annuals to beautify your flower beds. Fast-growing annuals and biennials can brighten up a flower bed, and allow you to change the look from season to season and year to year. They are very useful for filling in the gaps between perennials and shrubs in a sunny area. There are plenty of varieties including petunia, marigold, cosmos, sunflower, hollyhock, and rudbeckia.
If you notice powdery mildew on your plants, do not buy an expensive chemical. Mix a bit of liquid soap and some baking soda into water. Once every week, you should spray the mixture on your plants; the mildew will disappear shortly thereafter. Baking soda treats the mildew effectively and gently and it won’t damage your plants.
Bulbs will give you wonderful flowers that you can enjoy in early spring and right through the summer. Planting and growing bulbs is very simple, and once planted the bulbs will grow for years. Different bulbs bloom at various times, so choosing appropriately, you may have blooms early spring to later summer.
It is best to aerate and dry your plants daily. Moisture on plants is sure to attract disease and parasites. Fungi are parasites that are common in the plant world. You can control fungi with fungicides, but you must remember to use it before you notice any problems in order for it to work.
Start a new garden from seeds. Not only is this more of an effective method for horticulture, but it’s also more environmentally-friendly. The planters used to hold nursery plants are generally not made from eco-friendly materials, and thus get thrown into landfills. Starting from seeds, or buying from one of the few nurseries that use biodegradable planters, prevents this.
Peas have a better chance of survival when their seeds are started indoors as opposed to outside, exposed to the elements. Planting them inside helps the seeds germinate better. They will also be healthier and hardier, allowing them to better resist pests and disease. Transplant them outside when they are fully established and able to thrive.
Your garden can really benefit from evergreens featuring berries. These plants will look good year-round, even during the winter, when your other plants have lost their bloom. Plants that provide instant winter color include Holly, Winterberry, American Cranberrybush, and the American Holly.
To deter meddlesome dogs from destroying your garden, you should use heavily scented substances around the perimeter. You can even use perfume! This will work to mask any scent that is attracting dogs, and will make the garden a much less interesting place to for dogs to be.
Put used coffee grounds on the soil. Coffee grounds are rich in nitrogen, an essential nutrient for plant growth. Many times, nitrogen is a limiting nutrient in soils. Adding coffee grounds or compost can add nitrogen to your soils will help your plants grow tall and healthy.
Want to get rid of weeds naturally? Try using several newspaper layers to control weeds. Weeds need sunlight to grow. When you pile up layers of newspapers right on top of the weeds, they will suffocate and die. As an added benefit, the newspapers will decompose over time, becoming organic compost. You can cover the newspapers with mulch to make them look more attractive if you like!
Use untreated stone, brick or wood to build raised beds. Be sure to use wood that is naturally resistant to rotting and that has not been treated. Excellent choices are cedar, locust and cypress. Never use compost from treated woods in a veggie garden; the chemicals can contaminate your food. You may have previously used treated lumber; if so, you should use a plastic liner to cover it.
While organic gardening costs more and requires more effort, the produce that will come out of your garden will be healthier for you. Although chemical fertilizers and pesticides can offer impressive claims, choosing the organic route will always yield the best food in the end.
Make sure your garden has biodiversity. The wider the variation of plants growing in your garden, the more wildlife species will be attracted to your garden. If you are interested in creating an untamed, natural look for your garden, you should include many varieties of plants. If you are able to achieve this, you will have a garden that is a pleasant place to be around and relax, and also you get great satisfaction from knowing you did your part for the environment.
Use the knowledge you have gained here to resuscitate your garden today. When you see your plants and flowers alive and flourishing, you will feel a sense of happiness that you helped to make that happen. Horticulture can make your life much better than it is now, but you have to put int he effort. There’s no time like the present for getting started.
