Some homeowners put a great deal of care and detail into their yards. From ponds and stone walkways to rose beds and gazebos, people take landscaping seriously. Something that may look good in your yard this year is an organic garden. If you're not sure about how to garden organically, here are some tips.
Use mulch to add nutrients to your soil. Mulch is a much better way to amend your soil than fertilizers because it comes from natural ingredients in your garden. Commercial fertilizers may contain undesirable chemicals. In addition, mulch is free. All you need to do is compost your clippings and yard waste in a compost bin. Before long, you will have enough mulch for your entire garden.
For garden plants that crave and need a lot of water, use five gallon buckets to keep those thirsty fruits and vegetables happy. Simply drill or punch several 1/8" to 1/4" holes into the bottom of a five gallon bucket, fill with water and set near the parched plant. Gravity allows for a slow and steady watering of those plants and if you live in an area where you get frequent rain, you will be capturing plenty of rain water to keep those buckets fairly full all season long.
Slide your fingernails against a bar of soap to prevent dirt from getting under your nails. The dirt doesn't necessarily hurt you, but you will save time and effort when cleaning your hands later. Instead of having to dig underneath your nails, you can just use a nailbrush to quickly remove the soap residue.
To treat damping-off fungus, use chamomile tea. Brew a batch of chamomile tea, let it cool and pour a generous amount around the base of the seedlings. Use a spray bottle for the stems and foliage of the plant and you will keep damping-off fungus from destroying your garden.
Get your kids and grand kids involved with gardening by letting them help you in the garden, and by taking them to nurseries and arboretums. Children generally love being outdoors and will soak up any knowledge you are willing to share about sunlight, water, and soil quality. Gardening is a great way for children to learn about nature and for them to bond with you.
To make sure your garden looks great from season to season, plan ahead. Make sure your garden includes both annuals, biennials, and perennials so that you can always count on something blooming. Before you plant any flower, think about what you want for your garden in the next year or two.
Utilize proper tools and keep them in tip-top shape to lessen the stress on your body when you're gardening. Spades and hoes should be periodically sharpened to keep them working at their best. If you have the space, choose tools such as long handled spades that allow you to stand while working. The better you feel after gardening, the more often you'll enjoy getting your hands dirty!
New gardeners should keep things simple. The tendency of new gardeners is to plant a garden that is just way too big and end up with a giant mess in the backyard. Keep it simple and small to start, and work up from there. A small garden will lead to a more positive experience and is less work for a new gardener.
If you find yourself in love with mint leaves, but not with how they dominate a garden, read on. Instead of planting mint in your garden, keep it in a large container or pot to prevent it from spreading. By using a separate containment unit, you are limiting the plant's ability to spread its roots and subsequently grow like wildfire. You can even plant the entire pot so that it still looks just like another plant in your garden.
Clean up your garden at the end of the growing season. If you clean up your garden when the growing season is over, it will improve the appearance and make less work for you the following year. Remove dead or damaged branches on trees and shrubs, get rid of weeds before they go to seed, and rake any leaves from the lawn. Remove old annual plants and cut perennials to the ground if they normally die back in the winter. Any plant material that isn't diseased can be put in the compost pile.
Coffee grounds and leftover coffee can be used to repel slugs. If you have an issue with slugs in your garden, you can repel them effectively with coffee. You can sprinkle coffee grounds on the soil around your plants or use leftover coffee in a spray bottle to spray the slugs directly.
To keep air flowing through your compost pile, stand a large PVC pipe with punched holes in the center of your pile so the air flows up and down the pipe, and then through the holes directly into the pile. The air movement helps your soil decomposers create the heat needed to jumpstart the decay process.
Your plants need to be fed properly as soon as they start sprouting leaves. If you did not use compost in your soil, you have to fertilize your plants. You can mix water with a liquid fish or sea weed solution and spray it on your plants, or add this mix to the water in which your trays and pots are bathing.
Use a nicely finished compost pile as fertilizer for your garden. Organic means that you don't use artificial fertilizers or herbicides to grow your plants, yet sometimes the soil isn't necessarily full of the proper nutrients for growth. Utilizing a compost pile can provide you with a rich, dark earthy soil that can provide your plants with plenty of nutrients.
An organic garden might not have the appeal of a pond with those orange-colored koi, but you will certainly get a lot more out of your garden "literally" than you'll get out of ornamental fish or some fancy stone tiles in the yard. Take advantage of organics by learning how to garden from the article above.
Orignal From: Excellent Tips For Growing An Organic Garden
No comments:
Post a Comment