Anyone can learn how to maintain an organic garden and enjoy it. Newcomers to organic horticulture, however, can easily find themselves overwhelmed. So, what exactly should a novice learn and do when they want to start growing plants? All you have to do is read the following suggestions.
Use annuals and biennials to brighten your flower garden. 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. You can use them between the gaps in shrubs and perennials where there is plenty of sun. There are plenty of varieties including petunia, marigold, cosmos, sunflower, hollyhock, and rudbeckia.
If you want to cover up your walls or fences, make sure that you specifically use climbing plants. These climbing plants will help beautify an old fence, and they are fast workers too. You may also be interested in training them over an arbor or trellis. You can also grow them among existing landscape trees and plants. Some must be tied onto a support, but a number of climbers attach to surfaces with twining stems or tendrils. Excellent varieties include honeysuckle, wisteria, jasmine, climbing roses and clematis.
Protect your tender deciduous shrubs. Cold weather is very hard on these tender shrubs, and potted shrubs should be shielded and protected. Tie the tops of the canes together; then take a sheet and cover the wigwam loosely. This method is much better than wrapping the plant in plastic, as it allows air to circulate, which can prevent rotting.
Be sure your garden is fertilized. Manure can help your plants grow quickly, but you must use only commercially created products to reduce the chance of contracting pathogens. There are a wide variety of fertilizing options available, although which type you use is not that important; just make sure to use something.
Place a few inches of organically based mulch around your vegetable plants. The mulch will add beneficial moisture to your soil. This is also efficient in preventing weeds from growing. This can prevent you from having to constantly pull weeds.
Keep your garden free from broad-spectrum pesticides. These strong pesticides are non-selective, killing beneficial insects as well as pests. Useful insects are more sensitive to these pesticides than the pests, so by killing them, you could be growing your pest population. You will need even more pesticides to deal with the problem, and it will never really go away.
Pick one plant to serve as your garden’s focal point. The best garden designers always use a focal point that draws the eye. It is usually a type of plant that stands out from the plants surrounding it.
Use care when you are watering the garden. A soaker hose is a great way to water all of the plants at once, and will save you a lot of time. Keep the water running slowly so it doesn’t spray up onto the plants’ leaves. Letting the soaker hose do the work frees you up to turn your attention elsewhere.
After reading this article, you should have a better idea of the appeal of growing an organic garden. It is quite calming and relaxing to immerse oneself in the rhythms of organic gardening. By using the tips in this article, you will soon be enjoying the fruits of your labor!
Originally posted 2014-04-09 00:09:59.
