It’s no secret that not everyone out there has a green thumb. And if you’re one of the many who don’t, you might believe that horticulture can be difficult. However, with the right information, gardening can be quite easy. Hopefully, these tips will help you to improve your gardening skills and become an expert gardener.
Choose perennials that slugs are not attracted to. Slugs and snails are voracious eaters that can destroy a plant literally overnight. These garden pests prefer perennials with thin, flat, delicate leaves, particularly if the plant is not yet mature. There are perennials that slugs do not want to eat, the ones that they hate have hairy leaves, or are unappealing to their taste. Excellent varieties include heuchera, achillea, euphorbia, campanula, and helleborus.
Plants need C02 for maximum growth. If the level of CO2 is extremely high, your plants will grow much better. Greenhouses typically provide plants with high levels of CO2. CO2 levels are usually kept high to get the best growing situation for your plants.
Knee Pads
It is a good idea to invest in a good pair of knee pads, made specifically for horticulture. They can be very helpful when working close to the ground on low-growth plants. You will spend a lot of time on your knees while horticulture, which can result in knee pain. You can be more comfortable in the garden with a good pair of gardening knee pads.
Try to ensure your plants are dry and have enough air, daily! Moisture on the surface of a plant can attract parasites, and cause disease. Fungi are parasites that are common in the plant world. You can control fungi with the application of fungicide sprays. However, the area should be treated before you see the onset of any problems.
Are fresh mint leaves something you love but cannot stand how quickly they grow all over your garden? You can slow their growth rate by planting them in a garden container or large pot instead. You can plant the container into the soil if you want to, but the container will restrict the roots, and make sure that the plant doesn’t run rampant in your garden.
Split up the irises. You can get more irises by dividing the overgrown clumps. Pick up bulbous irises after the foliage dies. The bulbs, when harvested, should easily split by hand – allowing you to replant them for even more blooms next spring. Rhizomes, however, need to be divided by using a gardening knife. Cut new pieces from the outside and discard the old center. Every piece is suppose to have at least one durable offshoot. Immediately replant all your selected cuttings.
Start your garden off right with seeds, not plants. When starting a new garden, the most environmentally friendly way is to start from seed. It’s better for your garden, in particular, because transplants have high failure rates; whereas, sprouting a seed and growing a plant in the same conditions is better. Additionally, it’s better for the environment, because the plastic pots used by most greenhouses are generally not recycled and are cluttering landfills.
There are natural materials, and you can also use other plants to help keep pests away from your garden. Forming a border around your vegetable garden with marigolds or onions are ideal for repelling slugs. Wood ash, when used like mulch, can keep away pests after it is spread around a tree base and shrub seedlings. These are proven methods without having to use harsh chemical pesticides.
Start your peas in a protected indoors environment rather than outside. When you plant them indoors first, the seeds will germinate better. Your seedlings will be stronger, and this will mean they can withstand diseases and bug attacks. Once your seedlings are sturdy, you can then move them outside.
It isn’t as nearly as horrible as you thought it would be, right? Like anything else, gardening has a lot of information that can be learned and applied. The key is to simply find a good starting point and get going. Hopefully, you have received that help from the tips shared in the above article.
Originally posted 2014-05-03 21:53:43.
