Learn techniques that can enable you to grow a more beautiful garden for yourself, your family or your work. You can figure out everything you need, so you do not waste money on unnecessary equipment, or the wrong types of seeds for your environment.
Choose perennials that are not vulnerable to attack by slugs. It is alarming to see how quickly slugs, and their cousin snails, can annihilate a plant. Young plants with susceptible leaves are favorite meals for slugs, including those with smoother or thinner leaves. Perennials that have tough or hairy leaves are often times unappetizing to snails and slugs. Examples of these slug-proof plant varieties include achillea, euphorbia, and helleborus, to name a few.
Be sure to weed your garden. If you’re not careful, weeds can take over your beautiful garden, ruining it. To help with weed destruction, use white vinegar. White vinegar can not only kill the weeds, it’s also a non-toxic spray that won’t harm pets or people. Try spraying some white vinegar in water when you are pulling weeds from your garden.
Plant bulbs if you want spring and summer flowers. Planting and growing bulbs is very simple, and once planted the bulbs will grow for years. You can select bulbs that bloom at many different times, so with a little work, you could have flowers popping up all the way from the start of spring to the end of summer.
Grow wheat or cat grass in the area around the plants that your cat is eating. Another option is to place offensively smelling objects on the topsoil near and around the plants you want to protect. Citrus peels or mothballs are a couple of examples.
When mowing your lawn do not cut it as short as possible. Higher grass has deeper roots, meaning a healthier lawn that will be less likely to dry out. The shorter the grass, the shallower the roots, which makes the lawn more likely to develop brown patches.
Coffee Grounds
Sometimes the soil you want to use for your garden has a high alkaline content. Combine coffee grounds with the soil to reduce this. Coffee grounds contain plenty of acid to get the soil back to a good balance. This solution will make the vegetables you grow healthier and more flavorful.
For an unusual, but effective, organic solution to weeding young plants, try “boiling” the weeds away. Boiling water is a safe herbicide which won’t damage your garden or your body. Pour the boiling water directly onto the weeds, just make sure you do not damage the nearby plants. Weeds will usually stop growing if boiling water damages their roots.
Make sure air can circulate around your plants, and keep leaves moisture-free. Moisture on plants is sure to attract disease and parasites. A fungus is one of the most important and debilitating parasites for plants. Fungicide sprays can deal with fungal infestations, but they are most effective if you apply them before a fungus problem becomes noticeable.
Fertilizing is an important step in preparing your garden soil. Choose commercial compost instead of homegrown manure to keep toxins out of your plants. You have many different choices for fertilizer; choose whichever is best-suited to your plants but definitely use one.
Purchase an inexpensive gardening kneeling pad, as well as a wheelbarrow or wagon. Working on the ground for long periods of time can be painful on the knees, so a small garden stool can really allow you to work in comfort. Horticulture also usually requires that you transport heavy loads, such as dirt or mulch, and a wheelbarrow will make this much easier to do.
Research, hard work, and some dedication are the main requirements. Once you see the literal fruits of your labors, the time and effort you’ve invested will seem worthwhile.
Originally posted 2014-01-22 19:41:57.
