Organic horticulture requires a lot of patience and talent. This pastime should yield amazing and healthy foods, free of pesticides and other chemicals found in store bought produce. It might sound easy, but is it? Continue on for some helpful advice that will have you gardening like a pro.
Consider starting your plants in pots and then planting the seedlings in your garden. This boosts the chance that the plants can survive to adulthood. It also permits you to tighten the time between plantings. Your seedlings will be ready to be planted when you remove your old mature plants.
Measuring Sticks
Your tool handles can double as measuring sticks. Tools with long handles, such as shovels, hoes and rakes can be made into measuring sticks. Lay the tools down on the floor, then place a measuring tape along the handle. Paying close attention to the measurements, use a black marker to establish each interval along the handle’s side in a clearly visible manner. Now you will always possess a large ruler ready for your use in the garden.
Use annuals and biennials to brighten your flower garden. These fast growth plants make flower beds vibrant, and they let you alter the appearance seasonally and annually. Sunny areas in the middle of shrubs and perennials can be filled in nicely with these plants. Some examples include sunflowers, marigolds, petunias, hollyhocks, cosmos, and rudbeckia.
If you want to grow vegetables in you backyard, it is vital that you place them in an area where they could get roughly six hours of sun on a daily basis. Most vegetables need at least that much sun exposure to grow properly. Some flowers also need six hours of daily direct sun in order to grow and blossom well.
Don’t forget to use a good fertilizer in your garden. One type of fertilizer that really helps plants grow is manure, but be sure to utilize a type that is commercially composted to reduce the chances of pathogens. Although there are plenty of fertilizer choices, don’t be concerned with which one you use; just be sure to use one.
All of your vegetable plants should have approximately two inches, just outside the stem, of organic mulch placed around them. Mulch helps the soil surrounding the plants remain moister for a longer time. In addition, mulch will help you to prevent weeds. This can save you a lot of time and effort in pulling out the weeds.
Add some heather plants to your garden, to attract good insects. Bees are naturally attracted to heather for its nectar. Spiders, ground beetles and other useful insects are drawn to heather beds because they don’t tend to get jostled around. For this reason, you should always remember to put on your gardening gloves when tending to your heather.
If you are going for a British feel with your garden, then vary the heights of your plants. If you use a combination of plants that grow to the same height, your garden bed will be uniform and dull looking.
Protecting your knees while gardening is essential. Many people experience back pain and stiffness from bending over and working in the garden for extended amounts of time. You can get to your plants without straining your back if you kneel in your working area. Use a pad to kneel upon and protect your knees from possible pain.
When mulching your flower beds, aim for anywhere between two or three inches of mulch. By doing this, you can lock in moisture, discourage weed growth, and nourish your plants. What’s more, your garden will look professional all year.
Work efficiently in your garden. One of the biggest time wasters is not keeping track of your tools and having to look for them every time you need them. By keeping your tools in a certain area, they will always be ready whenever you are. You may also wish to invest in a tool belt to keep all of your tools within reach while horticulture.
Organic horticulture takes patience and hard work. However, the tastiness of the produce you grow will be a reward in itself. You can be a successful, effective organic gardener by using this information and working hard.
Originally posted 2013-12-19 20:26:25.
