If you work with clay soil, you have probably found using a shovel very frustrating and exhausting. Rub a thin layer of floor or car wax over the surface of the shovel, and then buff the surface using a clean cloth. This will make shoveling in clay soil easier. The wax will enable the clay soil to simply slide off the shovel, and will also prevent the shovel from rusting.
Organic gardening is something you may want to do but never go through with. The task may seem daunting and complicated to those unfamiliar with it. Read this article for some tips and tricks you can use to break this challenge down into something you can handle and even enjoy.
If you want the best results, you need to choose the right soil. You should choose your soil depending on the plants that you are going to plant. You can also make an artificial area with one variety of soil.
Use proper soil for the best results. Different types of plants require different soils, so check soil requirements for the ones you choose. You can also make an artificial plot with just one type of soil.
Always have a plan for the garden prior to the start of planting it. A thoughtful plan can remind you of previous plantings and what you will see appearing from the soil in the months of spring and summer. It’s also a good way to keep smaller plants from getting swallowed up by the rest of your garden.
It is very important to keep the weeds from taking over in your garden. Weeds can take over a healthy garden faster than you think. White vinegar can be used as a natural herbicide. White vinegar is a weed killer! By placing a white vinegar solution in a spray bottle, you can spray the weeds away instead of having to pull them out manually.
Before you start working in your garden, purchase a wheelbarrow and a good kneeling stool. Get a portable stool if you want to garden comfortably without damaging your knees. Also, gardening can involve a lot of heavy lifting and moving items, therefore a robust wheelbarrow can make that aspect much easier.
Pre-soak your seeds to keep them healthy. Soak the seeds by placing them in a container where they are covered with water. When you do this, you hydrate your seeds and they can start growing. Your seeds will then have the best chance possible to survive to maturity.
Use smarts when watering your garden. Utilize a soaker hose. This saves time as you need not water each plant one at a time with the nozzle of a hose or with a watering can. Use low water pressure for your hose so that you do not cause harm to the tender members of your garden. Give it a few hours to water the plants so you have schedule freedom to tend to other matters.
Don’t mow your grass too short. By leaving your grass a little higher off the ground, it give the roots a chance to grow deep into the soil which makes the lawn stronger, and that helps keep it from drying out. Short grass on the other hand is more susceptible to drying out.
You may find an old plastic laundry basket ideal for gathering vegetables from your garden. You can also use a laundry basket as a strainer. You can rinse your produce off while it is in the basket, and the excess water will strain through the holes of your laundry basket.
Make sure you protect any tender deciduous shrubs. Tender shrubs are very sensitive to cold weather, especially those that are planted in pots. With a sheet or blanket, you want to loosely cover the wigwam after you tie the tops of the canes together. This method is superior to covering plants in plastic, because air can freely circulate, which prevents rotting.
A rule of thumb for when you are planting seeds in containers is to make the hole depth around three times larger than the seed itself. It is important to note though, that not all seeds are covered to this depth, as some need direct sunlight to grow properly. Petunias and ageratum are two examples of seeds that require sunlight. If you aren’t sure, look online or at the package.
To help young plants, try pouring boiling water on top of nearby weeds. This is a safe way to eliminate weeds, as this will not damage the soil. Douse the weeds with this pot, just avoid the nearby plants. The water will kill the weeds by destroying the roots and if poured directly on the weeds, will prevent them from growing back.
Have you ever given any thought to using organic gardening methods to grow garlic? Wait until early spring or the fall to plant cloves in a moist soil. Plant each bulb at least four inches from each other. Bury them about two inches in the soil with their pointed end facing up. You can cut the sprouts as they grow and use them to replace scallions and chives. The garlic will be matured when the green tops start drying out and turning brown. Make sure you put the garlic in the direct sunlight for days so that the skin will harden. The garlic should be stored out of direct sunlight in a cool, dry place.
Split up your irises. Splitting up overgrown groups of irises will allow you to easily increase the number of irises in your garden. When the foliage dies it’s time to lift the bulbous irises out of the ground. The bulbs will automatically split in you hand, and will likely flower the year after being replanted. Divide up the rhizomes with a knife. Throw out the center and cut pieces on the outside that are new. There needs to be a minimum of one healthy offshoot on each of the new sprout sections. Replant your new rhizome pieces as soon as you have finished the cuttings.
Plant twice- three weeks after planting tomatoes in the organic garden, plant more seeds. This way you will not have to harvest all of your crops at once. If something ruins one batch of tomatoes, the ones you planted before or afterward may not suffer the same fate.
Create your own garden from scratch with seeds, rather than plants. When planting a garden, the best way is to initially start with seeds. Seeds eliminate the waste of plastic containers from nurseries which rarely get recycled. There are some nurseries, however, that send their plants out in organic potting materials.
For the best results when gardening, the hole you dig for your plants should be very rustic; think jagged, rough and unappealing. If you create holes that have “glazed” sides created by shovels, it’s possible that one of those holes will restrict any root from getting into the soil nearby.
The warmth of the day can make vegetables soft, making them more prone to damage as you pick them. Vegetables and fruits should always be cut from the vine, not twisted; twisting subjects a plant to needless stress.
You can create your own compost to use as a fertilizer. You can do this by creating a worm composting bin. Put some red wiggler worms in your bin along with a bit of dirt, your kitchen scraps, and some shreds of newspaper.
If you have recently sustained a cut, you should allow it to heal entirely before toiling in your garden. If you simply cannot wait to get back to gardening, you should at least cover the cut to protect it. A cut or abrasion can become infected if it is not properly protected from dirt, pesticides and other irritants. Bandage all cuts completely, using bandages that cover and seal cuts.
Keep track of your garden by creating and maintaining a planting calendar. A calendar can tell you what variety to plant every season. You will know ahead of time what plants and supplies you will need to purchase. You can write it down on paper, or use computer software to create your calendar.
If you keep these various tips in mind, horticulture should not be so daunting. Put this information to work for you in your organic garden and soon your kitchen will have an abundance of fresh, all natural and delicious produce.
Plant some trees that bear colorful fruit in the fall. Many people think of the foliage when it comes to fall, but there are quite a few trees that have colorful fall fruit. Berries come in shades of yellow to dark red, and they can last all winter long; these will add a touch of color to your garden, and provide food for birds. A few attractive examples are holly, crabapple and chokeberry.