Ideas To Grow A Garden The Organic Way
Gardening has long been a very popular hobby, and only getting more so by the day. This article contains many useful tips on gardening that will help you get the beautiful garden of your dreams. Make the most of your yard and windows, by beautifying them with easy care options!
A trick to help measure in the garden is to take one of the long handled garden tools like a shovel and mark on its handle using a tape measure. Using a permanent marker, mark out the feet and inches on its handle and when specific distance is required in planing, have a handy measuring device is close at hand.
When deciding to take up gardening, it is important to study and know your geographical area. Some vegetation simply can't survive a northern winter. Contrarily, some plants can't survive a Texas summer. As such, it is important to know where you are and what the plants that you intend on growing can handle.
A key element to having a great garden is to fence it in. In many areas the wildlife will consume the fruits and vegetables as soon as they sprout, yielding little or no harvest. A good fence will not only keep out the wildlife, but it will keep out the neighborhood children from playing ball and pets from digging.
When digging holes for your plants, don't be a neat freak. Don't dig holes that are perfect, with sides that are as smooth as can be. You are actually making it more difficult for the root system of the new plant to take hold in the soil. For best results, keep your holes a little messy.
Use fertilizers that are free for the taking. Using chemical free grass clippings or human urine for a nutrient rich and free fertilizer. Twenty parts water with one part urine is an excellent fertilizer for seedlings, or steep the grass clippings in water to make a tea for watering and fertilizing the plants. So don't spend a lot on the garden when the fertilizers can be had for free.
An excellent way to store the goodies from a homegrown garden is to freeze them in small batches. Using small sealable plastic bags and cutting small amounts of fresh vegetables every few days will help store the extras from the garden. Just bag and toss in the freezer and the packets can be added at any time to soups and pastas year round.
New gardeners should keep things simple. The tendency of new gardeners is to plant a garden that is just way too big and end up with a giant mess in the backyard. Keep it simple and small to start, and work up from there. A small garden will lead to a more positive experience and is less work for a new gardener.
To ensure success with your rose bushes you need to follow four simple steps. Water deeply twice a week, rather than shallowly more often, and avoid splashing the leaves with water to prevent disease. Make sure your roses are planted where they receive at least six hours of sun a day. Space your roses far enough apart to ensure air circulation and deter mildew. Finally, keep soil pH between 6.5 and .8.
Create a nighttime garden by adding outdoor lighting. A garden should be enjoyed at all times of the day. It is easy to illuminate your yard with lighting that operates with solar or electric. Several manufacturers make lights of all designs for outdoor use that come in a range of prices to fit all budgets.
When growing plants indoors it is important to make sure that the pots have good drainage holes. If the pots do not drain it could cause your plants to drown when you are watering them. It is possible to find pots with great drainage holes for affordable prices if you take the time to do some comparison shopping at the end of summer.
Choose carefully the plants you want to grow. Some plants are simply not made to grow indoors. If you want to grow vegetables, you can easily grow broccoli or Brussels sprouts indoors. Alyssums and zinnias are great flowers to grow indoors. You can also experiment with other kinds of plants, but keep in mind that it might not work.
A great first step to having a successful organic garden is to test the acidity of the soil in your garden. The ideal number is 6.5, if your soil is on the low end, it's too acidic and if it's on the high end it's too alkaline. Neither of those situations lends itself to a successful garden. So by purchasing a soil testing kit before planting, you will assure yourself a beautiful organic garden in the summer.
As you can see, gardening is not the onerous and difficult task it was once thought to be. Modern innovations and techniques have made it much easier to keep a vibrant, healthy patch of beauty, whether in your own home or outdoors. Try using some of these tips today in your own garden.