Brown Thumb? Use These Great Tips To Become A Gardener Extraordinaire!

Posted on August 21, 2012 in gardening

TIP! Always take the time to get the weeds out of your garden. If you have weeds in your garden, it will not be as nice as it could be.

Consider gardening as a hobby with many benefits and rewards. No matter whether you keep a garden for food or merely for decoration, the sense of accomplishment you get from taking care of plants is like nothing else. This article can lend you a helping hand, and give you important pointers about gardening and growing things.

TIP! Always check to make sure you are not watering your plants too much or too little. This is extremely important because you can cause root rot which will kill your garden, or you can dry your soil and plants from not enough water.

Be sure to buy a wheelbarrow and a kneeling stool that you can use for your garden. Spending time on the ground is rough on the knees, a portable and light stool can help make gardening easier. You will need a wheelbarrow in order to perform various gardening chores, it is a good thing to have on hand.

TIP! Get more value from your property. Landscaping provides some of the best home improvement returns.

Annuals and biennials are an excellent way to add a splash of bright color to your flower gardens. By utilizing quick-growing biennials and annuals, not only will you be brightening up your flower bed, you can also alter its look each season and each year. If there are gaps between the perennials and shrubs you have planted in a sunlit area, try filling those gaps with annuals and biennials. Some excellent choices include rudbeckia, hollyhock, sunflower, cosmos, petunia and marigold.

TIP! Having healthy soil in your garden is your number one defense against pests! If you are producing healthy plants, they will be stronger and better able to resist bugs and diseases. Use a high-quality organic soil and as few chemicals as possible.

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. Proper sunlight is a prerequisite for proper growth. It’s also the same for some types of flowers.

TIP! Use bulbs to ensure continuous flowers throughout the spring and summer. Bulbs are hearty and will continue to grow every year.

For an unusual, but effective, organic solution to weeding young plants, try “boiling” the weeds away. A pot of very hot water is one of the most effective ways you can get rid of the weeds in your garden. Pour boiling water on any weeds, but be careful not to spill it on plants you want to keep. Boiling water is not good for the weed roots and will stunt further growth.

TIP! Choose perennials that are not vulnerable to attack by slugs. Slugs and snails can decimate a plant in one night.

Soak your seeds in a dark spot during the overnight hours. You then want to place a small amount of seeds in a container that’s smaller and then fill it up with water to the top. This way, your seeds are well-hydrated and can start growing with a head start. The young plants will survive better, and get a boost toward maturity.

TIP! It may be helpful to let your plants begin their life in a pot and to transfer them to your garden when they’re seedlings. By allowing them to sprout first, you are increasing the odds of a seedling reaching maturity.

Choose one plant and make it the focal point of your garden. Your focal point will be the main center of attention for anyone who sees your garden. It is usually a type of plant that stands out from the plants surrounding it.

Knee Pads

TIP! Consider planting evergreens that produce berries in your yard. Your yard will then have bright spots of color all year round, which is especially cheerful in the winter when all of your other flora is bare or colorless.

A set of knee pads is a great investment if your garden has a lot of low-growing plants. Long hours spent in the garden will wreak havoc on your knees. Having a pair of excellent knee pads for horticulture can help cushion the knees to provide additional comfort.

TIP! Healthy gardens cannot exist without water. Just like people, plants require water for their survival.

Using pest-resistant plants or natural materials in your garden is a good way to keep pests away. Plant marigolds or onions around other vegetables to keep slugs away from them. Wood ash, when used as mulch, can help keep insects away from trees and shrubs. Using these methods eliminates your need of chemical pesticides.

TIP! Humidity might be needed by some houseplants. Create humidity anywhere when you group a number of different plants in the same pot, or put one plant in a large pot, using compost or stones to fill the gap.

Be aware of the optimum time frame for harvesting vegetables. Each type of produce has unique time frames for harvesting at the peak of flavor. Baby peas, for example have much better flavor if they are harvested early in the ripening process, as does zucchini. On the contrary, tomatoes shouldn’t be picked from the vine until they are ripe as can be. So, be aware of the best harvest time to pick your veggies.

TIP! CO2 is essential for growth. In general, higher amounts of CO2 are related to better plant growth.

A good fertilizer is important to add nutrients to your soil. Manure is a great garden additive, but it is important that you choose a manure that has been composted commercially so that there is less of a risk of pathogens. Of all the fertilizing options available, it doesn’t really matter which one you choose as long as you use something.

TIP! Any time that you are gardening in direct sunlight, dress appropriately to prevent skin damage. Wear sunglasses, wide-brimmed hats, and sunblock.

Large plants should be planted in autumn. Trees, for example, need to be planted during this time of year so that their roots can grow and develop properly. The ground still remains warm in comparison to the air’s temperature, and since the plants don’t have any leaves to grow, their resources can be focused on the root system, so that you can have a stronger foundation.

TIP! Make a landscaping plan before you dig your first hole. This will assist you in recognizing your tiny plants when they start to pop up.

As discussed at the beginning of this article, horticulture has many rewards that come with it. Whether the garden is for fresh vegetables, or just for beauty of having flowers, the benefits are clear and never ending. By incorporating some of the tips in the above article, you can take your love of horticulture to an entire new level.