Does your neighbor’s garden put yours to shame? You might think that your neighbor has a secret formula to a lovely garden. In reality, there’s no secret method for creating a gorgeous garden. All you need is the proper information on how to correctly care for your plants. Start learning about horticulture by taking in this article.
If you find that you have soil that has high amounts of alkaline, mix used coffee grounds throughout the soil. Coffee grounds are an inexpensive way to increase the acid level in your soil. When you use them, you will start to notice that your vegetables are tastier and more vibrant in color.
If clay pots become encrusted with salt, it can be easily removed with a mixture of alcohol and vinegar. You want to do this, because sometimes salt deposits can actually build up outside and on the clay pot over time. Use equal amounts of rubbing alcohol, water and white vinegar to spray on the pot. After spraying, scrub your pot with a kitchen brush. The salt will soon be gone. When finished, rinse the pot off thoroughly and set to dry prior to planting your next plant in it.
A vegetable garden requires some paperwork. List what you want grown and create a detailed drawing off the area and where everything will be planted. Take moisture and sunlight both into account, and consider how tall and wide each plant will be at maturity.
Separate irises. If you split up clumps of them, you will eventually have more of this flower. You can do this by simply picking up bulbous irises once the foliage has withered. If you split the bulbs that you pull up, and replant them, they will bloom the following year. Make use of a knife to split up rhizomes. Cut several new pieces out of the outside and get rid of the old center. Every piece is suppose to have at least one durable offshoot. Replant the new shoots right away.
Don’t bother with expensive chemicals if your plants start to sport powdery mildew. Mix some baking soda and a very small amount of liquid soap into water. Spray this on your plants once a week until the mildew disappears. This method is not going to cause any damages to your plants and the mildew will go away slowly.
Interested in using Mother Nature to keep pests at bay the natural way? Slugs are repelled by bordering your vegetable garden with either onions or marigolds. If you place wood ash around the base portion of a shrub seedling or tree, you will ward off insect pests. These methods remove the need for harsh chemical pesticides.
Mulching is a very efficient method. It can keep weeds from popping up while lessening how fast the water evaporates from the soil, too.
Chicken tractors are a great, natural way to fertilize your garden area without having to use harmful chemicals. This is basically a chicken coop that moves, with sheltered area and open floor. Using this tractor, chickens can eat bugs and vegetation and fertilize the area at the same time. After fertilizing one spot, the tractor is moved to another.
Slowly acclimatize your plants to the outside environment to keep from shocking them. On the first day, put them out in sunlight for about an hour or so. Over the week, try gradually increasing the time they’re left outside. If you do this correctly, the plants should be able to make their final move at the end of a week’s time.
When you decide to add vegetables into your garden space, be aware that they must be placed where they will receive direct sunlight for a minimum of six hours daily. Many vegetables need about this much sun to grow quickly. This holds true for some types of flowers.
Be an ecological friendly gardener and use rainwater for your plants. Almost any container, such as a barrel, is suitable to collect rain water. This will not only lower your water bill, it will conserve a natural resource too. Bear in mind this tip to have a chemical-free garden while saving money.
Don’t cut your grass down by the soil when you run the mower. Higher grass sends roots further down, increasing lawn strength and viability. Short grass means short roots and dead grass.
Make a landscaping plan before you dig your first hole. That way, if you see your plants beginning to bud but can’t recall what they are, you can refer back to your plan to refresh your memory. You can also prevent yourself from losing small plants within a large garden.
Many of the tips here are quite easy and don’t require you to have any special talents. You just need some basic education on gardening techniques, then you can put that education to good use. Analyze the response that your plants have to your gardening methods carefully. If you find that it’s not working for you, try something different. Be patient and your garden will eventually be envied by your neighbors.