Gather some ideas for planning your garden, whether it will be for home or commercial use. You can have a good idea on what you need, this way you aren’t spending money on equipment you do not need, or on seeds that will not work in your environment.
Choose perennials that won’t be taken out by slugs. Slugs and snails are voracious eaters that can destroy a plant literally overnight. These garden pests prefer perennials with thin, flat, delicate leaves, particularly if the plant is not yet mature. Some perennials, however, leave a bad taste in slugs’ mouths or are difficult to chew through because their leaves aren’t tender. Consider planting these varieties of perennials to discourage slugs and snails from eating your flowers. Euphorbia and achillea are examples of slug-proof perennials.
When winter arrives, you could save some plants by placing them inside your house. You may want to save the most beautiful or expensive ones. Always be careful when digging around the roots, and put the plant in a suitable pot.
Make sure your soil is healthy enough before you start planting anything. Soil analysis costs a little money, but the report can inform you how to enrich your soil and open the door to a lush garden. The cost of the analysis will be easily offset by the benefits of a healthy and vibrant crop.
If you discover that your soil is very alkaline, take used coffee grounds and mix them thoroughly with your soil. Basically, the grounds resupply the soil with acid. This is one of the most inexpensive ways to achieve this result. Balanced soil will produce more flavorful, crisp vegetables and greens.
Don’t you hate it how fresh mint leaves take over all of your garden, even though you love them? That’s why it’s better to place mint in containers rather than letting it have free rein in your garden. You can plant the container into the soil if you want to, but the container will restrict the roots, and make sure that the plant doesn’t run rampant in your garden.
Pest Control
Pest control can be very difficult when dealing with a vegetable garden. It’s wise to avoid harsh insecticides if you plan on consuming your fresh fruits and vegetables. Persistence and care is a much better solution for pest control, but many avoid it because it actually requires some work on their behalf. If you happen to notice them early on, you can control them just by physically removing them from your plants with your hands.
Choose plants that will provide color in autumn. Fall, though, can still be an interesting time for trees. The foliage in the fall probably exudes more color than any other season. Maple trees come in a variety of fall colors ranging from yellow to deep crimson, as do Beech trees and Dogwood. Add even more color to your garden by planting shrubs such as hydrangea, barberry or cotoneaster.
Be careful how you water your garden. To save time, use a soaker type hose so each plant doesn’t need individual watering from the nozzle of a hose or a little watering can. Keep the water running slowly so it doesn’t spray up onto the plants’ leaves. Set the soaker hose to water your all your plants over a couple hours, and then you will be free to get other things done.
Be sure to plant some strawberries for your children and grandchildren. Ever-bearing ones are especially nice. Kids are quite eager to pick fruit from a garden, and will help with the planting if they get a nice snack out of it at the end.
Before you start any gardening, make sure that you do not have any open wounds on your hands. If you do, you need to wear protection from dirt and chemicals so that they do not get into your cut. If you have an open cut while horticulture, contact with dirt or debris can infect the wound. Get a bandage that seals the cut properly.
Try to keep plastic bags on hand to cover shoes that are muddy. This allows you to maintain your flow so you can rapidly get back to your horticulture.
One of the more rewarding hobbies is organic horticulture. Not only does organic gardening provide you with quality food, but also you learn all of the plant’s cycles.
Mulch should be added to your flower bed and garden using at least 3 inches of material that is organic. The mulch retains moisture, enriches the soil, and prevents weeds from growing. Mulch also makes your garden appear neat and well cared for.
For the best results when gardening, the hole you dig for your plants should be very rustic; think jagged, rough and unappealing. If you see that the sides of the hole appear shiny, you’ve probably packed the dirt to tight, which can interfere with the roots.
Are you ready to do some research, do some work outside, and be patient? However, while you watch something grow that you planted, the satisfaction will make it worthwhile.