What are your personal thoughts on organic horticulture? Do you view everything you can on the subject, and try to improve upon your own garden? There are numerous resources available such as magazines, videos, books, shows, etc. So where do you begin with your own techniques? Try going through these tips to find your starting point.
The fall season has arrived and the task of emptying our container gardens is at task. However, instead of storing your clay pots in a garden shed for the winter season, why not replace the summer annuals with edible fall vegetables. Having mums in your favorite clay pot signifies fall, however, consider adding alternative edible plants like leafy lettuces such as arugula, endive, bok choy and radicchio. When it linked here is time for a quick salad, simply snip a few leaves, and you will instantly have delicious ready to eat salad.
Collecting and preserving autumn leaves is a fun gardening project, especially for the kids. Generations of kids have used the "wax paper method" to preserve fall leaves at peak color - with a little help from Mom. Just select colorful thin leaves that don't have a high water content and place them between two sheets of wax paper. Place a cloth - like an old tea towel - on top of the waxed paper "sandwich" and have Mom slowly run a hot iron (no steam) across the cloth. Peek underneath to see if the wax paper is melting and bear down hard to get a good seal. The wax paper may seem cloudy while it is warm, but it should http://nunue.com/en/portfolio/terrace-decoration/ dry clear as it cools. Enjoy your pretty display of colorful leaves!
Be sure to water your garden daily. Without daily water, your garden may quickly turn sour. If the idea of pulling out a hose daily is too much for you to stomach, consider installing some sort of sprinkler system. There is a cost, but it can save a lot of headaches and actually pay for itself via a healthy crop!
Use compost that is homemade and free. Making a habit of using leaves, pulled plants and other organic bits, will create a rich and nutritious compost for the garden that is free and organic. Additionally, if an enclosed composter is utilized, kitchen scraps and garbage can be thrown in a mix for an excellent compost that is free also.
Make sure your pot is the right size for your plant. If the pot is too small, the plant's roots may not have enough room to grow. The roots will become "root bound", stop growing, and begin to suffocate. The size of the root system can determine the size of your plant and yield.
Find out if the plants you have in your garden have special fertilizer needs. Some plants like slow-release fertilizers, while others prefer nitrogen-rich foods. Most like to be fertilized during the high point of their growing season. A little education will go a long way to improving your garden.
Improve the health of your soil before your plant your crops and seed. Three or four weeks beforehand use organic compounds like mulch, fertilizer, and compost to increase the nutrient value and retention of your soil. It will also improve the retention of water, create a soil buffer, and more.
To make the most of the water you use, be sure to water your plants first thing in the morning. Doing this makes your water less likely to evaporate, and allows foliage to dry quickly. This reduces the risk of many common diseases, and will help your plants grow to be strong and healthy.
Using mulch is helpful to plants that are located in extreme heat. The best mulch to use is wood mulch because it holds in moisture and helps drown out the weeds. Wood mulch also adds nutrients to the dirt as it decomposes. Rock is used for mulch as well, however, rock does not retain moisture as well as wood mulch.
Save your eggshells to use as a soil additive. Crushed eggshells add much needed calcium to your garden, and working the shells in also helps keep the soil aerated. A barrier made of crushed eggshells and placed in a ring around your plants can also protect them from snails and slugs. Their delicate bodies are cut and scratched by the jagged eggshells, making them avoid those sections of the garden.
Did you know that cute lady bugs are beneficial to plants because they kill harmful aphids? Lady beetles, also known as ladybugs, eat large numbers of aphids throughout its life. One beetle can eat 5,000 aphids! You can purchase ladybugs at a garden center, or through online resources, if you don't have any in your garden. Plants love ladybugs!
Use mulch in your organic garden. Mulching helps retain moisture, and helps provide nutrients to your growing plants. You should try to use at least a three inch layer of mulch in all of your beds. It will also make your garden beds look as if they were professionally finished.
When maintaining an organic garden, be sure to always wind up your hoses. Dragging and storing a hose that is not wound up can take a lot of time away from you. Try using stationary or portable hose reels to wind up your hoses and to save you some time.
For the best results, properly prepare your garden for planting. The first thing you should do before planting is moisturize the soil. You may then distribute your seeds evenly while being sure that they all have adequate space in which to grow. Bury them at a depth that is three times that of the height of the seeds. Some seeds need some light to grow, and therefore shouldn't be buried.
Do not underestimate pine as great mulch. Acidic soil is a favorite of garden plants that are high in acidity. For such plants, pine needles function both as a handy mulch and as a soil amendment to lower the pH. Cover the plots with pine needles. As the pine needles decay, they'll raise the soil's acidity.
When dealing with an aphid infestation, even those that are very heavy, you can dilute soap with water and spray your plants. Not only is this method safe for humans, plants, and even those pesky pests, it keeps them off your plants where damage can be made, ruining the beauty of your organic garden.
Growing an organic garden can be very rewarding, but it can also be a lot of work. Regardless, if you know what to do and how to grow smarter, you can get the organic garden you want. So do yourself a favor and apply the above tips to growing your organic garden.
