You want to have a fresh and organic garden. Congratulations on making the right decision. Below are some excellent ideas to help you begin down the road to an exceptional organic garden.
Attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden. Certain plants are highly attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds due to their nectar. Hummingbirds tend to favor any flower that is shaped like a trumpet, especially if it is pink, red or purple. Examples of these are honeysuckle, fuchsia and monarda. Butterflies like flat, daisy-like flowers, such as chrysanthemums, asters and coneflowers. Choose a sunny position, as both butterflies and hummingbirds appreciate the warmth.
Check your store bought soil for pests. If you buy from big home improvement stores, your soil may have pests such as aphids. To kill the insects and their larvae, put the soil in a metal baking pan and place it covered in a 400 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool before using.
Don’t buy plant pots. Commercial plant plots from the garden center can be very expensive, anything from $5 to $100. Any container with a few draining holes pierced into the bottom of it can serve as a plant pot, so to save a lot of money, start recycling food containers today.
To treat damping-off fungus, use chamomile tea. Brew a batch of chamomile tea, let it cool and pour a generous amount around the base of the seedlings. Use a spray bottle for the stems and foliage of the plant and you will keep damping-off fungus from destroying your garden.
To be sure a tree doesn’t become a problem with age, think of what size it will become before you plant it. The perfect place for a sapling may not be a great place for a tree several years down the road. You should be especially careful not to plant a tree too closely to your house, as the roots can cause damage.
Wear comfortable shoes and clothing when gardening. Never work in the garden in bare feet or sandals. Wear shoes that lace up and give good cushioning and arch support. If it is hot and sunny out, wear a hat to shade from the sun and clothes that will protect the skin from burning. The more comfortable you are, the more you will enjoy your garden.
To keep animals from digging up and destroying your bulbs, wrap the bulbs in a thin layer of steel wool. This won’t prevent the bulbs from growing in any way, but will scare away any animal that’s begun digging it up. You can purchase steel wool from any home improvement store.
Use scale, color and texture in your garden to improve interest. Use plants of different heights, putting small ones in front and tall ones in the back. Add a few plants that have deep maroon leaves, which look great next to greenery. Plant a tree or shrub that changes to oranges and golds in autumn, and mix small-leafed plants with larger-leafed or spiky plants, such as agave.
When gardening, protecting your knees is important. Bending over while gardening can be painful and unhealthy for your back. Due to this, most people choose to garden while on their knees, which also makes it easier to tend to plants. Get knee pads or a small mat you can use to kneel on if the ground is too hard.
Here is a tip for organic gardening! Use a rain gauge. Most plants require about an inch of water per week. To know how much you need to water, it is important to know how much water the plants received from rain. As rainfall can vary greatly within a city, don’t depend on your weather report; instead use a rain gauge to determine the amount that fell at your location.
Try growing a shade garden. Shade gardens use less water, require less light, and are generally lower maintenance than gardens in the sun. They typically have less invasive weeds than other gardens, and have a slower growing period as well. Your yard will be a more rounded environment with a garden like this.
Be careful when you are moving your plants from plastic containers to the soil. Plants often will end up with bound roots when they have spent too much time in plastic. Turn the plastic container upside-down slowly and tap gently to remove the plant. Avoid damaging the plant’s delicate root system.
If organic gardening is something that you are interested in, make sure you do your research. There are so many resources available in print and also on the internet. Find out what you need to get started in your organic gardening ventures. It can be fun and rewarding in the end.
To ensure that your tomatoes in your organic garden grow as big and healthy as they can, you should always eliminate the non-fruiting branches of the tomato plants. The reason is because these particular branches will decrease your tomato plants’ energy, which will negatively impact your plants’ growth and health.
Get rid of nematodes such as roundworm or eelworm. These pests can cause malformed plants with stunted, yellowing leaves. In the worst cases, leaves will wilt in a single day and the roots will become infected. The best option is to plant resistant varieties of apple, bean, carrot, celery, cucumber or onion. Otherwise, increase the organic matter in your soil. Compost contains predacious fungi and fatty acids that are toxic to nematodes. Remember to disinfect any tools that you have used in infected soil.
Invest in the additional time and effort to create a nourishing compost for your garden. A well-maintained compost can enhance the consistency, structure, and aeration of the soil; it can also improve the soil’s ability to draw in and retain water levels. As an added bonus, compost can also stimulate development of healthier roots.
Now you should have more information about organic gardening. Even if you already felt pretty prepared, the advice you’ve read should make you feel like an expert. The tips offered here have give you advice aimed to help your gardening efforts.
