A lot of people become interested in organic gardening due to worry about long-term, poisonous effects of pesticides and commercial fertilizers on the environment and their personal health. Also, most methods of organic gardening are fairly inexpensive. This article will provide some great tips for organic horticulture.
Brighten your garden with biennials and annuals. Biennials and annuals that grow quickly can add color to a flower bed, plus they permit you to modify the way the flower bed looks each season and each year. Sunny areas in the middle of shrubs and perennials can be filled in nicely with these plants. You should get varieties such as cosmos, petunia, rudbeckia, hollyhock, sunflowers or marigold.
The first thing you should do when planning a garden is test the soil. A soil analysis report can be acquired for a nominal fee. You can then use the results of that report to determine if the soil needs to be modified before you begin planting. Cooperative Extension departments often offer this testing service. It is a worthwhile effort so a garden can be productive on the first year of planting.
When it’s autumn, you know what that means. It’s time to plant fall vegetables! This time, use a pumpkin for the container for your lettuce and kale, instead of plain clay pots. Slice a hole around the stem, and pull the pumpkin top out. Then remove the guts and use Wilt-Pruf to cover the insides and prevent rot. You can start planting now.
Pre-soak your seeds to keep them healthy. Drop your seeds into a small jar that is filled with cold water. This will hydrate your seeds and it will cause them to grow faster. Your seeds will then have the best chance possible to survive to maturity.
Plan your garden before you plant it. Doing so means you can remember where each particular plant is when you start seeing sprouts arise from the earth. In addition, some plants are so small you might forget you planted them once all your plants sprout. Planning stops these plants from getting lost in the crowd.
If you want to effectively weed out young plants, you can try “boiling” away the weeds. A boiling pot of water is one the best and safest herbicides you can find. Carefully pour boiling water right on the weeds, but be careful not to pour it on the plants you want. If you pour the water near your plants, it will kill the roots.
Try to ensure your plants are dry and have enough air, daily! Moisture on the surface of a plant can attract parasites, and cause disease. A fungus is one of the most important and debilitating parasites for plants. Proactively treat fungi through the use of fungicidal sprays and treatments.
Good green gardens begin from seeds, not plants. This is a more sustainable way to start a garden. Since plastics that are in nurseries aren’t recycled very often and therefore usually wind up in landfills, you should begin with seeds or purchase from the nurseries that use natural materials in their plants’ packaging.
If you are planning on growing peas, begin the plantings inside instead of outside. Install your plants inside and wait for the seeds to germinate. Your seedlings will be stronger, and this will mean they can withstand diseases and bug attacks. You will be able to transfer the seedlings outdoors after they become better established.
Take a look at planting berry-producing evergreens in your yard. They offer terrific color during the dreariest times of the year when nothing else you have planted has any hue remaining. The American Holly, American Cranberrybush, the Winterberry, and the Common Snowberry help provide color during the winter.
Add aspirin to your plants to help them fight sickness. You will need 2 gallons of water and one and one half aspirin mixed together for a wonderful add-on to your plants. The solution can then be used to spray the entire plant, and will offer protection naturally. Plants should be sprayed once every two to three weeks.
If you are growing plants organically indoors, you have to consider the light that they are getting. If you want indoor plants, choose specimens that can grow in relatively dark places. If you have a different type of plant, extra lighting can always help.
Use the advice here to start your own organic garden. It is an interesting hobby and one that can improve your health. Your foods will taste better and not contain the heavy chemicals of store bought produce. You can also look forward to a boost in the volume of wildlife inhabiting your nature-loving garden.