It can be very hard to shovel clay soil, especially when it sticks to your shovel as you are working. Coat and buff the digging end of the shovel with automobile wax to make digging easier. The wax will help keep dirt from sticking to the shovel, and will also keep the metal from rusting.
If you want a healthy organic garden, you have many options. You just need to learn the methods and use them.
Plant slug-proof perennials. Snails and slugs can do irreparable damage to your garden in a single night. These pests normally go after plants with thin little leaves and plants that have yet to fully mature. Perennials that have tough or hairy leaves are often times unappetizing to snails and slugs. Selecting an unappetizing perennial, such as campanula or heuchera, will help stop them from being eaten.
Get a slug-proof variety of perennials. Slugs and snails can decimate a plant in one night. They’re particularly fond of perennials with smooth and thin leaves, especially if the plants are young. Some perennials, however, leave a bad taste in slugs’ mouths or are difficult to chew through because their leaves aren’t tender. Achillea, euphorbia, helleborus, heuchera and campanula are good choices that slugs don’t like.
Use biennials and annuals to add color to your flower beds. 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. In an area that is sunny, they make good plants to place in the gaps found between shrubs and perennials. Notable biennials and annuals include marigold, sunflowers, hollyhock, petunia, and cosmos.
Starting a garden which is pest-free is easy, if you have healthy soil. Healthy plants grown in robust and enriched soil have an advantage in fighting pest infestation. Starting with soil that is in good condition can yield the best plants.
Keep an eye open for stink bugs in your garden, especially during the fall months. They like beans, peppers, tomatoes and many fruits. If you do not keep them under control, the damage can be excessive, so keep an eye out for them.
Carefully read and follow the instructions that come with your chemicals and tools, especially when you’re just starting to garden. If you use your gardening chemicals wrong, you can abrade or even burn your skin. Be careful when it comes to your body, and always follow directions.
Come up with a gardening plan before planting anything. This way, when the sprouts start shooting up, you can recall where you planted each plant. Another benefit is that you won’t lose the little plants in a big garden patch.
Pest Control
If your garden requires a lot of low work, then save yourself some strain by investing in knee pads. Weeding, watering and picking through your vegetation can cause a lot of damage to your knees if left unprotected. Having a good pair of knee pads will cushion your knees in comfort.
Pest control can present a challenge for successful vegetable horticulture. Avoid spraying harsh chemicals on fruits and vegetables destined for your table. Remain vigilant to control your garden pests. Natural pest control depends on the type of soil in your garden and the variety of plants growing there.
Try to ensure your plants are dry and have enough air, daily! If you have excess moisture, this can attract bugs or diseases. Fungus infections are common in overly moist plants. You can control fungi with the application of fungicide sprays. However, the area should be treated before you see the onset of any problems.
Pouring the excess water from your dinner of steamed veggies on them can help. You may fertilize the soil with tea or coffee for plants that favor acidic environments, like rhododendrons and gardenias. Chamomile tea can be effective if you have problems with fungus in your garden. Simply sprinkle it on the affected plant.
Mint leaves are wonderful, but don’t you despise how quickly they can take over a garden due to rapid growth? Rein in their growth by planting the mint in a large pot or garden container instead. Plant the container in the ground, but its walls will hold those roots captive, and will prevent the plant from engulfing your garden!
While anybody can plant a few seeds, only people who’ve educated themselves can create an amazing, thriving organic garden. You need to make sure you are utilizing this advice about organic horticulture.
Divide irises. Increase your iris stocks by dividing your overgrown clumps. When foliage is dead, lift bulbous irises. The bulbs often divide in your hand with no intervention on your part, and when you replant them, they will usually flower the following year. Rhizomes, however, need to be divided by using a gardening knife. From the outside cut the new pieces and then get rid of the old center. Each piece should retain a minimum of one sturdy offshoot capable of spurting new growth. Replant your cuttings immediately for the best results.