When you actually take the time to break down gardening, it is actually an intricate and complex hobby. If you decide to go the natural route, you may have to know about things like the pH balance of soil and natural bug-fighting concoctions. However, growing organic food can be difficult for those who have not done it before. Use the tips below to grow like a pro.
If you want to spend more quality time outdoors with your children, why not allowing them to help you with your gardening? Strawberries are a favorite of children due to their sweetness. And since they’re so easy and fun to pick, it’s also a healthy, productive, safe activity that children can assist adults with.
When growing indoor plants, the thermostat should be set between 65-75 degrees throughout the day. Plants need to be in an environment that is neither too warm nor too cool for them to grow. If you want to save money on gas bills in the winter, you can provide local heating for the plants with a heat lamp instead.
One way to ensure efficiency while gardening is to keep your tools close by. Use a large bucket, or wear rugged pants with several pockets. Keep your gloves, pruning shears, a hand spade and your other tools handy to quickly and easily do your garden maintenance.
Organize your gardening so that you can work efficiently. Wasting time finding tools is inefficient gardening. Prepare all of your tools prior to working in the garden, and then put them away neatly when finished. One way to keep your tools handy is to use a belt especially designed to hold them. An alternative is to wear a garment with multiple pockets that are big enough to hold your more commonly used tools.
Space is important to remember when planting an organic garden. It can be easy to underestimate how much space your plants will need once they begin growing. Proper spacing is important not just to accommodate the plants’ sizes but also for air circulation. Plan your garden carefully and leave enough space between the seeds.
Try not to let the chores associated to your organic garden build up. There are certain little things to help you keep up with your garden, even if you don’t have the necessary time each day to do everything. For instance, pluck weeds while you take your dog outside or before getting in your car.
In your compost, use green and dried plants in equal parts. Green plant mulches include everything from fresh grass clippings, to unwanted vegetables, to recently pulled weeds. Dried plant material consists of sawdust, shredded paper, cardboard, straw, and cut-up and dried wood material. Don’t include ashes, diseased plants, charcoal meat, or carnivorous animal waste.
Ruffle the seedlings carefully with a piece of soft cardboard or your hands twice a day. However odd this may sound, research shows that this touching encourages seedlings to grow better than they would without touching.
Treated Wood
Create raised beds with stone, brick or untreated wood. When selecting wood, make certain you pick untreated products that have a natural resistance to rot. Optimal wood choices that fit these criteria are locust, cypress, and cedar. In order to avoid toxic substances from getting into the ground and perhaps into your vegetables, avoid using treated wood to enclose or demarcate different sections of your vegetable garden. If you have some space treated wood, you can still use it, however, be sure to line it with some type of barrier like plastic sheeting.
Now, you shouldn’t get your hopes up and believe that a few tips are going to turn you into an instant professional gardener. However, these tips are a great starting point if you do plan to grow organically. As you implement these tips and hone your skills, you’ll be a professional green-thumb-holder in no time.