The more you get into it, the more you may realize that organic gardening can be a little on the complicated side. If you choose to follow the natural gardening route, you may need to learn about factors, such as the soil's pH balance and natural ways to fight off garden pests. It can sometimes seem a bit difficult to grow organically for a novice. Keep reading to find out how the professionals do it.
When planting perennials, seek out those that are resistant to slugs. Snails and slugs are garden nightmares, and only need a single evening to obliterate a plant. These garden vermin prefer plants with tender, herbaceous stems and leaves, particularly seedlings and young plants. Perennials that have tough or hairy leaves are often times unappetizing to snails and slugs. Some of these plants include achillea, campanula, euphorbia, hellaborus, and heuchera.
Healthy Plants
If you want to keep your garden free of pests, start with healthy soil! Healthy soil leads to healthy plants with more strength to deflect those insects and various diseases. To increase your garden's likelihood of producing strong and healthy plants, use high-quality soil containing minuscule amounts of chemicals, which will eventually collect salts.
Before you even place the first plant in your garden, you need to check the composition of your soil. Have a soil report done. It is cost effective and you can make necessary adjustments, based on the report, to your soil so it is correctly enriched to encourage plant growth. There are numerous places to find this service, such as your local Cooperative Extension office. The cost is well worth it to avoid a potentially ruined crop.
A certain amount of CO2 is necessary for plants to maximize their growth potential. Most plants will grow better with more CO2. The best way to get a lot of it is through a greenhouse. In this environment, the CO2 levels are kept high so the plants can experience optimal growing conditions.
When horticulture, be sure to look closely for stink bug infestation, especially during Autumn. This insect will gladly devour your tomatoes, beans, and peppers, as well as a variety of other fruits. If they are left in the garden, they can do great damage to your plants, so you should do whatever you can to eliminate them.
Knee Pads
If your garden requires a lot of low work, then save yourself some strain by investing in knee pads. The amount of time that you spend horticulture on your knees can make your knees hurt by the time you are done. Cushion your knees with a pair of gardening knee pads.
Do you enjoy your mint leaves, but can't stand how they dominate your garden? Rein their growth; you can do this simply by planting mint inside a larger garden container or pot. This container can be placed in the soil if you prefer the look of mint in your garden, and it will continue to contain the roots of your mint and prevent it from taking over.
When gardening, try not to use broad-spectrum pesticides. These pesticides can also kill useful insects that eat your pests. Beneficial bugs are usually several orders more sensitive to the things you spray than the pests you are trying to kill, so you might wind up dropping the good bug populace and open the door to pest population growth. This may then lead to using even more pesticides to eliminate this new problem.
The ideal temperature to set your thermostat for indoor plants is between 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit during the daylight hours. The temperature needs to remain warm so they may 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.
When planting seeds, it is wise to take your time. Start by getting the soil good and moist. You may then distribute your seeds evenly while being sure that they all have adequate space in which to grow. The depth at which you bury them should be three times their size. Some seeds you do not want to bury because they require light in order to grow.
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.