If you know enough about what you're doing, horticulture is not that hard. Knowing what it takes to correctly grow your plants will take you from an amateur to a master in no time. Explore this article to find some helpful tips that can take you to master status in your garden.
Utilize your garden tool handles as convenient makeshift rulers. Tools with substantial handles, like rakes, hoes and large shovels are great for taking measurements. On the floor, simply lay out the handles, then take a tape measure and run it next to them. Label the distances using a permanent marker. When you are gardening next, you'll have a ruler beside you at all times.
Starting a garden which is pest-free is easy, if you have healthy soil. Healthy soil equals healthy plants and healthy plants can fight off diseases with ease. Begin with a high-quality soil with less chemicals to avoid salt accumulation, and you give your garden an excellent chance of growing healthy plants.
Fresh mint is a wonderful addition to a herb garden, but it can quickly take over your entire yard. Keep your mint growth under control by planting them in pots and/or garden containers. The container will keep the roots from spreading throughout you garden, and prevent the mint leaves from sprouting in other areas.
Place a two inch layer of organic mulch at the base of your tall vegetable plants. Mulch will keep soil moist for longer. It will also prevent weeds from sprouting. You will save time by not pulling weeds.
Being a novice gardener, you should ensure that you follow the directions carefully for tool and chemical use. Otherwise, you are likely to have skin irritations flare up, which can be extremely painful and uncomfortable. Be careful when it comes to your body, and always follow directions.
Pest control is one of the hardest things about growing a vegetable garden. One major benefit of growing your own produce is knowing that they haven't been treated with pesticides and other harsh chemicals. One way that you can help control garden pests is to remain vigilant. When you are vigilant, you can simply remove the pests from your plants manually as soon as you notice them. Early detection is the best solution to ridding your garden of pests.
Protect yourself from sun overexposure while horticulture by wearing the proper clothing. Always apply sunscreen with an adequate SPF level. Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes. Finally, throw on a wide-brimmed hat to protect your scalp. If you cover up from the sun, you are less likely to become burned or get skin cancer.
Plant heather to attract beneficial insects. Bees love heather, and it's one of the earliest sources of nectar for the bees when they emerge during springtime. Spiders, ground beetles and other useful insects are drawn to heather beds because they don't tend to get jostled around. Because of this, you might want to invest in a good pair of gardening gloves for the times when you need to prune it.
If you want your children to enjoy your organic garden, plant some tasty strawberries. You will find that they enjoy participating in gardening if they are allowed to pluck the fresh berries and eat them straight from the earth.
You must consider how much light is available when starting your plants indoors. Ideally, these plants should be kept in a room that offers natural light from a window or glass door. You can also try using artificial lighting to help.
Do you want to get rid of weeds in a natural way? A layer of newspaper, several pages thick, placed over the ground will do the trick. Weeds need sunlight to grow. If you place sheets of newspaper over the weeds, they will die due to a lack of sunlight. Newspapers break down nicely over time to become part of the compost. Cover the newspaper with a thick layer of mulch for a more attractive look.
Any form of horticulture helps you get in tune with the environment, but organic horticulture takes this concept to the next level. When you garden organically, you see the entire process from the beginning to the end. The whole process becomes more clear, and you appreciate all the earth offers you.
Once you know about horticulture and how to do the basics, the actual process of gardening is really quite simple. After you take the time to educate yourself about all the ins and outs of what it takes to be a great gardener, you will can look forward to success in all your horticulture endeavors.