Gardening is a great hobby. Not only does it provide the tangible, edible benefit of delicious fresh produce right from your backyard, but it's also a fantastic way to spend some time outdoors getting exercise and relieving stress. If you'd like to start your own garden, read on for some advice.
Pass on the gardening love. Once you have a great crop of vegetables, be sure to share some with friends and family. This simple act of kindness can be a huge motivator for you and a big act of generosity to those around you! Plus, you may inspire others to start a garden of their own!
Don't grow food no one will eat. Just because you can grow something, doesn't mean you should. If your kids don't like spinach now, fresh spinach from the garden isn't going to change that and much will go to waste. Consider what you and your family like to eat and then determine your garden accordingly.
When you do gardening, make sure that you have a good pair of gardening gloves. Gardening is rough on your hands. Thorns and sharp branches can hurt your hands if they are not protected by gloves. Sometimes you cannot see what is in a bush when you stick your hand in there to prune. Wearing a pair of gardening gloves will make sure that your hands will not be injured.
Not only is gardening a great way to grow your own food, but you can also grow your own drink. You can grow apple mint to make a delicious tea or rhubarb stalk to make a tart alternative to lemonade. You should also can or freeze your berries and fruits to make them into soda, hard cider, or wines.
Get a wheelbarrow, and a stool so that you can kneel down while gardening. Spending too much time on the ground working can be charlottesville tree pruning on your knees, and a gardening stool can help alleviate this, plus make things more comfortable for you. Using a wheelbarrow or wagon to transport heavy loads of dirt will help protect you from back injuries so make sure that you have one.
Water your potted herbs! Keep potted herbs well watered, but don't over-water, which is a common mistake. Sage, thyme, rosemary and tarragon aren't that bothered by a somewhat dry environment. On the other hand, mint, chives and parsley require constant moisture. Make sure that the container has adequate drainage holes, and place a layer of gravel in the base of the pot as a drainage layer. This ensures that the water doesn't flow straight out.
You will need to rotate the plants on a regular basis when you have an indoor organic garden. Plants need to get light from all directions in order to grow properly. If they are not rotated, plants will bend toward a light source, which can actually cause them to produce less fruits and vegetables, than they would have if they had been rotated.
Make sure your seeds have enough room to grow. It is fine to have many seeds in one container before they sprout, but you will have to replant them as they grow. Use containers that are actually big enough for one plant, and avoid having more than one plant in each container.
Did you know that watering your outdoor garden plants with garlic water can help to chase away pests? Just peel the leaves off several cloves of garlic and place them in a large container like a clean gallon size plastic milk jug. Fill the container with water and let the garlic steep for a day or two before watering your plants.
Reduce the need for pesticides in your garden by planting native crops. Native plants will have a better resistance against the bugs and bacteria of your area, and will be better equipped to compete with native weeds. Native plants will attract beneficial native insects, such as ladybugs, which can naturally control pest problems without the need for chemicals.
If you have something that you want to grow in your garden that originally was in a plastic container, then you need to remove the plant carefully. To do this, try carefully removing the plant from the container while tearing any of the outside roots away if they grew against the container.
It may seem tempting to want to use chemicals on your organic garden, but these will do more harm than good, along with defeating the purpose of an "organic" garden. If you think about, all of these types of pollutants run off and contaminate whatever they touch. By keeping your soil healthy, you won't need any chemical fertilizers anyway.
You don't need a green thumb or lots of land to be a gardener. Whether you want the satisfaction of growing your own delicious vegetables in the garden, or having the prettiest roses on the block, these great hints can help you to succeed.
marryglenn Community Member 
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