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Have you ever tried to grow your own vegetables in a backyard garden? With the growing trend to become self-sustaining and lead a "greener" lifestyle, many people have found ways to provide their own vegetables, fruit and eggs, right from their own backyard efforts. Living off the land is not as difficult as you think, it just takes a little bit of knowledge, some space and a couple of seed packets to get started.
Selecting bulbs. Most bulbs are sold during their dormant period. Buy them as early as possible before they start to produce roots. Most spring flowering bulbs will begin to grow roots by early fall, and by planting them early, you will ensure that they have time to establish themselves. Bulbs will deteriorate if kept out of the ground too long. Don't buy any bulb that is soft or mushy, or appears to be diseased.
To save space in your garden, try planting your crops in blocks rather than in the traditional rows. Rows end up leaving too much space between plants for needless pathways. Blocks help keep plants tight together without sacrificing production. Small variety kitchen vegetables do best in blocks that are arranged in a wide bed.
Save money by drying the seeds from your annuals to plant next year. Petunias, zinnias and impatiens are just a few of the flowers from which it is easy to extract and save seeds. You will have to extract the seed pod from some flowers, and wait for it to split open. With others, such as marigolds, you will have to open the flower and extract the seeds yourself. After extracting the seeds, let them dry for at least a week. Place them in a jar with a rubber seal, and add silica gel pouches to keep them from absorbing moisture. Store them in a cool, dry location until you're ready to plant them next year.
Make sure you recycle your garden waste and organic kitchen waste to create compost for your garden. A compost heap makes an excellent soil conditioner. It can also save you a lot of money, as you won't need to buy bags of expensive commercial compost or fertilizer to make your plants grow.
Make sure you are realistic about your gardening abilities. It is easy to get excited about the possibilities that your garden holds. However, it does not make sense to purchase seeds that will not thrive in your climate. Research what type of plants you can successfully grow and stick to your list when shopping.
Pay attention to the time of year that your plants bloom before you start pruning them. If you prune your flowering shrubs and trees while they have buds on them, that plant won't flower that year. The best time to prune is just after the last season's blooms have faded.
Did you know that cute lady bugs are beneficial to plants because they kill harmful aphids? Lady beetles, also known as ladybugs, eat large numbers of aphids throughout its life. One beetle can eat 5,000 aphids! You can purchase ladybugs at a garden center, or through online resources, if you don't have any in your garden. Plants love ladybugs!
In addition to enhancing the appearance of your home with flowers and saving money by growing your own fruits, vegetables and herbs, you now have another reason to take up gardening. Studies have shown that stress and blood pressure levels are significantly reduced when people view nature and plants. Gardening is a great source of pleasure for many people and the end result is one that can help them live a longer, healthier life.
Gardening doesn't have to stop in the spring. Planting in the fall can help you have a beautifully vibrant garden once the winter snows melt away. Some plants that do well being planted in the fall include chrysanthemums, kales, and asters. Another benefit of planting in the fall is that bulbs need less fertilizer and watering, saving tree cutting cville .
Water your plants during the morning to avoid having fungal growth that generally prefers moisture and darkness. By watering your plants during the day they are best able to take advantage of the sun, and utilize the suns anti-bacterial effects. Some bacteria or fungi are light sensitive, so by watering during the day you benefit the plant by reducing the growth potential of its competitors.
Fertilize your soil with organic compost. Organic gardeners tend to fertilize their soil twice in one season: once prior to planting, and then again in the middle of a growth cycle. The best fertilizer to use is an organic compost, as it releases nutrients slowly unlike chemical fertilizers, which release nutrients in one go and then lose their effect.
Attract positive bugs to your garden. Bugs like lady-bugs actually hunt natural predators to your plants; aphids and caterpillars are just some of the nasty critters that can go through a garden and eat the leaves of the plants. Lady bugs are the natural predators to such pests and help the growth of a good healthy garden by consuming pests.
After reading these tips, you can begin to understand what it takes to become a great gardener. There is a lot of information to learn and you need to know how to apply it. With this in mind, you can refine your own strategies and goals to help you grow and maintain beautiful gardens.