Most people appreciate a well-maintained garden that is full of life and color. Unfortunately, gardening can be complicated, time consuming and expensive. However, by increasing your knowledge of gardening techniques, the past time can become very enjoyable and relatively inexpensive. This article contains some essential gardening tips, advice and ideas.
A tip to prevent dirt from accumulating under your fingernails while working in the garden, use a bar of soap before starting. Rake your fingernails across a bar of soap and it will seal the undersides of your nails so that dirt will not collect beneath them. When you are finished in the garden, just use a brush to scrape the soap from beneath them and your nails will still be sparkling clean.
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.
When boiling or steaming vegetables, keep the water that the vegetables were cooked in and let it cool. Use the water to water the garden with. It is packed with all the vitamins and minerals that were in the vegetables when they were cooked and will help the plants grow as a natural plant food.
If the grass under your tree is turning brown, consider thinning out your tree. Grass needs plenty of sunshine, and chances are, your tree might be blocking out too much sunlight from the grass. If you trim back and thin out some branches your grass will get a little more sunshine.
Easily dry herbs using your car. Your car is the perfect place to dry herbs, providing a safe, dry, and warm location. Simply place some newspaper or other protection on a car seat, and arrange the herbs in a single, even layer. Make sure the windows are rolled up, and close up the car. Your herbs will be dry and ready to store. Length of time will depend on the temperature, but can be as little as an hour or two. As a bonus, your car will smell wonderful!
Always fertilize your garden. One type of fertilizer that really helps plants grow is manure, but be sure to utilize a type that is commercially composted to reduce the chances of pathogens. Choosing a specific type of fertilizer is not particularly critical; as long as you're using fertilizer, you're improving your soil.
If you are getting very small fruit or flower yields, make sure to check the pH level of the soil. If the pH level is to high or too low, it can affect the amount of nutrients that your plants can absorb. Plants need different nutrients at different stages of their lives to be healthy, successful and to bear fruit.
To keep pests out of your garden without using chemicals, try planting onions at your garden's borders. The scent of the onion will work as a natural repellent and will keep many creatures from disturbing your plants. As an added bonus, this allows you to regularly have fresh onions to use in your cooking.
Recycling wood saves money and adds a unique touch to your garden. Use scrap wood to build small garden fences or support structures for plants. Sources include broken tables, chairs, or unused trim pieces from past home improvement projects. Paint the wood to add color and interest to your garden plot.
Organic fertilizers are better for the soil than chemical fertilizers. The soil will absorb the organic fertilizer of its essential nutrients and natural substances which will foster growth in plants. This is ideal because you are not adding unwanted chemicals to the soil that might harm plants long-term. The key to successful organic gardening is building healthy soil so that plants will thrive today and for future seasons.
If you order roses and they arrive in the mail, be sure to get them in the ground as soon as possible. If you can't, be sure to keep them in a damp container and cool. They will be fine if you stick them in a bucket of water for a few days before planting. Just be sure not to let them dry out because that can kill the plant.
For basic vegetable or flower gardening it is often not necessary to buy the most expensive gardening tools and accessories. Visiting discount stores will often allow you to find basic tools at a low price. You should also be on the lookout each spring for most local supermarkets to set up an aisle or display with gardening tools you can get for a good price,too.
Use companion plants. Companion planting is the pairing of plants within your vegetable garden, such as planting cabbage with tomatoes. Companion planting helps reduce the problems with insect pests, as it attracts natural pest-controlling wildlife. Companion planting is also a better use of the space in your garden, since you basically have two plants in the same plot.
As stated in the introduction to this article, gardening can be complicated, but by applying some of the advice contained in this article, you could be on your way to designing, creating and cultivating your dream garden. Alternatively, maybe the tips above have expanded your gardening knowledge and inspired you to volunteer to help with some community gardening projects.
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