Whether you are green fingered or black thumbed, adding a garden to your home can add value to your property, when it comes time to resell. Not only that, the hobby of gardening can be a relaxing stress-buster when required. Below are some ideas on how to turn your back yard into a little green piece of paradise.
Run your fingernails across a bar of soap before you go out to weed or plant in your garden. The soap that collected under your nails will prevent the collection of dirt while you work. Afterward, a simple scrub with a nail brush will remove the soap and leave your hands clean, with much less effort.
Choose the varieties of plants that will produce a higher yield. Hybrids are usually hardier in terms of disease and weather resistance, and are designed to produce more.
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When planning your home garden, be sure to choose some crops that are typically costly to purchase from your local grocery store. By doing this, you can end up saving yourself a lot of money, sometimes fifty dollars or more every month, depending on the crop. Plus, you are guaranteed to have the freshest vegetables available!
If your green thumb starts to wilt during those long winter months when your garden is buried beneath a foot of snow, learn how to grow microgreens to provide yourself with fresh, healthy salads, sandwich toppings and garnishes all year round. Microgreens require very little sunlight and are easy to grow indoors. Some common microgreens include kale, dill, basil, spinach, and chard.
Make your own kneeling pad. Working on the ground can be very hard on your knees. A kneeling pad provides much needed cushioning, providing comfort as well as protecting your joints. If you do not have one on hand, simply find a piece of foam or an old pillow that is two to three inches in depth. Cover it with plastic wrap or place it in a plastic bag to protect it from dirt and moisture and enjoy comfortable cushioning while you garden.
Grow sweet basil easily. Basil is an annual herb, and very sensitive to cold, so try growing it in a pot in a sunny kitchen window. Continuous harvesting of the plant encourages growth so be sure to pick the top leaves constantly. It can be grown in the garden, but beware of lower night-time temperatures as this will cause the entire plant to wilt or even die.
Improve the health of your soil before your plant your crops and seed. Three or four weeks beforehand use organic compounds like mulch, fertilizer, and compost to increase the nutrient value and retention of your soil. It will also improve the retention of water, create a soil buffer, and more.
Be sure to test your soil before you plant your garden, if you want to be successful without the need for chemicals. A home testing kit can tell you the pH of your soil, which indicates Related Web Page of plant survival. A vegetable garden requires a pH of about 6.5; if your soil is off, you can supplement before your plants start to die.
If your flower beds have diseased or dead plants in them, it is best to remove them as soon as possible to prevent the spread of disease. It is a good idea to clean out your flower beds in the fall so that the soil will benefit from freezing over the winter by killing the pests or disease-causing organisms in the soil. Cleaning out your beds in the fall will help prevent the spread of disease to your spring flowers.
Use plants that work together. Some plants take nutrients away from the soil while others fixate those same-lost nutrients. Traditionally, vegetables are planted with a crop rotation because of the ability of certain crops to replenish the natural nitrogen in the ground. However, you may be able to take advantage of this knowledge by pairing up &companion plants&.
Be sure that you have earthworms in your soil. Earthworms are vital to good organic gardening, because they aerate the soil. Also, the by-products of earthworm digestion are actually great plant food. Earthworms encourage soil bacteria that provide needed nutrients to your plants while competing with harmful insect pests, reducing the need for chemical pesticides and fertilizers.
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.
Now, don't you feel better after reading those tips? http://www.pennprime.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B470FBEF6-80A2-47C6-9790-8B2EA30882B4%7D was a lot of information to process, but at least now you know what to do and where to begin with your organic gardening plans. Plus, you can always refer back to the above list of tips if you forget.
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