Horticulture is a relaxing hobby that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Whether you grow vegetables or flowers, caring for these plants will give you great satisfaction. Read this article to learn some important tips about gardening, and taking care of your growing plants.
Create useful rulers from your tool handles. Larger handled tools like rakes, hoes, and shovels make great measuring sticks. Just lay your tool down on the floor then lay a yardstick beside the handle. Mark the measurements with a permanent marker. Now, every time you work in your garden, you are going to have a powerful ruler at the touch of your fingertips.
Don’t cut your grass down by the soil when you run the mower. If you leave more height to your grass, the roots will grow deeper into the soil, making the lawn stronger and more resistant to drying out. Short grass on the other hand is more susceptible to drying out.
Knee Pads
A set of knee pads are a life saver if you’re an avid gardener and a lot of your plants sit close to the ground. Long hours tending your garden can leave your knees sore and achy. Investing in a comfortable pair of knee pads made specifically for gardening can really reduce the pain you may feel from the pressure of being on your knees for extended periods.
Start your garden by planting seed in small pots. Starting from seed is far less harsh on the environment than using plants you buy at the nursery. Many of the plastics used for gardening simply end up going in the trash and clogging land fills. An environmentally-friendly garden is started with seeds or plants grown in organic pots.
Make sure to water your garden properly. A soaker hose will save you time because you won’t have to individually water each plant, like you do with a regular nozzle, or a can that you need to constantly refill. Keep water pressure on your hose low so you don’t harm fragile plants. Let it water your garden for a few hours, so you’re available to do other stuff.
Pick your vegetables when the temperature is moderate to avoid bruising them. Do not twist the vegetable to remove it from the vine; instead, cut the stem to avoid damaging the plant.
A mixture of aspirin and water can help your ailing plants. Dissolve aspirin (1.5 pills per 2 gallons of water) in a bucket and administer to your plants. You can easily spray the plans with this concoction to help them fight of disease. Give your plants a spray of the aspirin-water mixture about one time every three weeks.
Organic Plants
One of the problems that people come up against when trying to grow organic plants indoors is a lack of natural light. The amount of light available can determine which type of organic plants you should grow. For example, if your living area does not provide much natural sunlight, you could grow those plants that only need low to medium amounts of natural light to thrive. If this is not an option, or you have your heart set on a particular type of plant, consider adding additional growing lights instead.
Gardening is a hobby that is healthy for you and a hobby that is truly rewarding. The benefits you gain from having a garden never end! You will have fresh veggies and beautiful flowers. By applying some of the advice you have learned, you can find a lot of joy from horticulture.