When you actually take the time to break down gardening, it is actually an intricate and complex hobby. You will need to take closer care of your garden if you choose to grow organically, but there are many tools to help you. It can be difficult to switch to organic horticulture methods for a beginner. You can do it well by taking advantage of the advice that offered below.
Put down sod correctly. Prior to laying the sod, prepare your soil. Pull any weeds that you see, and work to break up the soil so that it is a fine tilth. Lightly, but firmly compact the soil, making sure it is flat. Afterward, you want to make sure the soil is moistened. Lay the sod in rows, and make sure the joints do not overlap. Firm the sod down to form a flat, even surface, and fill in any gaps between the sod with a little soil. According to your climate, you will likely need to water the new sod daily over a period of a couple of weeks. This will insure proper root formation and establishment.
Always make sure to mow your lawn to the appropriate length, always making sure that the cut is not too close. 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 leads to more shallow roots and will result in more brown, dried-out patches.
Coffee Grounds
If you discover that your soil is very alkaline, take used coffee grounds and mix them thoroughly with your soil. Coffee grounds are an affordable means of adding acid to the soil so that it is pH-balanced. After doing so, you will notice that your greenery and garden will be colorful and fresh.
To keep pests away, you can use plants in the garden or other natural materials. Slugs are repelled by bordering your vegetable garden with either onions or marigolds. Insects also avoid shrubs and trees that are mulched with wood ash. Using these natural methods will reduce the need for potentially harmful chemical pesticides.
Think about using evergreens in your yard that produce berries during the year. They offer terrific color during the dreariest times of the year when nothing else you have planted has any hue remaining. Some plants provide color during the winter like the Winterberry, and American Holly, the American Cranberrybush and the Common Snowberry.
Learn the ideal times for harvesting your vegetables. Different veggies have different windows of time in which they should be picked; it is during this period that the vegetable is most flavorful. For example, baby peas and zucchini taste best when they are picked young. However, tomatoes should be as ripe as they can be when pulled from the vine to ensure the best taste. So, find out the best time to harvest your vegetables.
Beautiful insects are attracted to heather when you plant it. Heather is very attractive to bees, and when bees first emerge in the spring, it is an early source of nectar. Heather doesn’t usually require a lot of tending, so spiders, ground beetles and other good bugs like to call it home. Protect yourself from being surprised by these bugs by donning horticulture gloves before disturbing your heather beds.
Now, you shouldn’t get your hopes up and believe that a few tips are going to turn you into an instant professional gardener. However, these tips are a great starting point if you do plan to grow organically. As you implement these tips and hone your skills, you’ll be a professional green-thumb-holder in no time.
