Throughout history, horticulture has been a great pleasure for humankind. Horticulture can simply be a pleasurable hobby, or a primary focus to feed the family. This article will help bring the delight of gardening into your life.
Many times when digging in clay soil the clay will adhere to the shovel, which will make it much harder to dig. Use a thin coat of floor or car wax on your shovel, then buff it with a nice clean cloth to make dealing with clay soil easier. The wax will enable the clay soil to simply slide off the shovel, and will also prevent the shovel from rusting.
Baking Soda
There are home solutions available to combat the powdery mildew you may find on your plants. Rather, you should mix a bit of baking soda with a small quantity of liquid soap in water. Spray this onto your plants about once per week or until it subsides. Baking soda will bring no damage to your plants, and will treat the mildew in a gentle and efficient manner.
Before you plant seeds, pre-soak them for a night somewhere dark. Place some seeds in your smaller pots and add water almost to the brim. That way, the seeds will have sufficient hydration and will have the best start possible. This gives the seeds a better chance of flourishing.
Vegetables should be planted in an area where they will get a minimum of six hours of daily sunlight. Most vegetables need at least that much sun exposure to grow properly. This holds true for some types of flowers.
Make sure that you divide your irises! Take clumps that have become overgrown and divvy them up into separate plants. When the foliage has died off, it is time to harvest the iris bulbs. If you split the bulbs that you pull up, and replant them, they will bloom the following year. Split rhizomes with a knife. Cut new pieces from the outside and discard the old center. Make sure that every cutting contains a viable offshoot. Replant your new rhizome pieces as soon as you have finished the cuttings.
The best gardens from an environmental standpoint originate from seeds, instead of plants. Once the plant is healthy enough, replant it in your garden with the appropriate type of soil. The plastics used in nurseries are rarely recycled and ends up in landfills, so it is best to start with the seeds or buy from nurseries who use organic materials in packaging their plants.
Start peas inside in a container, rather than planting the seeds outdoors. Seeds will always germinate much better when you first plant them indoors initially. It will create heartier seedlings, which means they will more easily resist the pests and diseases they will encounter in an outdoor environment. You will be able to transfer the seedlings outdoors after they become better established.
More Gardening Ideas & Resources
As previously discussed, the human race has been enjoying gardening for centuries. Centuries ago, people gardened as a way to feed their families. Today, horticulture is still done for need but also for profit and pleasure. The stuff from this article can make your gardening experience more enjoyable. Start gardening today, and you will soon be enjoying the fruits of your labor!