For The Love Of Gardening: Organic Gardening Advice
When it comes to gardening there is so much information out there that it's hard to know where to get started. If you are interested in gardening, then you should already know the basics to getting started. If not then these tips should serve as a good place to start as well as a good place to expand on your gardening.
Buying a container-grown shrub. Slide the shrub out of its container to check for a well-developed root system. The roots should have healthy, white tips, and not look dry at all. Don't buy a plant if it has poorly developed roots, or if the roots are congested and coiled around the base of the pot. These kinds of roots rarely establish themselves once they are planted in the ground.
Grow seasonings and kitchen herbs in your garden. Herbs are generally very simple to grow, and can even be made to thrive in a window box or indoor pot. However, these easy plants are very expensive to buy at the store. Growing them yourself can save you significant amounts of money.
A good tip of what to plant in the garden is to plant high-value crops. Value is a subjective term, but plant the things that are most costly to buy, as long as they are suited to the climate. The whole garden does not have to be devoted to this, but if an area is earmarked for this type of crop, it can save money in the coming season when prices are sky high for certain crops.
To store your garden-fresh onions for use throughout the winter and avoid having them rot or mold, store them in pantyhose! Yes, pantyhose! Simply place the onions into the legs of pantyhose, and, to avoid letting them touch one another (which is what helps create mold and rot), place a twist tie between each onion and the next. To store, hang the pantyhose by the gusset in a cool dry place and cut off or pop a hole in the pantyhose to grab an onion when you need it.
When your summer blooms have bloomed and faded away, remember to dead-head the flowers. This means pinching off the flower heads. This will encourage new flowers to bloom longer next year, and it will also strengthen the plant. Since the flower heads have seeds, you can also save the flower heads that you have pinched off for planting at another time.
To save money, consider making your own garden fertilizer. For instance, broken eggshells make a great fertilizer for small gardens, indoor plants and container plants. Mix the eggshells throughout the soil to get the best effect. Eggshells even have the added benefit that they aerate the garden soil as well.
Use your leftover pasta water in your garden! Plants are big starch fans and thrive with water that contains higher levels of starch, like the water left over after you boil pasta or potatoes. Make sure, though, that you let the water sit until it reaches room temperature prior to watering your plants with it!
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.
When planting your bulbs, have you ever wondered what end of the bulb should be pointing upward? Even though the growing end will naturally grow towards the warmth of the sun, being planted in the right direction will make it easier on the growing shoot. If a bulb has a pointed end, the end with the point should be planted upward since it contains the stem. Long tubers and rounded corms are more difficult to figure out which end to plant upward. If they still have dried roots attached, plant that end downward.
Wind up your water hose after each time that you water your garden. Winding up your hose will keep you from tripping over it, and help you find the watering end of the hose easily any time you need it. Winding the hose on a hose reel will also help your hose last longer.
Gardening isn't that hard of a topic to get your mind around. You just have to start reading and learning about what you need to do, and then it doesn't seem so difficult. So the next time you go out and attempt to start or improve on your garden, remember the tips you just learned, and you should be pleased with your own results.
Buying a container-grown shrub. Slide the shrub out of its container to check for a well-developed root system. The roots should have healthy, white tips, and not look dry at all. Don't buy a plant if it has poorly developed roots, or if the roots are congested and coiled around the base of the pot. These kinds of roots rarely establish themselves once they are planted in the ground.
Grow seasonings and kitchen herbs in your garden. Herbs are generally very simple to grow, and can even be made to thrive in a window box or indoor pot. However, these easy plants are very expensive to buy at the store. Growing them yourself can save you significant amounts of money.
A good tip of what to plant in the garden is to plant high-value crops. Value is a subjective term, but plant the things that are most costly to buy, as long as they are suited to the climate. The whole garden does not have to be devoted to this, but if an area is earmarked for this type of crop, it can save money in the coming season when prices are sky high for certain crops.
To store your garden-fresh onions for use throughout the winter and avoid having them rot or mold, store them in pantyhose! Yes, pantyhose! Simply place the onions into the legs of pantyhose, and, to avoid letting them touch one another (which is what helps create mold and rot), place a twist tie between each onion and the next. To store, hang the pantyhose by the gusset in a cool dry place and cut off or pop a hole in the pantyhose to grab an onion when you need it.
When your summer blooms have bloomed and faded away, remember to dead-head the flowers. This means pinching off the flower heads. This will encourage new flowers to bloom longer next year, and it will also strengthen the plant. Since the flower heads have seeds, you can also save the flower heads that you have pinched off for planting at another time.
To save money, consider making your own garden fertilizer. For instance, broken eggshells make a great fertilizer for small gardens, indoor plants and container plants. Mix the eggshells throughout the soil to get the best effect. Eggshells even have the added benefit that they aerate the garden soil as well.
Use your leftover pasta water in your garden! Plants are big starch fans and thrive with water that contains higher levels of starch, like the water left over after you boil pasta or potatoes. Make sure, though, that you let the water sit until it reaches room temperature prior to watering your plants with it!
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.
When planting your bulbs, have you ever wondered what end of the bulb should be pointing upward? Even though the growing end will naturally grow towards the warmth of the sun, being planted in the right direction will make it easier on the growing shoot. If a bulb has a pointed end, the end with the point should be planted upward since it contains the stem. Long tubers and rounded corms are more difficult to figure out which end to plant upward. If they still have dried roots attached, plant that end downward.
Wind up your water hose after each time that you water your garden. Winding up your hose will keep you from tripping over it, and help you find the watering end of the hose easily any time you need it. Winding the hose on a hose reel will also help your hose last longer.
Gardening isn't that hard of a topic to get your mind around. You just have to start reading and learning about what you need to do, and then it doesn't seem so difficult. So the next time you go out and attempt to start or improve on your garden, remember the tips you just learned, and you should be pleased with your own results.
