Organic horticulture presents special challenges to overcome. If you plan on doing it naturally, you probably need to know certain things, such as natural bug-fighting concoctions and the soil’s pH balance. If you are a newbie, getting into organic gardening can be daunting. Use the tips below to grow like a pro.
To prevent shocking your plants, you must gradually introduce new temperatures and other conditions to them. Put them outdoors in the sun for no more than two hours the first day. As the week progresses, gradually increase their exposure to the outdoors. At the end of a week, they should be accustomed to the outdoors and ready to transition to outside safely.
Transform the handles of your tools into convenient measuring devices. Tools that can be used for more than one task are quite handy to own. After laying the handles on the floor, run the measuring tape along beside them. A permanent marker can be used to label distances. Now when you go to work in the garden, you will have a ruler that is large at your fingertips!
Keep an eye open for stink bugs in your garden, especially during the fall months. Stinkbugs are most prevalent on tomatoes, beans and peppers. Proper measures should be taken in order to ensure minimal damage to your crops.
Plant bulbs if you want spring and summer flowers. Bulbs are generally very simple to grow and hearty, as well; they will continue to grow for years. You can select bulbs that bloom at many different times, so with a little work, you could have flowers popping up all the way from the start of spring to the end of summer.
During fall, you should plant cold weather vegetables. If you want to find an interesting container for your lettuce or kale, try a pumpkin! Hollow out the pumpkin and spray with Wilt-Pruf to prevent rot. Finished? Now you’re all set for planting!
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. If you keep your lawn too short, the roots will not go deep enough to survive in case of a heat wave.
Coffee Grounds
Balance your alkaline soil with the acid found in used coffee grounds. Used coffee grounds will add acidity, helping to optimize the soil’s pH. By amending your soils, you will help your plants grow and flourish.
Take the time to spread around five centimeters of organic mulch near your vegetable plants. The mulch will add beneficial moisture to your soil. An added benefit is that it also inhibits weed growth. This can save you a lot of time and effort in pulling out the weeds.
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.
