Horticulture is a relaxing and fun hobby for many people around the world, but doing it organically is even more rewarding. Horticulture can be overwhelming for a beginner. So, how can you best prepare yourself as a novice organic gardener? This article will give you some great ideas to begin.
When planting perennials, seek out those that are resistant to slugs. A plant can be completely demolished overnight by slugs and snails. These pests prefer plants with thin smooth leaves. Plant some helleborus or euphorbias along with your other perennials. There are some perennials that do not appeal to slugs, such as those with leaves that are hairy and tough with a bad taste. Examples of these slug-proof plant varieties include achillea, euphorbia, and helleborus, to name a few.
If you have planted vegetables within your garden, make sure that they are getting at least six hours of sunlight each day. Most vegetables need at least that much sun exposure to grow properly. This holds true for some types of flowers.
If you want a strange, yet successful, green answer to getting rid of weeds, boil them to death. This is a safe way to eliminate weeds, as this will not damage the soil. All you need to do is apply boiling water right to the weeds you want to get rid of. Be careful not to get any on the plants you want to keep. What this does it essentially kill the weeds by damaging their roots. The result is that those weeds are unlikely to regrow.
Make sure to fertilize your garden. Manure helps your plants grow. Make sure you use a product that is commercially composted so you don’t risk adding pathogens to your garden. There are a number of options for fertilizer, but the truth is that what you use is unimportant; you just have to remember to use something.
To give them a helping hand, pour the water you obtain after steaming vegetables over your plants. It is also possible to utilize coffee ground or tea to make the soil more acidic for gardenias, rhododendrons and other plants that prefer acidic soil. Chamomile tea can be an effective treatment against fungus attacking plants.
Beneficial Bugs
Use only pesticides designed to kill the specific type of pest in your garden, and avoid the broad-spectrum kind. These types of pesticides also kill the beneficial insects that eat the pests. Beneficial bugs usually have more sensitivity towards pesticides than bad ones. Therefore, if the number of beneficial bugs drops, the problem with pests can get bigger. Your problem will only get worse and you will find yourself using more pesticides.
Now that you have read this article, you know why organic gardening is such a fun activity. It is very relaxing and fun to work in a beautiful garden. Follow the advice in this article to avoid the common pitfalls associated with organic horticulture.
