Gardening Like A Pro: Organic Gardening Tips

In order to be a good organic gardener, you need to have a lot of patience and a knack for how to take care of plants. You want to grow healthy and non-contaminated food that can be enjoyed by you and your loved ones. This seems to be easier said than done, though, right? Read the tips below to see what you need to begin growing like a pro.

Digging in clay soil with a shovel can be very difficult. The clay isn’t easy to work with and will adhere to the shovel, which only makes the problem worse. Make your shoveling job easier by lightly coating a shovel with a layer of wax, then buffing the surface. Either car wax or floor wax will work just fine. This will both make the clay fall off of the surface, and prevent the surface from rusting.

Plant perennials that slugs and snails won’t be interested in eating. Snails and slugs are garden nightmares, and only need a single evening to obliterate a plant. These pests prefer plants with thin smooth leaves. Plant some helleborus or euphorbias along with your other perennials. Others, though, are disliked by slugs and snails. Those with rough leaves or an unappetizing taste will be less desired by slugs and snails. These varieties include achillea, helleborus, heuchera, euphorbia, and campanula.

Starting a garden which is pest-free is easy, if you have healthy soil. Healthy plants grown in robust and enriched soil have an advantage in fighting pest infestation. High-quality soil that is low on chemicals is key. It’s the first thing you should think about when planning on growing your garden.

Try using annuals and biennials to add color to your flower beds, and brighten them up. These flowers grow quickly and can be planted at any time during the year. If you want to maintain a flower garden all year or you want to add new flowers to reflect the changing seasons, annuals and biennials are for you. You can fill any spaces between shrubs and perennials when they are in the sun. Some plants to get you started include petunia, marigold, sunflower, rudbekcia, and cosmos.

Pouring the excess water from your dinner of steamed veggies on them can help. Some plants, such as gardenias, azaleas and rhododendrons need acidic soil for proper growth. Increase the acidity of your soil by adding coffee grounds and unused tea bags. Spray your plants with a 9:1 mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide to eliminate fungus without harming your plants.

Beneficial Bugs

Use only pesticides designed to kill the specific type of pest in your garden, and avoid the broad-spectrum kind. These pesticides will kill every type of pest in your garden, including beneficial bugs that eat garden pests. Beneficial bugs are more sensitive to these pesticides than the bugs that are detrimental to plants, so if the good bugs are eliminated, the bad pest population may grow. As a result, gardeners often have to resort to using more toxic pesticides to get rid of garden pests.

Water your garden wisely. A soaker hose will save you time because you won’t have to individually water each plant, like you do with a regular nozzle, or a can that you need to constantly refill. Keep the water running slowly so it doesn’t spray up onto the plants’ leaves. Letting the soaker hose do the work frees you up to turn your attention elsewhere.