Horticulture can seem like too much to learn, but if you do a little research, it doesn’t end up seeming so hard. Now you know what you need to do, you can hopefully be more knowledgeable about horticulture, so you can get more from it.
Clay Soil
Digging in hard clay soil is made even more difficult because it sticks to the shovel. To make your digging project easier, apply a coat of automobile wax to your shovel first and then buff it lightly. The wax will enable the clay soil to simply slide off the shovel, and will also prevent the shovel from rusting.
Prior to planting anything in your garden, check your soil. Have a soil analysis completed so you can know what you need to add to have soil which will fully support your garden. There are numerous places to find this service, such as your local Cooperative Extension office. The cost is well worth it to avoid a potentially ruined crop.
Don’t mow your grass too short. If you leave a bit more height, the grass roots will get deeper, making your lawn stronger. The shorter the grass, the shallower the roots, which makes the lawn more likely to develop brown patches.
Before you start planting your garden, plan it out. This will assist you in recognizing your tiny plants when they start to pop up. This is also a great way to keep track of all your plants.
Knee Pads
Knee pads are absolute miracle accessories if you work in a garden with plenty of low-growing plants. Kneeling on the ground as you garden will eventually cause serious discomfort for your knees. A set of quality knee pads designed for gardening can be a world of relief for your central leg joints.
Be vigilant about keeping moisture off your plants. Parasites are attracted to the moisture on plants. An example of a common plant parasite is fungi. There are many effective fungicide products that will prevent fungi growth and clear up any existing problems as well.
Split up the irises. Increase your iris stocks by dividing your overgrown clumps. When the foliage has died off, it is time to harvest the iris bulbs. The bulbs often divide in your hand with no intervention on your part, and when you replant them, they will usually flower the following year. Divide rhizomes with a knife. Cut out new pieces from outside the bulb and throw away the old center. Every piece needs to have a minimum of one good offshoot. Immediately replant all your selected cuttings.
A quality garden must be grown from seeds. It’s better for the environment to begin from seed. 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.
Plant with fall season color in mind. This does not have to be so. The autumn season can be one of the best growing seasons and is certainly the most colorful. There are many variations in leaf color with different varieties of Maple, Beech and Dogwood trees that can give you lively yellows and deep crimsons. Some vibrant shrubs include hydrangea, barberry, and cotoneaster.
More Gardening Ideas & Resources
That’s not so bad, right? There is, of course, a vast amount of information out there on gardening. In many cases, all that’s needed to make some sense of the whirlwind of information is a reference point from which to get started. Hopefully, you have received that help from the tips shared in the above article.