Author Archive: Ruth Collins

Before planting any perennials, you have to make the ground ready. Slice under the grass with a spade, flip the layer you have lifted over, and spread three inches of wood chips on top. Allow a few weeks to pass by before you dig down into the applied soil.

All it takes to grow an organic garden is a few natural growing methods. You only need to learn about them and implement them.

Use several inches of organic materials for mulch in your flower beds. This will prevent weeds from growing, retain humidity, and feed your plants with the nutrients they need. It also adds a uniform and cohesive look to the garden.

Think about planting everbearing strawberries in your garden, especially if you have small children. Small kids enjoy picking fruit themselves out of a garden. Because of this, they’ll be more likely to provide you with some assistance in your garden if they feel like they’re receiving something out of this.

You should always take spacing into account when placing plants in your organic garden. You must think of how much room the plants will take up as they grow, and it easy to underestimate this. Plants don’t just need enough space for their physical size; they also need enough space for the air in your garden to circulate properly. If you put enough thought into your garden, you will enjoy more impressive results.

Organic Garden

Don’t use pesticides – kill your weeds naturally! A layer of newspaper, several pages thick, placed over the ground will do the trick. Weeds need sun for growth, just like any other plant. When you place layers of newspapers on top of them, the weeds will suffocate from the lack of light. Newspapers also break down over time, becoming part of your compost. You can cover the newspapers with mulch to make them look more attractive if you like!

A great way to ensure that your organic garden will do well is to keep a section of your land unspoiled. The natural wildlife will spring up and make for a perfect organic habitat. Most likely, you will find your organic garden producing better once your property is home to the insects, birds, and other wildlife that plants rely on for pollination and the production and dispersal of seeds.

Plant your own garlic with organic methods. Plant single garlic cloves during the spring or fall seasons in soil that is moist and well-drained. Plant each bulb at least four inches from each other. Bury them about two inches in the soil with their pointed end facing up. Cut the green garlic shoots and use them as a substitute for chives or scallions. The garlic will be matured when the green tops start drying out and turning brown. You should dry them outside in a sunny spot for a couple of days to harden the skin. Store the cloves in a cool area. They can be tied or left loose.

To keep your houseplants happy during the day, your thermostat should be set anywhere between 65 and 75 degrees. The temperature needs to remain steady and warm so the plants can grow. If you want to save money on gas bills in the winter, you can provide local heating for the plants with a heat lamp instead.

Research local botanical insecticides which can help keep any pest population down. These natural insecticides are just as effective as chemicals, sometimes even more so. Due to the way they are made, you may have to use more of a botanical insecticide.

After your seeds begin to sprout, it is not as important to keep them warm. To ensure that your plants do not suffer shock, start eliminating the use of a heat source. It is wise to take plastic covers off of the containers in order to eliminate humidity and excess heat. Keep a close watch on your seeds to know when to do this.

You need to learn how to make beds correctly prior to beginning organic garden. To begin, slice with a space under the turf. After doing this, you will need to turn it upside down, then cover it with wood chips, about three to four inches worth. After waiting a few weeks, it can be cut and planted.

Coffee Grounds

This is a very easy organic gardening tip! One of the best techniques is to plant native flowers, grasses and bushes to your landscape. Plants that are naturally suited to your environmental parameters are unlikely to require the degree of fertilization and chemical pest protection that would have to be expended on other plants. In fact, native species typically grow best when fertilized with organically produced compost.

Add coffee grounds to your garden’s soil. Coffee grounds contain many of the essential nitrogenous nutrients that plants are able to use. Nitrogen, along with phosphorous and potassium, is an important nutrient in the garden. It contributes to healthy and strong growth of the plant, but don’t overuse it.

It’s important to know the right way to buy plants for your garden. This is true especially when you purchase perennials or annuals. You need to be sure to get ones that are budded but not in bloom. This way, they’ll able to develop a strong root system within your own garden.

Just about anyone who wants to plant a garden can plant one, but only those who truly understand what it takes will be successful. Put these organic gardening tips to use.

When organic gardening, know when and how much to water your plants. The style of hose known as a soaker would be most effective for this purpose. Soaker hoses water a plant’s base directly, which helps minimize the moisture loss that comes along with evaporation. Watering is best done early in the morning.

Allow your children to actively participate in planting your organic garden. Gardens are a wonderful place for kids to learn, and working side by side with them can strengthen the bond that you have.

Lots of people grow organically due to their concerns about the harmful effects of all the different pesticides and commercial fertilizers on the environment and their health. Additionally, most organic gardening techniques cost very little money. With the tips here in this article you can quickly become an expert in organic gardening.

If you’re planning on gardening inside, the first thing you should consider is an adequate light source. If you live somewhere without strong natural sunlight, you might want to look into growing plants that thrive in lower-light environments. If you already have plants that need full light and the natural light provided is not sufficient, artificial lights can supplement their needs.

If you like the concept of organic gardening, then why not take it one step further by leaving some of your land undeveloped for the area’s wildlife? Most likely, you will find your organic garden producing better once your property is home to the insects, birds, and other wildlife that plants rely on for pollination and the production and dispersal of seeds.

When planting your organic garden, spacing is an important thing to keep in mind. As plants grow and spread out, you will not always know how much space will be required. You will also need to ensure that you allow ample space around full-grown plants for air circulation. Because of this, you should always take the time to ensure that there’s enough distance between all your seeds.

Sprouting seeds need less warmth than before. To ensure that your plants do not suffer shock, start eliminating the use of a heat source. Also take any plastic films off of your containers, so you can keep the warmth and humidity out. Observe your seeds carefully so that you can make these changes as soon as they start sprouting.

Do you prefer to eliminate weeds without the use of harmful chemicals? You will need many layers of newspapers. Like any other plant, weeds need to be exposed to the sun. When you pile up layers of newspapers right on top of the weeds, they will suffocate and die. Newspapers break down nicely over time to become part of the compost. Try adding some mulch on top of it to make appear more attractive.

Working in the garden doesn’t have to be grueling; learn to work more efficiently. Don’t waste time searching for lost tools. Prepare your equipment before you go into the garden and put everything away afterwards. If you use lots of tools, consider using a tool belt or even just some pants that have lots of pockets.

You should use wood that is untreated, brick or stone when building the raised bed. If you choose wood, it needs to be naturally rot resistant and untreated. Optimal wood choices that fit these criteria are locust, cypress, and cedar. If you use treated wood in your vegetable garden, the chemicals in the wood can make their way into the soil, and in turn, to your crops. You may have previously used treated lumber; if so, you should use a plastic liner to cover it.

Coffee Grounds

Adding mulch to your garden can make your soil healthier. The mulch acts as a protection for the soil under it. On hot days, mulch will offer protection to a plant’s root system by cooling the soil. It also keeps soil moist longer by preventing water evaporation. This also helps control the weeds.

Mix used coffee grounds into your soil. Coffee grounds will add nitrogen to your soil which will make them helpful for some of your plants. Coffee grounds as a source of nitrogen for plants are usually limited to acid-loving plants because coffee is acidic. Nitrogen is often the most important nutrient when it comes to plants thriving, and a solid source of nitrogen, like coffee grounds, urea, or compost, can boost growth speed and increase height.

Garlic can be simple to grow organically. Wait until early spring or the fall to plant cloves in a moist soil. Plant them approximately 4 inches apart at a depth of 1 or 2 inches beneath the surface of the soil with the pointed end facing upward. Cut the green garlic sprouts as they grow, you can use them like you would use scallions or chives. Harvest the garlic bulbs when the tops of the plants turn brown. Place the freshly picked bulbs in the sun, and let them dry and harden for a couple of days. Store them in a cool, dry location. You can store them as loose bulbs, or fasten them together into bunches.

Don’t let your organic gardening tasks stack up for very long. You may not have a lot of time to exclusively devote to your gardening hobby, but you can make the most of the time you do have. For example, if your family is cooking out on the grill, you could clear a few bunches of weeds between checking on the burgers.

You can create a garden for perennials easily. Cut under the turf with a spade, flip it over, and cover the whole area with several inches of wood chips. After a few weeks, you can cut into the new bed and plant your perennials.

By implementing the advice that is in this article, you can expect to have a healthy, toxic free, productive garden in the very near future. You will also see more animals in your garden, because organic gardens are more attuned to nature.

Be cautious of what you are using on your garden. Instead of using chemical fertilizers, try organic and natural fertilizers. Compost is a great example of what to use. Inorganic materials, such as those found in commercial fertilizers, are responsible for toxic chemical buildup in both soil and drinking water. This can be avoided by using eco-friendly organic methods.