Home & Garden

Gardening is an activity that millions of people get behind every day, and it continues to provide endless entertainment, needed resources, and improve the condition of Mother Earth. There are as many secrets, tips and techniques as there are plants and seeds on the planet. Learning all of these trade-secrets would take a lifetime, but a few minutes spent reading the paragraphs below will come close. This article is composed for readers of all varying experience levels, from newbie to expert-planter. There is guaranteed to be something you will find useful along the pages below.

Before starting your garden, you need to make a structured plan and outline of the area. Focus on depicting the land you have available for the garden, the time-of-year you would prefer to plant, and the different families and species of plant-life you intend to harvest. These three factors will heavily influence one another. Thus, by sitting down and deciding upon all three at one time, you will have a much smoother ride ahead of you.

Your water source is the lifeline for your growing plants. A water hose may suffice for most occasions, but if you would like a comfortable, quality plant-bed, you need to take this concept to the next level and work an irrigation system. Depending upon your distance from the house, this may be as easy as burying a hose and placing sprinklers on the different rows of your garden. However, if your land is removed from the property of your home, you may be forced to dig a trench that connects to a nearby lake or pond. Keep this in mind also while choosing the location from your garden.

Where you eventually decide to plant your garden is one of the most important decisions you will make. The distance from a water source is crucial, but a water hose can supply the needed nourishment if it is the only option. Nearby trees made shade the area from the vital rays of sunlight that the plants require, and if it is too close to a common walkway, humans may step from the path and kill the tiny seedlings.

Quality plants first start as quality seeds and the manufacturer makes a difference. When you are first starting your garden, you will likely find a brand that you stick with over the next few years. That makes the first attempt at gardening a crucial learning experience when you should take the time to ask others for their opinions on seed, experiment with different companies, and find a strand that you prefer.

Research will always pay off in the end, even if your harvest doesn’t turn out as nicely as you hoped. As long as you learn something from the experience, from why you succeeded or failed, and can formulate an even better plan for the following year, you have made a positive step forward. Not every year is going to be a home run, but diligent research can guarantee that you understand why you missed the ball.

These are fairly straightforward tips, but there application can cover many different locations, gardeners, and species of plant. Gardening is about the art of maintaining a garden and not the individual components themselves. Apply these tips and you will be one step closer towards becoming that gardener you have always hoped for.

Avoiding Chemicals: How To Eliminate Pests From Your Garden Naturally

As a gardener, it can be easy to overreact once you realize that you have bugs in your work space. However, it is important to remember that some bugs can actually be helpful to your overall goals; for example, ladybugs eat aphids, a pest that can destroy your plants fairly quickly. Therefore, whenever possible, it is important not to use chemical pesticides in your garden. Chemicals have no way of knowing whether they are attacking a “good” bug or a “bad” bug. Everything is destroyed, and the chemicals could also adversely affect your family or your pets. There are other options available, and this article will review a few of the best ways to naturally control the pest population in your garden.

Remember that if pests can’t get at your plants, they will be unable to do them any harm. There are a few ways that you can set up barriers to help protect your plants. For example, save some of your empty paper towel rolls. Once you have accumulated a few of them, put them around your new plants. This will keep bugs away, and the rolls are safe for the environment as well; if left to their own devices, they will simply fall apart into the soil. You can also try putting pepper around your most vulnerable plants. While this tactic isn’t effective for all bugs, it will keep some away.

To make an effective “bug spray,” try combining baby shampoo with water. Your ratio should be approximately eight ounces of water per one teaspoon of soap. You can use this on just about all of your plants, but you do want to avoid things like cabbage, which may absorb the mixture and wind up tasting like soap. If you aren’t sure which plants to avoid, use the Internet as a tool; there are a number of gardening forums where you can ask questions of more experienced individuals.

Keep your eyes peeled for the harmful pests that you know you don’t want in your space. If you see one, get rid of it. Particularly if your garden isn’t very big, it won’t take you long to remove things like slugs. Keep a bucket of soapy water nearby and simply put the bug in it once you have removed it from your plants. Manual extraction is a great tactic that should not be overlooked.

Each day, do a sweep of your garden and look for anything that could provide protection for pests. For example, rocks and leaves both make great homes for these little creatures. If you get rid of them, you will discourage the bugs from ever setting down roots in your garden in the first place. While you will still probably see some, your numbers should be drastically less than they would have been.

Most gardeners aren’t excited at the thought of discovering bugs near their plants. However, it is important to remember that there are things you can do to handle an infestation that don’t involve pesticides. Take the tips in this article to heart and give them a try in your own space.

While you may be fully aware of the benefits that gardening offers to you, take a moment to consider what it could do for your child. The experience is almost magical in a sense; after putting a little seed in the ground, and tending to it for a certain period of time, something soon grows that is completely different than what went in the ground. Exposing your child early to the wonders of nature will help ensure a lifelong fascination with the outdoors. If you are interested in getting your child involved in gardening, it is important to show them how enjoyable it can be. Use the following tips to assist you as you go along.

Throughout their development, your child looks to you for cues as to how they should act. They also learn by examining how you behave in certain situations. Therefore, it is important that, in addition to your gardening tasks, you have fun in the space. Laugh, joke and comment on the neat things that you observe. By watching you, your child will understand that being outside can be fun. Don’t be afraid to let your child know that you are excited about something. Show them how to pick fruits and vegetables, wash them off and enjoy a taste of what you have made. Get silly sometimes and laugh often. If you do, your child will follow suit.

After explaining that plants are fragile, make sure your child knows that it is okay to gently touch what they see. There is a lot to experience in a garden; kids like to be hands on and touch and smell the different plants. It helps them to become engaged in what they are doing. Therefore, encourage your child to use the senses of smell and touch, but make sure you model proper behavior around plants so they know what to do. Also, let them know that it is okay to get messy. Dig in the dirt, look for bugs, and have fun while tending to the plants. While it may be difficult for you to see them covered in dirt, remember that it is easy to clean up from a day in the garden and the experience itself is worth so much more than the little bit of time you will need to invest in the cleanup.

While it is important to get your child involved in the garden as a whole, you can also give them a little plot of earth that is just for them. Allow them to decide what is planted there and how it is put into the ground. While you may think that the seeds are too close to one another, or that it doesn’t make sense to put a flower right next to a vegetable, allow your child to have control. In the end, it isn’t a big deal as long as your child is happy and feels successful. While they are sure to get excited about the entire garden space, there is something particularly special about a little piece of land that just belongs to them.

Gardening is a wonderful activity for adults and children alike. Keep the information included here in mind as you introduce your child to the magic of nature.

There is so much that goes into gardening. While it is important that you focus on the results, part of those results is taking care of the environment as well. There are many gardening practices that can harm the environment by taking shortcuts and sacrificing certain environmental elements. You don’t want to go this route, so consider the following helpful guide to environmentally friendly gardening strategies.

First of all, be sure that you’re never using any chemicals in your garden. You may be tempted to do this, but there are ways around it. Instead, take every chance you can to find other alternatives depending on your specific situation. If you do end up using chemicals, of course you need to minimize your use of them.

The use of mulch in your garden is always touted, but you need to know just how important this is. Many people use it for decorative purposes, not realizing the actual importance of the presence of mulch. First of all, the mulch helps your plants retain their moisture. Secondly, it really does make a huge difference in the way your garden looks. Third, mulch turns into compost that helps feed your garden and its soil. Mulch is so important when gardening and should be maintained regularly.

One great thing about gardening is you can make it easier by learning your area. Knowing the soil type is always important. You need to know this in order to make soil amendments and to help your garden grow. Knowing your soil type can also help you find natural remedies to help your soil. Helping the soil to a more nutrient-rich level helps the environment.

Do you want to help your environment? If yes, you should grow native plants. The environment in which you live will thrive with native plants. Not to mention, it will be easier to grow them. It is always recommended to use some native plants when planning your garden.

Sure you want a lawn, but how big of a lawn do you have? How big of a lawn do you need? Of course, the kids want to go romp around and play ball in the back yard. But do you have kids? According to your specific situation, make plans for reducing the size of your yard. Fill it with beautiful plants and wonders of nature.

Instead of using so much water and paying the bill, collect rainwater to help water your lawn. This helps you in many ways, and it also helps the environment. In addition, if you have yard waste, turn it into compost. This can help you immensely as this is a part of nature. Letting nature do its thing can work out great.

You can help both yourself and the environment by watching what gardening practices you use. Certain ones, especially the ones mentioned, can benefit the environment while making things much easier on yourself. Remember the tips and advice you’ve read as you start learning how to garden the right way.

Gardening is a very rewarding hobby that anyone can do and learn more about. You must have a plan in order to make your garden productive. This plan incorporates many different aspects of gardening. While it is not a difficult task, you do have to be prepared and devote enough time. Consider the following helpful guide to creating your own garden.

What would you like to plant in your garden? You must determine a plan for this, including the quantity of each item. You’re going to be growing from seeds, and you can’t just go out there and plant what you want to wherever you want to plant it. It is best to even sketch this out as you decide, and especially make a list. You also don’t want to grow too much too fast, as you’re just getting started. You want a good experience with your first garden. You can always increase the number of vegetables you grow the next time as you learn more.

Do you have the tools you need in order to be a successful gardener? You will need a shovel, a hoe, a watering hose or system, and other tools for a successful garden. Think about what you need for harvesting later on as well according to what vegetables you planted. Do you have mulch or compost ready? You need all the tools, and of course you’re going to need to buy the seeds as well.

When planning where your garden is going to be, you must think about sunlight. Your garden doesn’t need to get too much sunlight, but it sure does need plenty of it as well. Therefore, think about this, and think about other things you have going on that might be interrupted by your garden space. This will help you select the ideal location for your garden.

You must have the ideal watering plan in place. Your garden takes regular maintenance, and watering part of that maintenance. You must also be getting the weeds out of your garden and protecting your plants against bugs. If you have children helping you with your garden, you want to make sure you’re watching the chemicals you’re using. You can have them grow their own little garden on the side without all the chemicals. You want to watch the chemicals you use anyway since there are natural remedies as well. You don’t want to ruin the food you’re going to be putting in your mouth. It might be difficult finding the time to water and maintain your garden. Therefore, it’s a good idea to get people in your household involved. Make it a learning experience, and have fun growing what you eat.

It’s time to get started growing that garden to bring the fresh vegetables to your table. Remember the advice you’ve learned here so you can take advantage of going grocery shopping in your own backyard. It’s a great experience and opportunity, so be sure you have a solid plan as you grow your garden.

A Few Things You Should Do In Your Garden Before The Winter

Are you getting ready for the winter? You need to take the time to prepare your plants for the cold weather. Keep reading for some useful tips.

You should inspect your plants carefully at least a month before winter starts. If some of your plants do not look very healthy, you will have to keep them inside during the winter. The same is true for fragile plants. Plants such as ferns, hickory, winter green, irises, azaleas or holly bushes should survive the winter. If you live in a cold area, choose your plants carefully so you do not have to move everything inside during the winter.

Find a warm place where you can keep your plants. If you only need to keep two or three plants inside, you could turn them into house plants for a few months. If you have more plants that need to be protected, you need to prepare your garage or your shed. If you can afford to, consider building a greenhouse. Regardless of where you decide to keep your plants, make sure exposure to sun rays is optimal and do your best to maintain a constant temperature.

Once you have found the ideal spot for your plants, you should purchase pots large enough for the root systems of the plants you want to keep inside. Use a shovel to cut a large square around the root system of each plant and transpose it into a pot very carefully. Do your best not to damage the roots and choose a quality earth to fill the rest of the pot. If a plant keeps growing during the winter months, you might have to transplant it into a larger pot.

Food will be hard to find for small critters until the end of the winter. This means your plants could be at risk if you do not protect them. You should warp some wires around the trunks of your small trees or invest in tree-guards. If you live in a windy area, you should install some screens in front of your shrubberies. Do not trim your plants or use compost anymore; any new growth will not survive the first frost.

If you do not want your garden to look bare during the winter, you should plant some mahonias, some daphnes, winter jasmine or Christmas roses. Pines also stay green during the winter. Plant these flowers a couple of months before the winter so they have time to take root before the first frost. If you plan your garden carefully, it could look just as colorful as usual during the winter and change again when the spring comes. Make sure your winter plants get plenty of compost and do not water them if it is cold enough for the water to freeze.

Plan your gardening activities carefully so you have enough time to prepare your garden for the winter months. You could then spend your winter making some plans to add new plants to your garden when the spring comes.

With just a little work, you can maintain your garden during the winter. Use the tips in this article to help you do so.