Home & Garden

There are different things that you have to do for your garden during all the different seasons. Gardening should be a year-round task. As you learn more about what you’re doing, you will start to get a feel for all the things you have to do in order to maintain your garden. Experience is everything, and this article is going to give you some great tips for preparing your garden during the fall season.

One thing about fall is many things can go untouched if you don’t make your plans. Leaves and other debris are falling and gathering, and you want to keep your garden nice right? Rake up the debris and fallen leaves systematically to keep your garden fresh and clean. You don’t want to let things accumulate, messing up the terrain and damaging your plants. You want to keep everything ready for the growing season.

You are also going to need to keep the soil prepared for the growing season. Over time, soil shifts and moves, and you have to make sure you are keeping the soil maintained for proper growing. One thing you must do is add mulch and also other compost and fertilizer if needed. Mulch turns into compost, and this can be great as the mulch will do its job now plus be very effective come growing season.

When you are planting, take note of the seeds that are available to you. Some of your flowers will be annuals. You can save the seeds from these and other plants, flowers, vegetables, fruits and more, and you can use them during the next growing season.

During the fall, you can also do some planting! Did you know that? Of course you can! You can plant certain bulbs and other perennials that will come back in the spring and bloom. This is perfect because gardening takes a lot of planning. You can eliminate some of the planning and work during the spring by doing what you can now. Have your plan, and plant according to it as you continue along.

Any trees that you have planted can be fertilized during this time if they are fully established. Things like this can save you so much time later on during the growing season. Fertilizing your trees during the fall is always a good idea. If you live in an area where the ground doesn’t freeze, you can also take advantage of planting trees and other shrubs as well.

Do you have climbing roses? If not, then you might want to think about getting them during the next growing season. They are very beautiful! You can prune them back during the fall if you already have them established. This is something that you can get done while you have the time now.

Just because fall has arrived and winter is around the corner doesn’t mean your gardening is done until next spring. As a matter of fact, if you wait until then, you’re going to have so much more work to do in order to get ready. Use what you have learned here, and take care of your garden during the fall.

If you want to get a start at gardening, it can be confusing, because there is so much information. Figuring out just where to get started can be intimidating itself. Get a handle on things by taking a look at this article; the tips here will help you get off and running in your own garden.

Different parts of the country have different growing seasons. For example, summer time in Texas is not a time when you should plan on plants growing. The high temperatures can run in excess of 100 degrees Fahrenheit for weeks on end, with low temperatures at night hovering between 80 and 85. This is not a hospitable time for any plant to grow; the best that you can hope for during this time of the year is to provide enough moisture to your plants so that they can make it to the autumn. However, summer time is different in other parts of the country; in the Bay Area of California, for example, it can be one of the cooler times of the year because of the breezes off the Pacific. Talk to a nursery professional to get a handle on the growing season where you live.

The summer time is a key time for sun exposure, no matter where you live. Some plants will do better with almost no sunlight, while others require direct sunlight just about all day in order to prosper. Figure out the sunlight exposure in your yard when you are planning your garden. Then, take this information with you to the nursery, so that you can discuss your potential garden with a professional. He will help you decide the best plants for your level of sun exposure.

Drainage is very important in maintaining a healthy plants. You might think that just giving a plant enough water is enough, but the irony is that, if the water does not drain relatively quickly after a heavy rain, the water can actually harm the plant. Anything sitting in water long enough will rot, and the same is true for the roots of plants. You can put in French drains for parts of your yards that remain under water when the rest of the waters have receded — this will not only help your garden, but it will also help out things like your foundation.

Every garden has its own set of pests as well. There are worms that would love to feed on your new plants, as well as different types of insects. There are rabbits who would love to come by and feast on your new lettuce and carrots. However, there are also measures you can take to fight those pests effectively. Researching the pests in your area will help you prepare for this challenge.

Every area has its own challenges with gardening. Visit your local nursery or the Internet (or both) to learn as much as you can. The more you know, the more likely you are to succeed at growing a vibrant garden.

Gardening can bring a lot of personal rewards, but it can also be considerably challenging. However, there are some ways that the best in the business have gotten the better of the challenge. Look at the seven tips in this article if you want to make your time a little bit easier.

Clean all of your clay pots out with alcohol and vinegar before you get started. This will protect your plants against pesky pests that might want to crawl inside and eat, and will keep some of the infections that can hurt your plants from taking hold of them.

Before you start working, seal your fingernails off with a bar of soap. This will keep the soil from getting under your nails as easily, which will cut down on your cleanup time at the end of your gardening session.

When you get out the string trimmer, spray some vegetable oil on the string before you start cutting. This will make your string slide more easily through the plants when you cut them, saving you some time. The harder your string has to work, the more likely it is to snap — which means that it will run out sooner, and you’ll have to stop and replace the spool more often. It will also take you longer to finish the job.

Instead of getting out your measuring tape to figure out the dimensions of your garden, use a long handled tool as a standard. Measure it once, and then remember the length. Then you can just use it instead of having to grab the tape.

Use clay pots to line out your garden twine. The holes in the bottom will help you send it along more easily than if you play it out a few inches at a time by hand. You won’t have to stop as often to restart and figure out where you are if it keeps running out through the holes.

Clay pots retain the warmth from the sun through the night. If you have young plants, you can place them in clay pots (with plenty of soil) early in the planting period. Also, if you have plants in the ground that you are worried about, you can cover them with clay pots and then put plastic sheeting over the tops of those. That will keep frost from getting to your new seedlings.

Just like it guided your string, a clay pot can also guide your hose. When you run it through, the clay pot will give you enough of a backing to pull the hose along, keeping it from getting tangled while allowing you to place the hose where you want it. You don’t want to run it through your new seedlings, as the hose can disrupt or even injure the new plants.

Gardening can be quite a challenge — but it can also deliver a lot of rewards. Use these seven tips as you get started, and you won’t undo a lot of the good you did when you started your garden.

Have you noticed those pesky weeds popping up in your flower beds? They are annoying aren’t they? This article will give you information on how to remove them and keep them from popping up as frequently.

First, let’s be honest. They aren’t going to go away forever because that is a myth. If a website or a writer tells you that they can teach you how to get rid of weeds forever, they are lying.

This is a job. You’ll have to be prepared to work. Your other option is to pay someone else to do this for you. You need to get on your hands and knees and pull them out by the roots. It is recommended to do this when the soil is damp to make things easier for you.

Pull out the unwanted plants with as much of the root as possible. The more you leave in the ground, the faster these nuisances will pop back up.

After you’ve pulled all of them out, lay down a layer of newspaper. This will keep the sunlight from reaching the roots or the seeds that are in the soil, but still allow water to flow through.

Instead of newspaper, you could also use a weed barrier product. These are specially designed fabrics that work the same way that the newspaper layer would work. They cost a bit more, and you can’t use them for entertainment news. They work very well, but newspapers do work just fine.

On top of the layer of newspaper, lay a heavy layer of mulch. Remember that you get what you pay for. Cheaper mulch may not give you the most for your money. Buy at least a mid-grade mulch in order to get the best coverage.

Make a “mound” around any existing plants, and make sure that you have no less than two inches of mulch in the low spots.

You’re going to have to add more mulch about once per week. If you don’t, you’ll be back on your hands and knees, pulling weeds again. Take the pros word for it, do not skip this step.

Mulch comes in multiple colors and can create an excellent background for your colorful flowers and green plantings. It can be easily replaced, and you can experiment with different colors. You could even make designs with your mulch by alternating types to create geometric shapes.

Mulch also helps conserve water by insulating the soil in your flower beds. With the right type and amount of mulch, you can water less frequently in the summer. Mulch will also help hold heat in the roots of your plants during the winter, helping to insulate your delicate flowers.

Don’t forget that you need to replace it frequently, this is not a once and done application. You’ll need to add new mulch as often as once per week. Depending on your climate, how many birds seem to visit your yard and the amount of wind in your area, you may be able to stretch it out to once every two weeks.

Good luck, and happy gardening!