A lot of people are finding out the benefits of growing an organic Garden. The aim of this article is to help the would-be organic gardener get off to a great start. Coming up are a collection of organic horticulture oriented tips, tricks and ideas to grow and harvest nontoxic, free, healthy, fresh, produce for your whole family.
Slowly acclimatize your plants to the outside environment to keep from shocking them. Place them outdoors in the sun for about an hour or two on the first day. Over the week, try gradually increasing the time they’re left outside. Finally, after about a week, you should be able to move them outside and leave them there for the summer.
The first thing you can do to ward off garden pests is to ensure you are using healthy soil in your garden. Healthier plants are greater in strength and resistance to illness and insects. To give your garden the best chance of yielding the healthiest plants, start with a high-quality soil that has fewer chemicals which over time will accumulate salts.
If you’re growing veggies in the garden, they need to be in a spot that lets them get about six hours of sun daily. Most vegetables require this amount of sun in order to grow properly and at a quicker pace. This is true of some flowers.
Deciduous shrubs and young trees need to be protected. Cold weather is very hard on these tender shrubs, and potted shrubs should be shielded and protected. Tie together the tops, and then use a sheet or blanket to cover the wigwam loosely. This will work better than wrapping your plant with plastic, because air can still circulate, which will help to prevent rotting.
Try dousing weeds in your garden with boiling water to get rid of them. One of the safest “herbicides” you can find is a pot of boiling water. Pour the boiling water directly onto the weeds, just make sure you do not damage the nearby plants. Boiling water can hurt the roots of weeds and can prevent them from growing.
Split up the irises. Divide any overgrown clumps to increase your stock. Uproot bulbous irises if the flowers have wilted. The bulbs should split up normally in the hand, and should flower when replanted for the next year. Utilize a knife if you are trying to divide rhizomes. Get rid of the center and keep the new pieces you cut from the outside. Each piece should have at least one strong offshoot. Replant your cuttings immediately for the best results.
Plant for fall color. That doesn’t have to be it though. the most colorful foliage appears in the fall. 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. Shrubs such as barberry, cotoneaster and hydrangea all have gorgeous fall foliage.
As you are now well aware, cultivating the perfect organic garden requires patience, effort and time. Start using these tips to direct your efforts in the right direction. It doesn’t matter what you are growing, these tips can help you be successful.