If you have visions of a healthy, lush, green garden, there are things you should consider on your way to that goal. There is much fun and much work involved in horticulture. Try these hints to bring the fun out in horticulture.
Make sure to lay the sod properly. Prior to laying the sod, prepare your soil. Remove any weeds, and break the soil up into a fine tilth. Lightly, but firmly compact the soil, making sure it is flat. The soil should be adequately moistened. Stagger your sod so that each joint offsets from joints in adjacent rows. Press the sod down firmly so that the surface is flat and even. If there are gaps remaining, fill them with a bit of soil. According to your climate, you will likely need to water the new sod daily over a period of a couple of weeks. This will insure proper root formation and establishment.
You must gradually introduce your plants to changing conditions and temperatures, so you do not shock them. Try to place them in the new area for a couple of hours at a time the first day. As the week progresses, gradually increase their exposure to the outdoors. At week's end, the plants should be welcoming of their new home.
Your plants will respond better to gradual changes of environment. The first day you transfer your plants, you should only allow them to sit in direct sunlight for a few hours. Over one week, gradually build up the amount of hours you leave the plants outside. Finally, after about a week, you should be able to move them outside and leave them there for the summer.
If you have a wall or fence that you do not like, plant climbers to mask its appearance. These types of plants can climb anything, which makes them perfect for covering up a wall or fence that needs to be hidden. They can cover an arbor, or grow through trees and shrubs. Some need to be tied to a support, whereas certain climbers attach themselves to a surface with tendrils or twining stems. Excellent varieties include honeysuckle, wisteria, jasmine, climbing roses and clematis.
To grow properly, plants need adequate levels of CO2. If the level of CO2 is extremely high, your plants will grow much better. The best way to obtain a saturated level of carbon dioxide (CO2) is to use a greenhouse. If you have a greenhouse, keep CO2 levels high.
Start Planting
Make sure you remove the weeds from your garden! Weeds can take over a healthy garden faster than you think. A simple tool that is useful in removing weeds is white vinegar. Yes, white vinegar actually kills weeds! If you're annoyed with pulling up weeds manually, douse them with a white vinegar solution.
The approach of fall means you need to start planting autumn goodies. Try using a pumpkin as a natural plant pot. You can plant fall vegetables such as lettuce in an empty pumpkin shell. Clean out the pumpkin just like you would if you were making a jack o'lantern. Spray Wilt-Pruf inside the pumpkin and along its edges so that the pumpkin won't rot. Once you have completed this, start planting!
The best gardens will evolve from original seeds rather than transplanted items. When starting a new garden, the most environmentally friendly way is to start from seed. The planters used to hold nursery plants are generally not made from eco-friendly materials, and thus get thrown into landfills. Starting from seeds, or buying from one of the few nurseries that use biodegradable planters, prevents this.
With these tips, you're better equipped to grow the most beautiful garden you can imagine. In learning how to create your dream garden, you'll also be growing as a person. That's because learning how to nurture your plants will not only help you reach the goal of having a great garden, but it will help you learn to nurture yourself.
Set your mower blades higher, so you don't cut the grass too short. Higher grass sends roots further down, increasing lawn strength and viability. Short grass tends to have shallow roots, which can cause dried out, brown patches to occur.