If you want to be an organic gardener, you need a green thumb, but more importantly, you need a lot of patience. It is a good way to grow healthy fresh foods in an environmentally friendly, chemical-free way. Easier said than done, right? Review the tips in this article and you'll be on your way to creating a wonderful organic garden.
Properly put down your sod. Before you lay the sod, the soil has to be prepared. Get rid of weeds and tilth the soil finely. Make sure your soil is flat and compacted. Be sure the soil is thoroughly moist. You want the sod laid down in staggered rows, and the joints to be offset from each other. Firm the sod down to form a flat, even surface, and fill in any gaps between the sod with a little soil. Water the sod for two weeks and then you can safely walk on it as it will have had time to properly root.
So that you don't shock your plants, try gradually accustoming them to conditions and temperature. When starting the transition, leave the plants in the sun for just 1-2 hours. Over the week, try gradually increasing the time they're left outside. At the end of a week, they should be accustomed to the outdoors and ready to transition to outside safely.
Put sod down the right way. Make sure you prepare your soil before you lay any sod down. Remove weeds and break your soil until all the clumps are gone. Flatten your soil and make it slightly compact. The soil should always receive adequate moisture. You should lay your sod staggered, and have the joints offset. After the sod is in place, go over the surface to ensure everything is level. Use loose soil to fill in any gaps between seams. You will have to water the sod every day for 2 weeks, and then it should be firmly rooted to the ground, and able to be walked on.
When autumn has arrived, you must plant everything you want to eat before winter. If you want to find an interesting container for your lettuce or kale, try a pumpkin! Use some Wilt-Pruf to prevent your pumpkin from decomposing and then you can put your plants right inside. After that, your pumpkin planter is ready to use!
Knee Pads
Knee pads are a gardener's friend when caring for plants low to the ground. Excessive time spent kneeling often results in significant stiffness and pain. Your knees can get supported with a decent pair of horticulture knee pads.
Both cat grass and wheat grass are good for giving your errant feline pause. Try putting mothballs or citrus on your soil to wards pets away.
Try to keep your plants aerated and dry, every day. Moisture on the surfaces of your plants is an invitation to pests and illness. Fungus is a common problem when plants are allowed to remain damp. There are many effective fungicide products that will prevent fungi growth and clear up any existing problems as well.
Protect the soil around your vegetable plants with an inch or two of organic mulch. The soil will stay moist thanks to the mulch. It will also prevent weeds from sprouting. This can save you a lot of time and effort in pulling out the weeds.
The water that is leftover from the steamed vegetables is great to pour over them. You should also try using a bit of coffee grounds or tea to increase the acidity of the soil for your gardenias or your rhododendrons. If fungus is an issue, Chamomile tea sprinkled on the plant may be effective.
Prior to planting your garden, devise a plan. Use your seed packages to make fun markers that will remind you where each type of plant is growing. A good plan can also help you to place each plant in the area that is most beneficial to them.
To garden properly in an organic fashion, requires a lot of patience, a lot of elbow grease and even more know-how. However, the tastiness of the produce you grow will be a reward in itself. All it takes is a little studying and practice to become a successful organic gardener.