One of the best ways to improve your diet and make it healthier is to start and maintain an organic garden. Much patience and effort are required though, in order to produce a successful and flourishing organic garden. This probably has you wondering where to start your own garden.
Pick your plants with an eye to maximize the yield you can get. Traditional strains are often out-performed by hybrids that have been bred for cold tolerance or disease resistance.
Check the soil before you plant anything in your garden. An inexpensive soil report can be used to adjust soil nutrients to optimum levels, which will ensure your garden thrives. Cooperative Extension departments often offer this testing service. It is a worthwhile effort so a garden can be productive on the first year of planting.
Plant cool-weather edibles in the fall. If you’d like to change things up a bit this season, put away your standard clay pots and plant your lettuce and kale inside of a pumpkin instead! Cut an opening in the pumpkin and scoop the insides out. Then spray the edges and empty inside of the pumpkin with Wilt-Pruf so the pumpkin doesn’t rot. Once this is done, you are ready to plant!
If you are considering planting a garden take the time to plan it out. This way, when the sprouts start shooting up, you can recall where you planted each plant. You might end up losing small plants in a large area, because you did not water them.
If your garden contains lots of short plants, purchase some gardening knee pads. Spending lots of time on your knees while gardening can injure them and create lasting pain. Investing in a comfortable pair of knee pads made specifically for gardening can really reduce the pain you may feel from the pressure of being on your knees for extended periods.
Give peas a head start by sprouting them indoors. When you plant them indoors first, the seeds will germinate better. This will also make the seedlings hardier, which will help them resist diseases and pests. After the seedlings get mature enough, transplant them to your outdoor garden.
Learn the best harvesting time for each kind of vegetable you plant. Each variety of vegetable has a specific time to be harvested so that you may enjoy its fullest flavor. Many vegetables are best when picked young; baby peas are a prime example. The opposite is true of tomatoes. They taste their best if you allow them to ripen on the vine as long as possible. So, it is good to learn about the best time to harvest your vegetables.
Be sure to plant using the colors of Fall. That doesn’t have to be the case. Fall is the most colorful time of year for foliage. Fall hues of orange, yellow and red can be seen falling from maple trees, and dogwoods and beech trees offer comparable spectacles. Some vibrant shrubs include hydrangea, barberry, and cotoneaster.
Irrigate your garden efficiently. A soaker hose can save valuable time by watering all of your plants simultaneously, removing the need for hauling a watering can or hose around to each plant. Use a low water pressure to avoid damaging tender plants. Let it water your garden for a few hours, so you’re available to do other stuff.
In conclusion, creating and maintaining an organic garden requires hard work, effort and research. If you want to see success at your efforts, you have to continue working at it. Use the tips presented here, along with some ideas of your own, and you can be a thriving organic gardener in no time.