There are many wonderful reasons to take up the art of gardening. Whether you prefer to dabble in vegetables, flowers, or herbs, the information in this selection of useful gardening tips and tricks is sure to put you on the path to a healthy, productive garden and a noticeably greener thumb.
Gardening can be a very rewarding practice. Not only can you improve the look of the outside of your home, but you can be proud of it as well. There are plenty of tools and things to use in gardening and this can be a very rewarding activity. You can improve not only your home but your neighborhood and quite possibly start saving on groceries by growing your own food!
Remember to aerate your soil. If you loosen or puncture the soil, it will increase air permeability and water penetration. Aerating can be as simple as turning the soil over with a trowel, or in the case of lawns, making small holes in the grass. This can be done with an aerating machine, a garden fork, or even by walking on the grass wearing a pair of spiked golf shoes. This brings oxygen into the roots and promotes healthy new growth.
Consider using your car to dry your home-grown herbs. Simply lay a sheet of newspaper across the backseat and spread out your herbs on it, then roll up the windows. Your herbs will dry quickly in the low-humidity heat of your car, and the interior of your car will have a fresh, herbal scent.
Avoid chemicals for pest control. Chemicals are effective but can also damage your plants. You should look for natural methods instead. For instance, you can buy jars of ladybugs and release them on your plants. Ladybugs are natural predators for a variety of smaller insects that eat flowers and other plants.
Don’t grow food no one will eat. Just because you can grow something, doesn’t mean you should. If your kids don’t like spinach now, fresh spinach from the garden isn’t going to change that and much will go to waste. Consider what you and your family like to eat and then determine your garden accordingly.
Take care of weeds right away when you see them sprout up. Weeds can grow very quickly, and they can take over your garden if they are left unattended. It is easier to keep weeds under control when the weeds are still relatively young. Large weeds have deeper roots and are more difficult to remove.
Make a do it yourself twine holder by grabbing a rolled up length of twine and putting it into a small clay pot. Pull a small portion of the twine out the drainage hole and flip the pot upside down. You will always know where your twine is instead of digging around for it in a toolbox or shed.
Keep this information in mind as you plan your next gardening project, whether it is an elaborate landscaping arrangement, fragrant herb garden for cooking, or a vegetable patch that will grow healthy and delicious crops. You need not be a master botanist to succeed in your gardening efforts, but this article is certainly a good start.