After being through 3 years of hell I am finally able to discuss this matter. It was not fun, and we still don’t agree, but we are turning lemons into lemonade.
Useful Advice For Organic Gardening
A lot of people say that gardening is a tough thing to get started on, but this is only true if you don’t know what you’re doing. The way to be successful with gardening is to educate yourself as much as you can about the subject. When you do that and start gardening you should be satisfied with the results.
Choose perennials that slugs are not attracted to. Slugs and snails can decimate a plant in one night. They often enjoy feeding on perennials with very smooth and tender leaves. Young plants are a special favorite of theirs. There are some perennials that do not appeal to slugs, such as those with leaves that are hairy and tough with a bad taste. Excellent varieties include heuchera, achillea, euphorbia, campanula, and helleborus.
If you want to grow fruit trees but have limited space on your property, consider dwarf fruit trees. Many fruit trees are available in dwarf varieties, including apple, peach and pear. These trees typically reach approximately three to eight feet. Not only do they take up less room and produce lots of delicious fruit, but their low height makes it easier to harvest the fruit.
To kill off aphids on rose plants, spray them with a powdered milk and water mixture (1/3 cup powdered milk to one quart water). When the mixture is sprayed, the aphids get caught in the liquid and eventually die. Every few weeks spray down the roses with water to rinse off the mixture and reapply it if needed.
Make sure that your deciduous shrubs are protected. Delicate shrubs that are sitting in pots should be sheltered from the cold weather. First tie together the tops; then take a sheet or blanket and loosely shroud the wigwam. This is a much better method, instead of putting the plastic wrap around the plant. It allows proper air circulation that can prevent rotting.
Invest in a good pair of gardening gloves to protect your hands while working outdoors. Whether you are working with plants with thorns or with fertilizer, gloves can protect your skin from damage from both plants and chemicals. They also do a great job at protecting your hands from dirt or sap stains and make cleanup much easier.
Do not give your garden too much fertilizer. Providing fertilizer to your plants allows them to better make food from sunlight. Too much fertilizer, however, can cause your plant to grow too fast, which prevents it from fruiting or flowering. The excess chemicals left in your soil can wash away and pollute the local ground water.
Irises should be divided. Try increasing your stock by dividing your overgrown clumps of plants. When the foliage has died off, it is time to harvest the iris bulbs. The bulbs should split up normally in the hand, and should flower when replanted for the next year. Split rhizomes with a knife. Cut the new pieces from its outside and dispose of the older center. A strong offshoot is needed on every piece that you decide to plant. The quicker you can replant your cuttings, the better chances they will reappear next season.
Deter bugs without pesticides with careful planting. Planting marigolds along the edges of your garden, or planting garlic, parsley, and basil within your garden can repel bugs without resorting to harsh chemicals. These plants give off strong scents which are unappealing to most insects. With these in your garden, pests will steer clear.
Be sure that you have earthworms in your soil. Earthworms are vital to good organic gardening, because they aerate the soil. Also, the by-products of earthworm digestion are actually great plant food. Earthworms encourage soil bacteria that provide needed nutrients to your plants while competing with harmful insect pests, reducing the need for chemical pesticides and fertilizers.
Making your own compost for organic gardening is extremely simple and easy to do. It provides soil of gardens with rich nutrients and keeps soil cool during summer months. You can use kitchen waste, sawdust, aquarium water, coffee grounds, tea leaves, rabbit or hamster droppings, a thin layer of lawn clippings, spices and eggshells in your compost.
With the information you just learned you should start feeling like you can get your home garden started. Remember that the only way you can hope to have a good amount of success is if you educate yourself on the subject then apply all that you learned to your garden, if you do that you should have a prosperous garden in no time.
