#CPDPPPartner PSA: This pest is putting all of the world’s citrus at risk! The Asian citrus psyllid is known to spread a fatal citrus disease called Huanglongbing, HLB or “citrus greening disease”, and as of 2021 it was responsible for a 78% loss of Florida’s citrus crop. What’s worse is the pest has already been sighted throughout California, and the disease it spreads, HLB, has NO CURE. It’s crucial to know what steps to take to prevent the spread of HLB, so I partnered with California’s Citrus Pest and Disease Prevention Program to share some key tips and to steer you in the right direction to learn more about what you can do:
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Everything You Should Know About Gardening
If you wanted to put your shovel in the ground and start gardening today, would you really know what to do? There is actually a lot more that goes in to organic gardening than simply planting a seed and watching it grow. To gather the knowledge necessary to grow your produce, here are some helpful tips and tactics.
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.
You need to be realistic about what your garden can and can’t produce. No matter how tempting a particular vegetable may be, if it’s not suitable for your climate, it’s not going to grow well. You’ll get more out of your garden if you focus on plants that are right for your area.
Use climbing vines or plants to cover fences and walls. These types of plants can climb anything, which makes them perfect for covering up a wall or fence that needs to be hidden. Climbers can also be trained to grow and cover an arbor, and they will grow through or around existing trees and shrubs. Some climbers you plant will have to be tied off and supported, but others have no problem attaching themselves to any surface using their tendrils or twining stems Reliable varieties include wisteria, honeysuckle, climbing roses, clematis, and jasmine.
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.
Having a color-themed flower garden is a beautiful way to display bold color with different flower varieties. Single-color beds, like the color white, makes an impact when set among deep green background plantings. It may not be necessary to plant extra greenery to contrast against the white flowers around your bed. A green lawn may be all you need to display the color.
It is important that you not forget to water your garden on a regular basis, especially when it is hot. If your plants do not get enough water, roots stay near the surface which can kill your plants or cause them to take even longer to grow. About an inch of water a week is sufficient.
Vegetable water makes a wonderful fertilizer. Next time you boil or steam your vegetables to eat, set aside the cooking water. This water is chock full of nutrients, and will provide a nice, nutritious boost to your garden. Make sure the water is thoroughly cooled first hot water can damage and even kill plant roots.
Pay attention to the temperatures in your garden. When it is early, or late, in the season there is a chance that your plants could be exposed to frost. Freezing temperatures will cause many plants to die, and some that live will not produce at the level they would have otherwise.
When you are pruning a tree, make sure that your tools are sharp. Cutting with a dull tool can tear the bark off the tree, causing unnecessary damage to the tree. Not only that, cutting with a dull tool causes you to spend extra energy in cutting. A sharp tool will give you a cleaner cut with the least amount of effort.
Did you know that watering your outdoor garden plants with garlic water can help to chase away pests? Just peel the leaves off several cloves of garlic and place them in a large container like a clean gallon size plastic milk jug. Fill the container with water and let the garlic steep for a day or two before watering your plants.
Understanding how to grow organically, will always require the right type of information, so you might as well take it from these expert tips, instead of putting your trust in some other information out there. Make sure to heed this advice and your next garden can be the best you’ve ever grown.
