As the Garden Grows

What's blooming today?


You are here: Home / Archives for In The Garden / Garden Tips

3 Garden Care Tips For Novices

by

Gardening may seem to be complicated for those who are just beginning the hobby. However, if you have the basic knowledge to help you maintain your garden or lawn effectively, you can do just fine. All you need is the right tools, good routine, information and enthusiasm to succeed. A major concern novices have is using chemicals or practicing eco-friendly gardening options. To some, eco-friendly ways are safer and easier to apply without straining the pockets. Healthy gardens and lawns are often a result of natural gardening care.

Natural Fertilizers

Soil requires nutrients that are provided in a proper feeding schedule in order for it to remain healthy. Applying fertilizers is easy to do, as all you need is to first rake the area, then release the organic fertilizers and then water it. These fertilizers are produced without any chemicals and additives. They can be used on their own or combined with other natural fertilizers to maintain the quality and nutrient content of the soil.

One type of natural fertilizer is alfalfa meal that can be bought in pet stores as well. It is rich in phosphorus and vitamins K and P. Chicken manure is also a favorite because of its nutrient and phosphorus content. You can either raise your own chickens or conveniently purchase the manure from local farms. Cow manure is also used as a natural fertilizer and this can be bought from local farms. Just be sure that the cows graze on open pasture and consume nutrient dense food for quality manure. You can also make your own fertilizer by making compost. When you make compost, remember that meat, fish, animal waste, dead animals, salad dressings and plastic must not be added to the compost pile.

Keep A Watering Routine

A good watering routine will ensure that your garden is always healthy and well fed. However, your routine must match the weather you are experiencing. During the summer months, you will have to water your plants more often, though in smaller volume to avoid drowning them. This is why having a sprinkler system is convenient and effective. It will save you both time and energy, from having to constantly return to the garden and keep it hydrated. You can also opt for an automated sprinkler system which features a timer for easier operating. However, you may have to move the sprinklers around in your garden from time to time to suit your garden’s development.

Weeds And Pests

All gardens will have weed and pest problems at some point or the other. Both are dangerous to a garden because weeds can eliminate nutrients resulting in weak patches, while pests can seriously damage plants. Weeding must be done routinely and pest control must be done carefully to avoid removing beneficial insects as well.

Gardening will take some effort and determination to achieve remarkable results. It will require your regular attention and not just whenever you have time. You must also be curious to learn new gardening techniques and discover new natural gardening treatments. Stick to a schedule and devote at least 30 minutes to your garden. If you are unable to provide your garden with the care and attention it needs on a regular basis, you can always hire the services of a professional to help you have beautiful and presentable garden.

Valerie Parker is a freelance writer specializing in garden care. She regularly contributes articles to websites focusing on Idaho Falls Sprinklers and gardening.






Seven Beginners Tips For Growing Delicious Tomatoes

by

Thanks to the delicious and simple nature of home grown tomatoes, they are a popular choice for those attempting to grow vegetables for the first time. Though the activity isn’t particularly complicated, it does require care and patience. And if you’ve never grown vegetables before, it also requires that you educate yourself on a few tomato growing basics. Here are seven beginners tips for successful tomato growing.

Choose the Right Tomatoes

The first step towards growing delicious tomatoes is of course planting the right seeds. Don’t blindly head into your local garden store looking for tomato seeds, do your research on the different types available. Different tomatoes not only have different tastes, they also require different conditions to flourish.

Leave Ample Space

One of the most common beginners mistakes when it comes to growing tomatoes is failing to provide sufficient space. If you plan on growing your tomatoes upright, you should aim to leave approximately two feet between each plant. If you plan on growing your tomatoes along the ground however, four feet between each plant is more suitable.

Provide Ample Sunlight

Another absolute requirement of successful tomato growing is sunlight. Tomato plants require a minimum of seven hours direct sunlight each day. If you attempt to grow tomatoes in an area that doesn’t meet this requirement, you’re going to be left with lots of foliage but very little fruit. The production of fruit is an energy intensive process for plants and that energy comes from the sun.

Don’t Plant More Than You Need

Don’t underestimate just how many tomatoes can be harvested from a single tree. If you plant more than one tree for each person in your family, you can expect a lot of waste. And that figure includes a few free tomato flavoured gifts for your neighbours. It’s also worth noting that the more tomatoes you plant, the more maintenance your tomato patch is going to require.

Use Fertilizer, in Moderation

If you want fast results, fertilizer is very much recommended but it must be used in moderation. If you use more than the recommended amount, your tomatoes might grow faster but in turn, they’ll be far more prone to disease. It’s also important to choose your fertilizer carefully. You should limit your search to those which have been specifically designed for use on tomato plants.

Keep an Eye on Water Levels

Even more important than fertilizer is ample water. If rain has been a little scarce of late, you need to get the hose out. Tomatoes need calcium to grow and they get that calcium by absorbing water from the ground. A lack of water therefore leads to a lack of calcium and a corresponding lack of tasty tomatoes.

Don’t Pick Too Soon 

Finally, a common trait among tomato growing beginners is a distinct lack of patience. If you want to enjoy beautiful home grown tomatoes you can’t pick them too early. Tomatoes are generally ready to enjoy between sixty and eighty five days after planting. Ripeness is indicated by both an even, all round colour and a slight tenderness. If your tomatoes are hard to the touch, you need to keep waiting.

Jamie Kirk is a writer, and occasionally writes on cheap conservatory across UK. He recommends comparing stunning conservatory prices by clicking on the mentioned link.

Preparing our garden for winter

by

October is almost over and it keeps on getting cooler here in Toronto. Most of our trees still have their leaves, but I’m sure that won’t be for long!

We spent yet another weekend – Or rather at least one day this weekend doing some more yard work in order to prepare our garden for winter. This time we were busy putting away things like our solar lights, garden ornaments and trimming back some of the plants that had become overgrown. I also took some time inspecting my rose plants and I cut out any dead branches that I noticed.

When the trees finally start to drop their leaves we’ll gather up some of the leaves and put them on our garden beds as we normally do each year. A good layer of maple leaves on our plants seems to help protect them through the winter.

Most winters we don’t get a lot of snow. Oh we get snow, but it snows, then it melts and we have a week or two of deep cold but no snow cover .. so if the plants are bare and exposed to all that cold it can really hurt them – so at least the deep leaf cover helps. Then of course it will snow again and our garden will have a foot or two of snow on it for a week or two until it melts again and that will keep the plants and ground insulated for a short while .. but the temperature changes the garden goes through through the winter because of our lack of good snow cover yet fairly cold temperatures can be quite hard on the plants if they aren’t prepared in the fall.

Do you put mulch or leaves on your garden beds in late fall to protect your plants over the winter?

Meta