Gardening is a popular and fun activity that allows you to enjoy the outdoors and adds beauty to your home yard. The key to being a good gardener is educating yourself on the subject and learning about the best gardening techniques and strategies. The following article contains a number of wonderful gardening tips.
During hot weather, water your plants more frequently and deeply. When your plants do not get enough water, their roots work themselves up close to the surface, which means they will dry out quicker. If you water deeply, the roots will stay well underground to get to the water down below.
Wind up your water hose after each time that you water your garden. Winding up your hose will keep you from tripping over it, and help you find the watering end of the hose easily any time you need it. Winding the hose on a hose reel will also help your hose last longer.
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.
Create a deep flower border. Most people think the standard flower border should be about three or four deep, but a showy border needs to be at least six or eight feet. This will give you enough space to plant small ornamental trees and large flowering shrubs, along with the usual annuals and perennials.
Try using a natural weed killer that does not contain harsh chemicals. Spray weeds with full strength white vinegar to kill them, and reapply as necessary if you see any new growth. Vinegar can also kill plants that you want to keep, so make sure not to spray it on weeds that are growing in the middle of other plants you do not want to kill.
Natural or agricultural-grade diatomaceous earth is a gardener’s friend. You can spread this over the soil in your flower beds to keep pests away. Slugs in particular are cut by the tiny, sharp granules. This causes them to quickly dehydrate and will end their existence in your garden. Reapply after any good rain storm.
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.
Don’t assume that insects are to blame for all plants ailments. There are many things that can affect the health of a plant. The PH of the water you are using, the location of the plant (under shade vs direct sun), the amount of soil in the pot and several other reasons can be a determining factor.
Give your plants an appropriate amount of water to optimize growth and plant health. Different varieties of plants require varying amounts of water so you cannot water your entire garden at the same rate. Instead, determine how often each type of plant needs water and how much before planning your watering schedule.
As was stated in the beginning of this article, gardening is a fun activity that allows you to spend time outdoors enjoying nature and helps you to add beauty to your home. If you want to be a great gardener you should read as much as you can about the subject and seek advice from experienced gardeners. Applying the top-of-the-line advice in this article is a sure-fire way to improve your gardening skills.