Follow This Advice To Learn More About Organic Horticulture

Gardening is a relaxing hobby that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Whether you grow vegetables or flowers, caring for these plants will give you great satisfaction. This article can provide you with essential gardening tips so you can better grow the plants in your garden.

Learn the proper way to lay sod. Get your soil ready before you lay the sod. Do some weeding if necessary, then break the soil until it is no longer packed. The next step is compacting your soil and carefully leveling it. Make sure the soil is thoroughly moist. Sod should be staggered in rows, the joints offsetting from each other. Compact the sod down so you form a flat and even surface, then fill in any crevices within the sod by using some soil. The sod requires water on a daily basis for two weeks, then the roots will have taken hold and ready to be walked on.

Your soil needs to be of good quality before you start a garden. Many nurseries offer a soil analysis service, which will tell you what nutrients your soil is lacking and what you can do about it. A lot of extension offices will offer this service and it is worth it so you know what your soil needs.

Consider growing wheat grass or cat grass near the plants your cat enjoys eating. You can also put something on top of the soil around the plants that has an offensive smell to cats, such as mothballs or citrus peel.

If growing vegetables, make sure they are in a location in your garden where they will be exposed daily to at least six hours of the sun. Many of the vegetables need a lot of sun, so they can grow right and at a faster pace. Some flowers also require direct sunlight for a portion of each day.

You should divide irises. You can increase the number of irises you have by splitting clumps that are overgrown. Try to life the bulbous irises when foliage begins to die. The bulbs split in your hand, then you replant them, and they will most likely flower next year. Cut rhizomes into pieces with a knife. New pieces should be cut from the outside, then the old center you want to discard. Each piece should have at least one strong offshoot. Replant each one immediately.

Fertilizer in the garden is a must. Use commercially composted products in your garden to help your plants grow. This will reduce the chance of pathogens. Choosing a specific type of fertilizer is not particularly critical; as long as you're using fertilizer, you're improving your soil.

Using pest-resistant plants or natural materials in your garden is a good way to keep pests away. A border of onions or marigolds around a vegetable garden can repel slug. Wood ash, when used like mulch, can keep away pests after it is spread around a tree base and shrub seedlings. These methods prevent use of harsh chemicals.

When tending a vegetable garden, you might find that pest control is a bit difficult. It's wise to avoid harsh insecticides if you plan on consuming your fresh fruits and vegetables. Remain alert in order to control garden pests. If you catch them when there are only a few around, you can actually pick them off the plants by hand.

As was mentioned at the beginning of this article, horticulture may be an incredibly rewarding hobby. The benefits from a garden range from being able to eat great home grown food, to having a good looking flower garden that adds to the aesthetics of your home. Take your gardening to greater heights of enjoyment with the tips you've gotten here.

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