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Many people think gardening takes a lot of time and work. This is not always the case! There are types of gardens to suit all climates and lifestyles. In many places, native plant gardens require little water and will attract beautiful butterflies. Even if you have only a small yard, or no yard at all, you can grow herbs and vegetables in pots. This article provides some helpful tips for home gardeners.

Properly lay your sod. Before you lay the sod, the soil has to be prepared. Do some weeding if necessary, then break the soil until it is no longer packed. Make sure the soil is packed firmly and even. Make sure the soil is moist all the way through. Then lay the sod in staggered rows so the joints are offset. Make sure that the http://my.telegraph.co.uk/members/amenagermamaison/profile/ sod forms an even, flat surface, and if you have any gaps show between the sod, fill them with a little bit of soil. Water the sod each day for two weeks so it will become well-rooted and ready for foot traffic.

Use a sanitary laundry basket to pick your fruit and vegetable harvest. They are reusable and already have holes so you can rinse the dirt and debris off your yields. It acts like a strainer and will replace the function of wood baskets. Save money and stay green at the same time.

Take the time to know your soil. Get it analyzed. This will let you know what is in your soil and in what areas the soil may be deficient. You can then buy the missing nutrients to add into your soil which will help maximize your crops! Many local universities that have agriculture departments have the ability to test your soil for a small fee.

To make birds stay away from the produce you're growing in your garden, tie mylar balloons near your plants. These will scare away the birds and keep your fruit and veggies safe until you're ready to pick them. Silver balloons or balloons that sparkle in the sun make especially effective bird repellents.

Plant a new and different edible each week. Eating tomatoes https://www.pinterest.com/xeniasday/terrace/ or corn every day can get old real quick, but if a variety is planted, this problem will never happen. The garden can offer a wide variety of different edible plants and if they come to maturity at the same time the variety will make the garden more enjoyable and more fun.

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Think carefully about how you are going to lay out your vegetable garden. Unlike most other gardens, you want to consider practicality over aesthetics for your vegetables. Some vegetables emit chemicals that can inhibit another's growth; some tall vegetables might overshadow small vegetables, which might not allow them to grow and ripen. Look at each vegetable plant's properties and carefully consider where to put it in your garden.

To make sure you don't accidentally dig up bulbs in the following year, mark them with twigs. They should stay in place over the winter, and will be an easy reminder when you're planting new things in the spring. This is especially nice because you don't have to buy anything beforehand. Just grab some nearby twigs and put them in place.

Add some earthworms into your garden soil. Earthworms are great in tunneling and loosening up the soil, giving the roots of your plants plenty of air space. They help make soil that is rich in nutrients by breaking down dead plant materials. Earthworms are a much better solution for your garden than commercial fertilizers.

When you buy seeds for your garden, be sure to purchase seeds that are labeled "certified organic." This ensures that your plants will be organic throughout their lifespan and that the seeds you are buying aren't contaminated with chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Watch out for labels, such as "genetically engineered" or any mention of "natural" that does not include the phrase "certified organic."

You can prevent pests from invading your garden with certain plants and natural materials. For example, if you plant onions or marigolds along the edges of your vegetable garden, you can ward off slugs. If you place wood ash around the base portion of a shrub seedling or tree, you will ward off insect pests. Doing these things can ensure that you do not need potentially harmful chemicals.

Sometimes when you are growing vegetables or fruits, it can be helpful to cut off newly formed buds or other non-fruit bearing areas. This will stimulate the growth of heavier fruit because the plant re-routes nutrients to where its growth should be navigating. When taking care your garden, it's important to make the distinction between harvesting the plant, or encouraging its growth.

To rid your organic garden of bugs, try using a mixture of dish soap and water. Mix 2 tablespoons of dish soap into a gallon of water. Use a spray bottle to spray the foliage and soil around the plants. Before spraying your whole garden or even a whole plant, test the effect of the mixture on a few leaves and wait a few days before doing the rest.

If you don't have a big yard, or any yard at all, you can still grow great organic produce in containers. Most vegetables, other than some root vegetables, grow just as well in pots as they do in the ground. There are also many varieties which have been bred to do well in containers.

Some advise passing your hand gently over your newly planted seedlings each day. This probably sounds like an odd recommendation, but research has shown that this technique encourages more plant growth, than no petting at all.

If you follow proper organic growing conditions you may find that you are better able to market your produce at the local fruit stands and farmer's markets. Organic produce is very popular now because people are beginning to see all the health benefits of eating an organic whole food diet.



Organic horticulture does not have to involve very hard work or deep digging in the dirt. If you use things like compost or soil amendments, then you don't have to work the soil so deeply. Besides, you can find most of a plant's roots in the top six inches of soil.

As you now realize, the rewards of gardening can be great. For flower horticulture, the beauty alone is rewarding. Vegetable gardening adds economic, culinary and health rewards. Apply these tips to make sure you do everything properly for better results.