|
Not everybody has a green thumb, but everybody can grow a garden with the right guidance and a little determination. This article presents a number of concise tips that can help you to get more from your efforts. Get the most out of garden space by growing compatible crops. When growing a crop like tomatoes, plant lettuce and spinach in between to grow in the shade of the taller plants. This will maximize the space used in the garden. Also, grow plants which mature at different times alongside each other like carrots and radishes. The radishes will be ready in only thirty days while it takes much longer for the carrots to mature. Save money by drying the seeds from your annuals to plant next year. Petunias, zinnias and impatiens are just a few of the flowers from which it is easy to extract and save seeds. You will have to extract the seed pod from some flowers, and wait for it to split open. With others, such as marigolds, you will have to open the flower and extract the seeds yourself. After extracting the seeds, let them dry for at least a week. Place them in a jar with a rubber seal, and add silica gel pouches to keep them from absorbing moisture. Store them in a cool, dry location until you're ready to plant them next year. Planting a vegetable garden can be a truly rewarding experience. To be sure your garden is successful, you must pick a location that gets plenty of sunlight. The crops will need to be in a spot that is very open and sunny, giving them lots of room to thrive and grow. Clean your garden tools before you put them away. It seems strange to worry about keeping a gardening tool clean, but it's actually very important for the health of your plants. Tools that are put away while coated in dirt can harbor microbes and even insects that can be deadly to your plants. If you are introducing children to gardening, start them off with an herb garden. Herbs are easy to grow and you can start them in containers, which are easier for children to handle. When children see that the herbs they grow can be used in your cooking, they will be very proud of their accomplishment. Brighten up your winter garden with trees that have interesting bark. A winter garden can tend to look bare and drab, especially if you live in a very cold climate. Three good choices are a paperbark maple, silver birch or scarlet willow. This will make a quite noticeable difference to the look of your garden. Deadhead annual flowers constantly. This will encourage new growth and promote flowering all season. With perennials, cut the entire plant down by a third after flowering. It will bush out and provide you with a new flush of flowers later in the season. At the end of the season, leave the spent flowers on plants until they dry up, and collect the seeds. Clean up your garden at the end of the growing season. If you clean up your garden when the growing season is over, it will improve the appearance and make less work for you the following year. Remove dead or damaged branches on trees and shrubs, get rid of weeds before they go to seed, and rake any leaves from the lawn. Remove old annual plants and cut perennials to the ground if they normally die back in the winter. Any plant material that isn't diseased can be put in the compost pile. Gardening is a fun hobby for people of all ages. You can make a lovely flower garden in your yard, or grow tomatoes in small pots on your balcony - the list of options is endless. Nearly any lifestyle can accommodate some kind of gardening. Relax and enjoy what nature has to offer you.View more gardening products: phoenix home and garden
Related Articles -
Organic, Garden,
| 
