Saturday, April 6, 2013

Turn Your Thumb Green With These Gardening Tips

So much can be said about gardening. It is a way to commune with nature, to breathe life into the earth, and so on. However, there are a number of important points to remember when gardening in order to ensure a positive, stress-free experience. This article lays out some of those points in a straightforward manner.


Know your climate zone. This can be the difference between a thriving garden and one that never grows. Knowing your climate zone will help you choose flowers, fruits, vegetables and trees that are perfect for where you are. This way, you get a bit of a headstart when designing a garden.


Grow plants from seed rather than purchasing plants from a nursery. It can be tempting to purchase plants that already have a head start, but it is usually not necessary. By growing from seed, you could find yourself landscaping your yard for under $50.00 worth of different plant seeds, rather than spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars at a plant nursery.


Use water efficiently as possible. One of the most precious resources in the world today is fresh water. It just cannot be wasted, so the use of mulch and soaker hoses are an efficient way to minimize the impact of the garden on the water supply. Consider having a rain barrel near the garden to capture and save rainwater for a minimal impact garden.


Try using latex or plastic gloves instead of cloth gardening gloves. Cloth gardening gloves do not block moisture well – a problem when working with moist soil, and they often get stiff, crinkly, and uncomfortable after a few uses. A sturdy pair of plastic or latex gloves, like those used for cleaning, are a much better choice. They protect against moisture, and cleaning is as simple as rinsing them off under a hose and hanging to dry.


Grow a herb garden. You can buy packaged herbs, but it\’s much more economical to grow your own. Grow them where they are easy to pick, such as in a garden bed near your back door, in pots on the patio, or in a kitchen window box. Herbs require plenty of sun and good soil. Moisture requirements depend on the variety of herb. Herbs that are easy to grow include chives, parsley, sweet basil, sage, thyme and rosemary.


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.


Controlling pests is essential to a high yield garden. There are a variety of products available on the market that will kill any invasive pest in the garden. Many organic pest controls have been perfected over the years that work very well, although they can be more expensive than chemical alternatives. With a quick internet search one can find many safe home remedies for pest control too.


As you can see from the previous list of tips, gardening can really be an enjoyable hobby or career. It takes a lot of hard work, a lot of maintenance and a lot of patience, but it is all worth it in the end to have a beautifully maintained garden.


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Turn Your Thumb Green With These Gardening Tips

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