TIP! Shoveling clay soil is tiresome since clay is hard, and it can also stick to your shovel for twice the difficulty. To make the clay soft so you aren’t working as hard, take floor or car wax and rub a light coat on the surface of the shovel using a clean cloth, then buff the surface.

Gardening may seem very involved and confusing, but if you put in a little study and a lot of practice, you will soon know your way around. Hopefully, these tips will help you to improve your gardening skills and become an expert gardener.

TIP! You can use the wooden handles of your tools as measurement sticks. Tools with long handles, such as shovels, hoes and rakes can be made into measuring sticks.

To prevent your plants from getting shocked by a big change, get them gradually used to climate and temperature changes. Try to place them in the new area for a couple of hours at a time the first day. Throughout the week, you should increase a little at a time how long you have them outside. After a week’s time, the plants should be fine staying outside.

TIP! Consider planting slug-proof perennials. Creatures like snails or slugs can destroy a plant in a single night.

If you are going to be doing some gardening, watch out for stink bugs, especially in the fall! They like beans, peppers, tomatoes and many fruits. If you do not keep them under control, the damage can be excessive, so keep an eye out for them.

TIP! Plants need CO2 grow well. Plants will not thrive if they don’t have an adequate amount of CO2.

Cooling weather of early fall signals the opportune time to plant seasonal edibles. Try using a pumpkin as a natural plant pot. You can plant fall vegetables such as lettuce in an empty pumpkin shell. You simply need to cut off the top, scoop out the guts, and spray your pumpkin with Wilt-Pruf. When you finish this, you can plant!

TIP! Don’t cut your grass down by the soil when you run the mower. By leaving your grass a little taller, you are allowing it to become stronger, as the roots grow stronger and deeper.

Consider growing wheat grass or cat grass near the plants your cat enjoys eating. Another option is to place offensively smelling objects on the topsoil near and around the plants you want to protect.

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Citrus peels or mothballs are a couple of examples.

TIP! Make sure that your deciduous shrubs are protected. If you have some tender shrubs that are in planters, you need to protect them from cold weather.

As the weather turns colder, it is important to prepare your sensitive shrubs for the change. Cold weather significantly affects these plants, especially if they are in pots. With a sheet or blanket, you want to loosely cover the wigwam after you tie the tops of the canes together. This method is much better than wrapping the plant in plastic, as it allows air to circulate, which can prevent rotting.

TIP! Start your garden by planting seed in small pots. It’s better for the environment to begin from seed.

Aerate and dry your plants each day. Excess moisture creates an appealing environment for disease and parasites. One parasite you have to watch out for in particular is fungi. You can rid your garden of fungi with fungicidal sprays. However, it is best to treat your garden before there are problems.

TIP! You can use natural materials or other plants in your garden to keep away pests. Slugs stay away from marigolds and onions when they are planted in a garden.

If you are planning on growing peas, start them indoors before putting them outdoors in your garden. When the plants are started inside, the seeds will have an easier time germinating. The seedlings tend to be healthier, which would help them resist diseases and pests more easily. Once they are suitably strong, transplant them outside.

TIP! If you are planning on growing peas, start them indoors before putting them outdoors in your garden. Seeds will always germinate much better when you first plant them indoors initially.

If you are horticulture for the first time ever, read and follow all directions and instructions that come with your chemicals and tools. Some of the chemicals in these products can cause skin irritation, or worse, if you fail to take this simple precaution. Keep your body safe and follow directions.

TIP! Familiarize yourself with the optimum harvesting time of your vegetables. Each type of produce has unique time frames for harvesting at the peak of flavor.

Your garden can really benefit from evergreens featuring berries. These evergreens will color your lawn, even when other flowers are not blooming. The American Holly, American Cranberrybush, the Winterberry, and the Common Snowberry help provide color during the winter.

TIP! Avoid using broad-spectrum pesticides in your garden. Broad-spectrum pesticides will kill insects that are helpful to your garden as well as the harmful ones.

Use common sense when watering your garden. You can water efficiently by using a soaker hose which will eliminate the necessity of watering each plant one by one with a nozzle, or having to use a water can that you have to refill over and over. Use a low water pressure to avoid damaging tender plants. Allow the soaker to stay on for a few hours, so your plants can receive water while you tend to other tasks.

TIP! Before you start any gardening, make sure that you do not have any open wounds on your hands. If you do, you need to wear protection from dirt and chemicals so that they do not get into your cut.

Scent the grass around your garden with old perfume or discarded aftershave to prevent your dog from wandering into your garden. This covers up the smells that bring dogs to gardens in the first place, which means dogs are less likely to enter the garden.

TIP! After sprouting occurs, you will not need to keep seeds as warm. Move your plants further away from your heat source as they grow.

Not as bad as you thought, correct? There is all kinds of information available to the avid gardener. Sometimes you need a clue, so you can begin and jump right in. So, hopefully, with the tips you learned you now have that ability.