
Organic gardening presents special challenges to overcome. If you want to try your hand at organic horticulture, then be prepared to learn about concepts like pH balance. An organic garden can be more than a little challenging for the novice. Learn more about organic gardening by reading the helpful tips below.
Starting off your garden with healthy soil can be the best defense against those pesky garden bugs. Healthy plants grown in robust and enriched soil have an advantage in fighting pest infestation. For healthy plants, start with healthy soil that is properly amended and free of chemicals in order to avoid salt accumulation.
Don’t bother with expensive chemicals if your plants start to sport powdery mildew. Rather, you should mix a bit of baking soda with a small quantity of liquid soap in water. Once weekly, spray this mixture to the affected areas of your plants, and the mildew should be eliminated shortly. Baking soda treats the mildew effectively and gently and it won’t damage your plants.
When winter arrives, transfer some plants into the house to save them. Maybe you’d like to save the most expensive plants you have or the most resistant. Always be careful when digging around the roots, and put the plant in a suitable pot.
Bulbs are the best solution to get flowers in spring and in summer. Bulbs are hardy, easy to grow into flowers, and will blossom for several years. Different varieties of bulbs flower at varied times and if you make the right choices you can have blossoms from early spring through late summer.
If you want a strange, yet successful, green answer to getting rid of weeds, boil them to death. Boiling water is an excellent, organic substance for use against weeds. Just douse the weeds directly with boiling water, taking care to avoid damaging nearby plants. The roots of the weeds are damaged by the boiling water which, in turn, inhibits further growth.
Pest control can be very difficult when dealing with a vegetable garden. Avoid spraying harsh chemicals on fruits and vegetables destined for your table. There is only one way to effectively control pests in your garden, and that is to stay vigilant in your efforts. If you catch them early, you can take them off the plants by hand.
An easy, inexpensive way to give them nutrients is to pour the leftover water from your steamed vegetables into the soil. If you grow rhododendrons, azaleas or gardenias, increase the acid in your your soil by working in coffee or tea grounds. If you are having problems with fungus, you may find that sprinkling Chamomile tea on the plant is effective.
Now, you shouldn’t get your hopes up and believe that a few tips are going to turn you into an instant professional gardener. However, these tips are a great starting point if you do plan to grow organically. As you implement these tips and hone your skills, you’ll be a professional green-thumb-holder in no time.