
Are you jealous of how other gardens look? You might imagine that all your neighbors have some top-secret formula that keeps their grass and garden looking so much better than yours. Truth be told, no such secret exists. Creating an amazing garden will take a little work and knowledge. Information about gardening is available online, in books and in magazines created for garden enthusiasts.
Make sure that your sod is laid properly. Get your soil ready before you lay your sod. Break the soil into fine tilth and make sure you remove any weeds as well. Lightly, but firmly compress the soil, making certain it is flat. Make sure you work with a moist soil. You want the sod laid down in staggered rows, and the joints to be offset from each other. Sod should be firm and have an even, flat surface without gaps. Once it is in place, the sod requires frequent watering for at least two weeks. This is usually the amount of time it takes for the sod to grow roots, making it ready to grow seamlessly into place.
Clay is naturally hard, and can can stick to a shovel making it frustrating to work with. Try applying a coat of wax onto your spade prior to working with clay soil, and then buff the spade head with a cloth. The wax prevents the clay from sticking to the shovel, and stops rust from forming.
Your tool handles can easily be used as handy rulers. Large handled tools such as shovels, rakes, and hoes can be used as measuring sticks. Lay the handles onto the floor and place a measuring tape beside them. Then, transfer the measurements to the handle using a permanent marker. Now, the next time you’re down in the garden, you’ll have a handy ruler without needing to look anywhere else.
If you notice powdery mildew on your plants, do not buy an expensive chemical. The best solution is mixing baking soda, a drop of liquid dish detergent and water together in a spray bottle. Once weekly, spray this mixture to the affected areas of your plants, and the mildew should be eliminated shortly. This is a natural solution for ridding your plants of mildew safely.
Allow enough room between plants for air to circulate, so that plants do not stay too wet. Excess moisture creates an appealing environment for disease and parasites. One common organism that thrives on moisture is the fungi family. Be sure to prevent the growth of fungus with a spray that will inhibit their growth.
Don’t forget to use a good fertilizer in your garden. Manure is probably the best fertilizer. Choose a commercial product to reduce the risks of pathogen exposure. You can choose from many different fertilizers. Do not worry about the kind of fertilizer you end up using but definitely put down something.
There are natural steps you can take to keep garden pests at bay. A border of onions or marigolds around a vegetable garden can repel slug. Wood ash can be used as mulch, and if put on the base of shrub and tree seedlings, will keep insects away. These methods are environmentally-friendly and mean you do not have to resort to harsh chemicals.
Many of the tips here are quite easy and don’t require you to have any special talents. You just need some basic education on horticulture techniques, then you can put that education to good use. Pay close attention to your plants and how they react to your methods. If one thing doesn’t work, try another. While it may take time, with patience your beautiful garden will be admired by the whole neighborhood.