TIP! Properly lay your sod. Your soil should be prepared before you lay the sod.

Organic gardening is very popular these days but many people are afraid to dip their toes into it. To many people, it seems too complicated and unfamiliar, so they don’t know how to start. Peruse the following article to discover some very useful advice that will prepare you for success in this most enjoyable pastime of organic horticulture.

TIP! Pick your plants with an eye to maximize the yield you can get. A hybrid designed for your weather, and resistant to local diseases, will give a better yield than non-hybrids.

Check the soil before you plant anything in your garden. You can actually get an analysis of soil for a little fee, and with the report you get back you can figure out how to create a vibrant garden by enriching it properly. Ask about this service at a local university or the county Cooperative Extension office to improve the soil and insure fruitful crops.

TIP! Use both biennials and annuals to add color to your flower bed. These usually grow quickly, and provide an easy-to-change solution to making your flower beds bright and beautiful.

Draw up a garden plan before you plant the first seed. This will help you to remember where you planted the different plants when sprouts begin to shoot up from the ground. It can also keep you from planting any of your garden favorites too close to each other.

TIP! If you see mildew that is powdery, stay away from expensive chemicals to treat it. Mix a little liquid soap and baking soda in water.

Protect your deciduous shrubs which are tender. If you’ve got tender shrubs which are potted, you need to protect them from cold weather. Connect the tops, and then place a sheet over the top of the wigwam. You will protect your shrubs from the cold without having to cover them in plastic, which can cause rot.

TIP! It’s sometimes possible to save certain plants from winter cold by bringing them inside. Perhaps you can save your most expensive or resistant plants.

If you want an organic way to weed your garden, try “boiling” them. Boiling water can be considered as an herbicide, and it is a safe one. Douse the weeds with this pot, just avoid the nearby plants. Boiling water damages weed and plant roots, so be sure to avoid the plants you don’t want to eliminate.

TIP! When fall has arrived, it is time to plant the edibles for the autumn. Clay pots are boring, so replace those ordinary lettuce and kale pots with pumpkins.

Protect your plants from moisture on a daily basis. Damp leaves can lead to plant disease and parasites. An example of a common plant parasite is fungi. Be sure to prevent the growth of fungus with a spray that will inhibit their growth.

TIP! Grow some wheat grass or cat grass next to the plants your cat seems to prefer. In addition, you could put an item on the soil’s top around the plants which has a smell that cats hate, such as citrus peel or mothballs.

Your vegetable plants need about two or three inches of mulch placed around them. The soil around plants can stay damper through the use of mulch. This is also efficient in preventing weeds from growing. You’ll save a ton of time if you don’t have to constantly pull out weeds.

TIP! Take the time to place organic mulch in the area around your vegetable plants. The mulch will help keep the dirt around the plants more moist.

You should be cognizant of the peak time for harvesting your vegetables. Each variety needs a slightly different amount of growing time to produce the most flavorful vegetable. For instance, for the best flavor, zucchini and baby peas should be picked when they are young. By contrast, it’s best to wait until tomatoes are fully ripe before picking them. So, it is good to learn about the best time to harvest your vegetables.

Beneficial Insects

TIP! Get your children interested in helping with your organic garden. The benefits for your children will be a closer bond with nature and an understanding of where food comes from.

Avoid using broad-spectrum pesticides in your garden. These pesticides will also kill any beneficial insects that consume the pests you are trying to get rid of. Beneficial insects are more susceptible to strong pesticides than the insects you are actually trying to get rid of. This will lead you to end up killing off the good bugs in your garden, leaving the field wide open for the harmful ones. If this happens, you just fuel an expanding cycle of needing even more pesticides.

TIP! Are you a parent? If you are, try planting some strawberries like everbearing strawberries in your garden. Children will be more willing to help you if they can pluck their own fruit from the garden.

Vegetables are softest during the warmest hours of each day, so picking them then, no matter how gently, runs the risk of damage. Cut vegetables off at the vine, and don’t twist them off, as this could hurt the plant.

TIP! Coffee grounds are a good addition to your soil. Coffee grounds have nitrogen that plants will utilize.

The information you’ve been given in this article should have done a great deal to ease any apprehension that you have about starting your own organic garden. Add the information you’ve read here to your horticulture strategy to create an amazing oasis to enjoy every day!