Do you always admire your neighbor's pristine garden. You might imagine that all your neighbors have some top-secret formula that keeps their grass and garden looking so much better than yours. The truth is that there is no horticulture "secret". What is truth is that knowledge and information on how to properly love your plants is what is the key. Information about gardening is available online, in books and in magazines created for garden enthusiasts.
Try to grow some wheat or cat grass around your cat's favorite plants. Another option is to protect your plants by lacing them with offensive entities, such as peels from citrus fruit or even moth balls from your closet.
As you are getting ready to plant your garden, consider what vegetables you cook with the most and grow those. This can reduce your food bill every month and help you use your gardening space. You want to avoid planting anything you don't use or eat, particularly if you don't have much room to garden.
Re-potting is required by some varieties of houseplants, while others dislike it when you disturb their roots. You can easily find out which plants need to be re-potted by turning each plant upside down, then tapping the pot until the plant frees itself from the pot and drops out. If there is no soil around the roots, it means that it is time for a new pot. If only a few roots are showing, or you don't see any, then the plant doesn't need a new pot.
Consider starting your plants in pots and then planting the seedlings in your garden. They are then more likely to survive and to become thriving, mature plants. In addition, you can shorten the intervals between your plantings. You can plant the seedlings once you have removed the old plants.
Use rainwater to water you plants to help the environment. Using a special rain barrel or other workable container to capture rainwater can save money on monthly water bills, and make the best use of your naturals resources. This will help you save your money and keep an all natural garden.
If you would like to have flowers in your garden that last through the spring and summer seasons, plant bulbs. These are hearty choices, choices that will reward you for years despite the little effort that is involved in their care. You can select bulbs that bloom at many different times, so with a little work, you could have flowers popping up all the way from the start of spring to the end of summer.
Water your garden carefully. Use a type of soaker hose so that you don't need to do individual waterings with the hose nozzle, or be refilling a watering can constantly. Keep water pressure on your hose low so you don't harm fragile plants. Keep the water turned on for about two hours; while your plants are being watered, you will have time for other activities.
With some houseplants, they be required to have humidity. Humidity can be created in any environment. One approach is to place a variety of plants together into one individual pot. An alternative is to put a plant in a bigger pot and fill in the gap with compost or stones. One other way you can provide houseplants with proper humidity levels is to spray them with a mist of water a couple times a day.
Don't bother with expensive chemicals if your plants start to sport powdery mildew. Combine a bit of liquid soap and some baking soda with water. Once every week, you should spray the mixture on your plants; the mildew will disappear shortly thereafter. Do not worry about your plants; the baking soda cannot harm them.
Think about using evergreens in your yard that produce berries during the year. These evergreens will color your lawn, even when other flowers are not blooming. There is quite a variety of plants that will give your garden a splash of color during winter, including the American Cranberrybush, American Holly, Common Snowberry or Winterberry.
If you have children, then horticulture can be a great hobby for your family to bond with each other. Some kids like picking the plants and flowers out. Giving them permission to be covered in dirt doesn't happen very often for most kids, and it's even more fun with family.
The correct soil can make a big difference in how your garden grows. Depending on the type of plants you desire in your garden, your natural soil may or may not be appropriate. You may also cultivate an artificial area comprised of just one type of soil.
Broad-spectrum pesticides should be avoided in your garden. This particular type of pesticide will also kill the useful insects that consume the pests. Since these pesticides often affect the good bugs more than the bad, using them can actually increase your pest problem. This may then lead to using even more pesticides to eliminate this new problem.
If you are going to be doing some horticulture, watch out for stink bugs, especially in the fall! They love to inhabit peppers, beans, tomatoes and all kinds of fruit varieties. They can do a lot of damage if they are not controlled.
Having a good wheelbarrow and a kneeling stool makes garden chores a lot easier. Get a portable stool if you want to garden comfortably without damaging your knees. Also, gardening can involve a lot of heavy lifting and moving items, therefore a robust wheelbarrow can make that aspect much easier.
Make new plants through root cuttings. If possible, cut dormant roots during the winter months. Using a sharp knife, remove the most thick and long roots off the plant. Then, slice the roots up into two inch long parts. Fill up a seed tray containing a mixture of grit and moist peat, then place the root cuttings right on top of the surface. You will then place out a thinner layer of the peat mixture on top of the cuttings. Leave them in a cool location, and in about thirty days you will have wonderful new seedlings. Plant each seedling in its own small pot until they grow big enough for outdoor planting.
When you are growing a garden, make sure you do not water your plants too much or too little. Too much water can cause the roots of the plants to actually rot and your plants will die. Too little water can kill your plants as well. Therefore you want to check often to make sure plants are getting the right amount of water.
Using a shovel in clay soil is a lot of work, not only is the clay hard, but it will stick to the shovel and make it twice as hard to handle. Coat the shovel with floor or car wax, and buff it with a clean rag to make the job a lot easier. This will make your task easier because the clay won't stick to the shovel. It will also keep your garden tool from rusting.
Horticulture can be very relaxing. There are a variety of ways to find peace and relaxation on a personal level. Horticulture is fun, and it is definitely one of the best ways to achieve this state. Gardening only requires a small investment and you will get so much more out of it. The best thing you will get out of it is peace and happiness knowing that you can grow your own garden.
You simply need to do your homework, spend some time working outdoors, and cultivate your patience. This work will ultimately pay off for you once you figure out how to make an item grow.