Don’t Have a Green Fingers? Learn How to Grow a Garden with This Garden Planting Guide
Some people seem to have the ability to make practically anything grow. For the rest of us, however, starting a garden can be something of a challenge. Luckily, there are several little tricks that anyone can use to get a garden going. Here are four tips on how to grow a garden that will make sure your flowers or vegetables start coming up in no time.
Use Good Compost
One of the most common reasons that plants die or get stunted is that they aren’t getting enough nutrients from the soil. If you want to improve the soil you’re growing things in, organic compost is the way to go. You can make your own compost, or buy some pre-made at a specialty garden shop. In lieu of fresh compost, you can also use a manure mix, which will have the same necessary nutrient balance.
Making your own compost, however, can be a rewarding experience. Some of the things that you can add to your mix are shredded newspaper, dry leaves, kitchen waste and grass clippings. These will help build good bacteria that will help your plants to grow better. As for kitchen waste, it might be a good idea to stick to vegetables and fruits that you would otherwise throw out. Don’t use meat as this will attract unwanted rodents.
Install an Irrigation System
Many people start their gardens with the best intentions, but quickly realize that day-to-day life gets in the way of the routine maintenance a well-kept garden requires. An easy solution to this is to install an irrigation system and put it on a timer. This way, you can be sure your plants get the water they need, whether you remember to give it to them or not.
Along with this point, it would be a good idea to dig a small ditch around your garden area to help keep water within that area. This will help you to not waste water and to ensure that your plants are getting the moisture that you give them and that the water is not just spilling off elsewhere.
Another really cool method that could help with irrigating your plants is to take plastic bottles, poke holes throughout the lids, cut off the bottoms, burry them so that they are half in the ground and half out, and then fill them up with water. These act as drip irrigators and should be placed strategically so that they can feed the roots of your plants. Don’t rely on these to completely do all of the watering for you. Continue to check your plants and water as you see needed.
Keep an eye on the bottles and figure out how often you may have to refill them. You may also want to have these placed near the plants that need more water than the rest. A few of such plants are perennials, hibiscus, and iris. Research every plant that you have in your yard and get to know their water needs so that you can know whether or not they would benefit from this type of drip irrigator.
Start Your Plant in Pots
Often, plants started from seed in a garden will fall prey to browsing animals or unfavorable weather conditions. If possible, try starting your plants in indoor pots, then transplant them into the ground when they’re established. Be sure to transplant them with the dirt that was in the pot, as this will reduce the disturbance of the root system and minimize transplant shock.
When you transplant your plants, you have to be careful and very gentle. Use a small hand shovel to dig around the plant. If possible, try to dig so that you don’t cut any of the roots. You want to dig underneath the plant as much as possible. Then, quickly pick up the plant and take it to the spot that you want to plant it in. Hopefully, you have already dug that hole as well. Place the plant in the ground with the roots down, add more soil if needed, and then continue to care for it with water and fertilizer.
Have Your Soil Inspected
If you’ve tried everything and still can’t get your garden to grow, your soil may have foreign contamination that’s actively poisoning your plants. Consider having a soil inspection service, such as Geotech Testing, come out to test your soil and see what might be causing your problems. If this is the case, you may have also notice unhealthy grass or trees in your yard as a side-effect of the same contamination.
Starting a garden may be difficult, but it’s far from impossible. Even if you don’t have a green thumb, there’s no reason you can’t have a lovely flower garden or a delicious variety of vegetables growing in your yard this summer. Take advantage of these tips, and you should be able to get your garden put in shape in no time.
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