Tsexton
Gardening is not the easiest job in the world. Of course, some would argue that it is not even a job; it may be a hobby or even an avocation, but to do it well and do it right, it must above all else be a passion. Of course, in this crazy world where cars drive themselves, entire seasons of a TV show can be watched in their entirety over a weekend and a man with no discernible credentials or intellect can grow up to become President, finding the time for passion that brings no monetary satisfaction can be one tough nut to crack. If you want to crack that nut, of course, nothing is more fruitful than time-honored advice on cheap and effective shortcuts to bringing up a garden that will make that of your neighbors look like something raised by a person who may have a passion for performance art, but doesn’t know beans about growing beans. Or flowers. Or any other decorative form of vegetation.
10. A Bucket of Bleach
Gardening tools like shears can be instrumental in the dispersal of viruses and fungal diseases as you make your way from one plant to another within your garden. Disinfecting your tools will got a long way to cutting back this risk and the great thing is that effective and efficient disinfection could not be cheaper or easier. Simply dip the tools into a bucket of undiluted bleach as you move from one plant to another.
9. Stone Cold Mulch
Stone mulching is an invaluable way to ensure your garden’s soil will retain the moisture necessary to look fine. A set of small stones used as mulch will collect and store heat capture during the day to be released when the temperature drops during the evening. Stone mulching can thus become an efficient technique for lengthening the growing season of veggie gardens and fruit vines.
8. Break with the Wind
Ever think that something as simple as a mesh fence could be the difference between growing beautiful flowers with delicate petals and having to be satisfied with succulence? Strong winds and the effect of wind chill can enact powerful retribution upon your misguided decision to raise certain flowers. Proper placement of a cheap mesh fence can have you sitting pretty with the flowers of your deferred dreams.
7. That’s No Lady, That’s My Bug Bouncer
Ladybugs may be a bug, but they are most definitely not the kind of pest you want to give the bum’s rush from your garden. Ladybugs may look like the delicate little girl of garden bugs, but in reality they are the big bad bouncer ridding your plants of troublemakers and other assorted unwanted low-life intruders like mealybugs, spider mites and the omnipresent aphids. You can attract this ladybugs by adding marigolds, roses, cucumbers or tomatoes to your list of plants.
6. Trans-Plant
The procedure for successful transplanting necessitates special attention to ensure root remain free from potentially fatal damage. First a light misting with water and then a lose wrapping in burlap. The roots also need to maintain exposure to the sun and protection from the wind. (Like with, for instance, a mesh fence!)
5. A Matter of Timing
When it is the ideal time to set out your young plants? When the day is cloudy. If the forecast does not call for clouds any time soon, pick a sunny day and set them out during the late afternoon. What’s the deal with this gardening tips? These are the best conditions for preventing the tender leaves of immature plants from getting scorched. Keep in mind that this only works if you make sure the plants have appropriate watered for the establishment of roots.
4. Weed Once by Tilling Twice
A worthwhile way to control weeds from overtaking your garden is to till the soil twice. The first tilling nets you buried weed seeds rising to the surface of the soil. The second tilling – a shallower affair – will effectively cut through the weeds without running the danger of bringing brand new seeds into play on the surface.
3. Seed Chute
Gardening can be murder on the back, especially for those who have only come to gardening during retirement. Cut down on the wear and tear that garden puts upon your back by cutting off an appropriate length of garden hose and slide the seeds down the chute into the hole during the seeding phase.
2. Gotta Go Nitro!
If you want your garden to thrive, you’ve got to go nitro. Nitrogen may well be the single most essential nutrients for plants all kinds and standard fertilizer mixes typically fall just a little short of what is really needed for a garden to truly thrive and come alive. Good sources of nitrogen include manure, soybean meal, blood meal and grass clippings.
1. Drip. Drip. Drip.
Nothing is more efficient for a garden built from passion than a drip irrigation system. Not every garden can benefit equally from this means of providing mulch needed water. (That was a pun!) Still, the average home gardener will find that this is the way to go not only for the efficiency of delivery, but for the cost savings over time. That is one of the truly great reasons to go with drip irrigation: you don’t need a bundle up front. And the smaller the garden, the cheaper the cost. If your garden is diminutive enough, look at garden hoses, and when you find the one you want, poke holes in it and let it snake a path through your plants and you are good to go.
gardening is an instant stress buster