Beginner Gardening Tips
Gardeners who are just beginning their journey often have lots of questions.
Don't attempt to plant your own seeds in your first year - instead buy seedlings (also known as bedding plants) at the garden center.
Keep your garden as small as possible. It will be easier to maintain and keep on the top of.
Know Your Soil
If you're looking to grow veggies, flowers or both the soil you work with plays a major role in your garden success. Most plants grow best in moderately fertile, well-drained soil that is not too clay-like or sandy-like. Knowing your soil type can help you decide what you can do to improve it and which plant varieties to select.
Depending the area you live in, you may have loamy soil, sandy soil, peaty soil, chalky soil or clay soil. It is essential to determine what type of soil you're in, since certain plants, like cacti thrive in specific soil structures, while others do not thrive in the same conditions.
Test the texture of your soil by dampening a handful and squeeze it. If it is spongy, you have loamy soil while sticky or gritty indicates that your soil has high clay content. You can also rub soil between your fingers. If it is sticky and feels soapy, it has a high silt percentage while soil that crumbles easily and feels silky is clay-like.
You can also test your soil's water content by mixing a bit of water into the soil, and then trying to make a ball. If the soil remains clumped once flattened, it has a significant amount of silt. If it is able to hold the shape of a ball and is slimy, it has an extremely high percentage of clay. soil that is watery but still sticks to your fingers, then you have a loamy or sandy soil.
To amend your soil you can add a layer of organic material on top of your soil, like manure, compost, or leaves that have been shredded. This will enrich the soil with organic nutrients and improve its texture. The more you amend your soil the more effective it will be in growing healthy plants, nutritious vegetables and flowers. By adding organic materials such as grass clippings, shredded leaves or straw to your soil, you can lower the amount of moisture in your garden. This will prevent the soil from becoming too hot or dried out and will make it easier to work in.
Know Your Plants
Whether you're growing herbs, vegetables, or flowers knowing how each grows is essential for success in your garden. Find out the amount of water each plant needs and how to fertilize it and when to harvest it for best results. It is also important to know how to manage insects and weeds to keep your garden looking gorgeous.
A gardening guide or an app like Planta can assist you in determining what each plant does so you can take proper care of it. The app scans the photo of the plant and provides information about it. This includes its sun exposure, soil requirements and the blooming time.
It is a common occurrence for new gardeners So, pay attention to where your plants get their light prior to planting. garden plant is to plant veggies or fruits in areas where the sun shines for between 6 and 8 hours per day. Once your plants are planted then you can move them to another area to ensure that they receive enough sunlight.
It's also important to be aware of your flower plants, particularly their timing of bloom and spacing. A lot of popular flower varieties come with many different colors and bloom times, which means you can create a continuous flow of color in your garden all through the year. You should consider choosing native flowers when you are planning to plant your own flowers. They're usually more adapted to your climate and aid local pollinators as well.
It is also important to ensure that you have all the tools needed for every step of garden maintenance. Make sure you have garden twine, garden gloves twist ties, and bags of compost so you don't need to purchase them later. It may also be useful to make a gardening checklist to ensure you don't get lost in the process of completing any step.
Burke suggests that people who aren't ready to commit to a large-scale garden should start with something simple as a container garden. She says that it is much simpler than it appears and you can still plant plants and vegetables. Additionally, it allows you to get an opportunity to experience the gardening experience without the commitment.
Know Your Sunlight
If you're planning to plant a flower or veggie garden, or any combination of both the amount of sunlight that a particular area gets will determine the effectiveness of your garden. The most bright and most vibrant plants will benefit from full sunlight. They enjoy the direct sunlight of midday that warms soil and plants, and may help to ward off insects and diseases.
In contrast, shady areas can be difficult to work with, but this doesn't mean that you can't cultivate a successful garden there! Shade lovers, like many perennials and annuals, are able to flourish in less-than-favorable conditions. They're only paired with companion plants that don't require lots of direct, bright sunlight to flourish.
To comprehend the sun's requirements of your garden, you should trace its light exposure throughout the day. To do this, grab a sheet of trace paper and sketch the outline of your garden. Begin recording the light and shadows in your yard about two hours after sunrise. Keep doing this every hour up to sunset, and you'll have a great map of how much sunlight your garden gets (and the time of day it receives).
Another alternative is to purchase an inexpensive light meter for your garden which can give you immediate readings. If you don't have one, just be sure to read a plant's tag carefully to determine the amount of hours it requires to flourish (it will usually indicate what kind of light it prefers). Take this information with you to the store when you're shopping for plants.
Be aware of your vegetables
Before you begin to plant anything, take a look at your original vegetable wish list and mark off those vegetables that aren't worth the work to grow for your family. Also, think about the amount of time you'd like to dedicate to gardening. If you don't plan to spend a significant portion of time in the garden choose vegetables that don't require pest control or frequent harvesting. This includes kale or collard greens. It could also include chard, spinach or chard.
If you have a huge garden and aren't new to gardening, then you can probably be more adventurous with your planting choices. If you're beginning with containers or a small garden, then it's recommended to limit your vegetable choices to those that are thriving in these conditions. Cucumbers, tomatoes and peppers are all excellent container vegetables. Berries, herbs and squash are also good choices.
In the end, it's crucial to think about the reason you'd like to grow vegetables in the first in the first place. Do you enjoy eating fresh food or do you want to preserve it for later use? If you are looking to save money you should plant vegetables that are generally expensive to purchase in the stores, like bell peppers, herbs and berries.
If you're looking to eat healthier take into consideration adding more vegetables that are rich in vitamins and minerals. This can include arugula kale, and chard along with a variety of leafy greens, sweet potatoes and Okra.
If you've cultivated vegetables in the past, then think about which varieties worked best. If a particular vegetable didn't do well then don't plant it again. Rotating your garden's crops each year is a great way to decrease the risk of disease and soil loss. This is particularly applicable to crops such as beans and squash, which require a lot of water.