Saturday, October 6, 2012

Read This Article On Gardening To Become A Master

By Phillip Roosevelt


In the world of gardening, there are plenty of great resources available to both new and experienced gardeners alike. There are many classes, e-guides, books, videos, magazines, and other resources available. This set of tips contains some of the best advice for helping a good gardener become a great gardener.

Disbud your plants. Disbudding is the method of 'pinching out' new growth buds to encourage bushier growth and showier flowers. New buds are produced at the leaf axil (where the stem and leaf stalk are attached). By pinching out the top buds, you will encourage the lower buds to grow more freely. This also ensures that the plant has a much longer growing season. Plants that benefit from disbudding include sweet pea, carnation, fuchsia, aster and marigold.

When planning your first garden start small. Many people try to do too much when they first start planning. They don't realize all of the work that goes into a garden and so they get in over their head. Start with no bigger than a one hundred square foot plot, and your garden will have a much better chance of succeeding.

So you have finally decided you want to plant a garden. One of the first things you will want to do is to find out if you have good or bad soil. The only sure way you will know this is to have the soil tested. Many nurseries will test your soil for a nominal fee. Soil with poor health will produce yellow, sickly-looking plants. By having your soil tested, you will know if your soil needs nutrients added or if you need to make adjustments to the pH of the soil.

It is best to use organic mulches because mulch slowly decays and adds nutrients to the soil which improves the soil structure. Organic mulches include buckwheat hulls, coffee grounds, shredded corn stalks, manure, peat moss, pecan hulls, pine needles, sawdust, sphagnum moss, stone chips, bark and wood chips, grass clippings, newspaper, straw, tree leaves, compost and evergreen branches.

To produce the largest and tastiest fruits and vegetables from vine plants, don't be afraid to pinch off blossoms, as well as the vine, that often trails far and away from the main plant. If you minimize the blossoms on a plant and the distance from the plant to those blossoms, the plant is better able to provide more nutrients to the blossoms that remain which will then result in the biggest and best fruits and vegetables.

Slide your fingernails against a bar of soap to prevent dirt from getting under your nails. The dirt doesn't necessarily hurt you, but you will save time and effort when cleaning your hands later. Instead of having to dig underneath your nails, you can just use a nailbrush to quickly remove the soap residue.

Taking care of your garden is not rocket science. As you have read from this article, there are many simple things that you can do to keep your garden looking lovely. Try different things, and choose the methods that are most suitable for your lifestyle. When you learn the right methods, your garden is sure to thrive.




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