Happy Gardening Tips for Growing A Wonderful Organic Garden
Gardening helps us enrich our surroundings while helping us bond with the earth and the environment. A large part of the process includes finding suitable ways of nourishing the plants while helping the planet. Many gardeners are adopting greener and carbon-footprint friendly solutions and growing organically while controlling pest problems. While there are many 'green' commercially available products, they can be pricey, and the good news is there are pest problems, organic, effective, and inexpensive solutions lying around your kitchen.
This guide is centered on happy gardening tips concerning natural pest deterrents. We will look at the simple household items that can shield your plants, the advantages of companion planting, and some lovely perennials that will add beauty to your garden.
How to Use Garlic in Your Garden
Most organic farmers consider a single bulb of garlic to be a valuable ally in the fight for a successful harvest. While garlic is a strongly loved culinary condiment to many, to most common garden pests, the intense odor and flavor is absolutely repulsive. Garlic's function is more along the lines of a repellent rather than a pesticide. This means the pests are instead encouraged to find different areas to infest rather than their numbers being actively reduced. This provides the organic gardener with a gentle first defensive line against invaders of their precious harvest.
There are 2 main strategies to use garlic for pest control.
Planting Garlic Strategically.
Natural and simple, the long lasting method of pest control is achieved by planting garlic cloves around other desirable plants. This method of companion garlic planting shows exceptional results with many of the popular additions to the garden. Garlic is especially effective when planted near tomatoes, helping to protect them from the red spider mites that quickly damage a plant’s foliage. Garlic also works when positioned around the base of fruit trees as a repellant for borer beetles that lay their eggs in tree trunks, causing the tree severe damage and potential death.
Homemade Garlic Spray
People can experience more instant effects of garlic when they use homemade garlic spray. You can prepare a fine garlic spray by mixing garlic cloves and water or oil together in a blender.
Water-Based Spray: Spray this mixture on the leaves of the vegetables and flowers. It can help avoid rabbits and deer munching on your soft greens. You can quickly prepare the garlic water by mixing a few garlic cloves with two cups of water in a blender. Don’t forget to let the mixture steep for a day and remove the thick parts.
Oil-Based Spray: This type of spray also sticks to the leaves longer. It can help keep a wide variety of annoying creatures away. To install this spray, chop a head of garlic and leave it soaked in two tablespoons of mineral oil for a day. Remove the garlic, and with the oil you water a pint of water with a teaspoon of liquid soap to help the oil and water mix. This oil can also help with mosquito larvae in still water, like a pond or birdbath.
Natural Solutions To Try from Home
Your home has items that can be used for garden pest control, these solutions can be effective and save money while cutting waste.
Boric Acid: A Natural Pesticide
Boric acid is a compound that is naturally mined in the Mojave Desert. It has been used in home solutions and pest control for a long time. Unlike garlic, acid is a true pesticide and kills pests rather than just pushing them away. It works especially well in powdered form against pests with exoskeletons, including ants, cockroaches, termites, fleas, ticks, and beetles. It also works on slugs and scorpions.
Boric acid also has antifungal ingredients, which can help with controlling mildew and other fungal diseases on the plants. It is slightly toxic and should be handled with care. It's slightly toxic to humans and pets, a toxicity level somewhere next to table salt, and needs to be treated as such, though it should not be ingested. Be careful of plants that your pet might want to eat and use it on the plants a lot.
How To Make A Simple Soap Spray To Remove Aphids & Other Bug Pests
Soft bodied insects which include aphids and small flies can be effectively controlled with just soap and water. Simply mix some liquid soap and water to create a mixture which breaks down the aphid's outer protective layer and causes dehydration. For a more potent spray, mix in a few more ingredients to create a "knockout" spray consisting of hot chili peppers, horseradish root and leaves, spearmint, and with green onion tops. This mixture can be added to the soap and water solution to help protect your roses and other ornamentals from a variety of pests and thieves!
The Art of Planting in Pairs
Companion planting is a specific gardening strategy where you place plants close together for mutual benefit. This practice is based on a phenomenon known as allelopathy, where one plant releases biochemicals which can help or inhibit another. This can be repelling harmful insects from the plants, or attracting beneficial insects, or enhancing the health of the soil.
This technique provides multiple benefits for food crops. Vegetables, for example, can be shielded from their major pests by interplanting them with compatible herbs or other veggies. It is claimed that basil, for example, can be planted with tomatoes to deter tomato hornworms. Also, marigolds are known for their ability to deter nematodes that are present in the soil. Such balanced plantings are likely to produce a more self-supporting and balanced garden ecosystem.
Most attractive Perennials for the Garden
Even though plant protection is essential, the initial step to having a magnificent garden is to select an appropriate plant. Perennials are the best option because it is a one time investment and they become more attractive and bigger as the years go by. They also multiply each planting season. A variety of hardy perennials that are appropriate for a garden can be found at TN Nursery.
Trilliums
Trilliums are characterized by an unusual type of flower with three petals, while other woodland flowers are more traditional. For their charming appearance, these flowers are perfect for shady and moist gardens, and they tend to go very well with other flowers.
Daisies
Another flower that is famous for their charming appearance, and is very easy to grow, is the daisy. For their charming appearance, these flowers are perfect for shady and moist gardens, and they tend to go very well with other flowers.
Daylilies
Because daylilies are so adaptable and tough, they are available in many colours and can grow in many environments. Their trumpet shaped flowers open in the summer and give off a continuous fragrance'
Daffodils
Welcome the start of spring with flowering daffodils. You can also enjoy them year after year since these flowering perennials with bulbs will naturalize easily. Also, they are deer resistant, a huge plus!
Geraniums
These lovely shrubs are perennials and can get confused with the annual pelargoniums. These are true geraniums, sometimes called cranesbills, and are mound forms with groundcovering foliage. Many of them bloom with delicate flowers for a long time in the summer.
Using considerate plant selection and intelligent organic pest management, you can design a yard that is sustainable and pleasing to the eye.
Find the Plants you love Most
If you wish to work towards your garden goal, the first step to achieving a beautiful growing garden with a host of plants is to get the plants! Pick from the many perennials, trees, and shrubs we offer and get your perfect plants today!
Come visit TN Nursery today and check out our most popular and best selling plants. Make a start on your positive gardening journey with us today!
FAQs
What is the most common mistake of first time gardeners?
The thing that most newer gardeners do is overwatering their plants. While it is true that this comes from a place of wanting to care for your plants, it can actually be harmful. Suffocating a plant's roots and rotting can happen. It's best to check the soil first. Stick a finger in the soil at least an inch and if it is dry then it is time to water.
What are the three golden rules for garden design?
Think of it through unity, balance, and scale. Unity is when you repeat a specific plant or color to build a garden that looks together. Balance is when you stabilize the garden by arranging the plants so it's not lopsided and instead looks proportionate. Scale involves placing plants that are the proper size with your house and yard and along with balanced spacing.
Is it okay to plant plants in October?
Yes, absolutely it is good to plant in October. It is a really good time to plant in many areas for trees, shrubs, and weeds. During the summer the soil is warm and helps with root growth and when fall comes the air throughout the foliage on the plants is cooled down.
What not to plant in the fall?
Do not plant tender annuals or warm-season vegetables like tomatoes and peppers because they will not withstand the first frost. Avoid planting in fall as well for cold sensitive plants and plants that need warm temps in order to set strong roots before winter
Can I just throw flower seeds on the ground?
For some rugged wildflower seeds this may provide some success. However, it is better to prepare the planting in order to get the seeds to grow. For most seeds it is better to clear the area of weeds, loosen the soil, and press the seeds on top of the soil for good contact, as this will aid in germination and growth.
