According to statista.com, 2020 saw the global gardening market value reach approximately $104 billion. This only indicates the steady growth in the number of people purchasing gardening equipment and supplies. You might be joining them soon; who knows?
If you’re looking to grow a garden, then it is wise that you equip yourself with valuable gardening tips to get the most out of this venture. Of course, you don’t want plants to die from a heatwave or an infestation of aphids. Imagine a small, green oasis like the famous Grange Gardens sitting in your yard.
Plus, you want to know how to supply just enough water and apply the right fertilizers at the right time. Above all, you sure want to consume healthy vegetables and also reduce grocery bills in this excruciating economy. Alright then! Let’s get down to it.
Top 7 Gardening Tips For a Great Garden
- Location is Key
The importance of your garden’s location cannot be overemphasized because it is a major determinant of other key factors your plants depend on to survive. As a general rule, site your garden at a location with a minimum of six hours of sunlight daily.
This tip applies to vegetable gardens, flower gardens, and any other type of garden. Keep in mind, however, that some vegetables need up to 8 hours of sun a day for the best harvest.
Spinach, broccoli, and lettuce may perform just fine in locations with partial sunlight. Tomatoes and peppers, on the other hand, need as much sunlight as possible.
- Stay Close to a Water Source
It goes without saying that humans will not survive for long without water. The same applies to those beautiful flowers and vegetables that should adorn your garden in the next couple of weeks.
Prioritize water conservation and make sure there’s a nearby water source around the site of your garden. This should help during dry spells or seasons when there is insufficient rainfall.
In addition, you may want to site your garden not too close to a fence, a wall, or an overhanging tree, as such locations tend to be too dry and may hinder plant growth.
- Choose a Rich Soil
The quality of the soil on which you grow your garden is a major determinant of the quality and quantity of your harvest. Or the appearance of your flowers (if it’s a flower garden).
The ideal soil type for a garden is loamy soil. Avoid clay soil that stays wet for long and thin soil types, as they inhibit nutrient absorption by plant roots. The former will suffocate the plants, while the latter will parch them.
If they are the only available options, you’ll have to put in some work to improve the soil quality. This could mean adding compost or animal manure, mulching, or growing cover crops.
- Not Sure, Conduct a Soil Test
The ideal soil composition ratio for a garden is 40% silt, 40% sand, and 20% clay. Recommended soil tests include the drainage test and the pH test. An earthworm test is also advised.
You can purchase a DIY home test kit from a local gardening center or conduct a simple peanut butter jar test. A good place to start is looking at the lawn in the area. If the grass looks lush and fresh, that’s a good sign.
The methods mentioned above are simple and can be done by anyone with guidance from video tutorials on YouTube. However, professional testing is more accurate and thorough, and as such, more recommendable.
- Protection From Wind Is Important
You sure want your pants sheltered from strong winds, as they can topple plants that are extra tall, such as corn and sunflowers. More so, wind causes plants to dry out, reduces transpiration and growth, and causes wind burns.
While solid walls may appear like some sort of shelter, they can cause the wind to form harmful turbulence on the shielded side, causing damage to the plants. As such, avoid planting your garden too close to one.
As an alternative, hedges or woven fences are better options. Rather than deflect the wind, they filter it. Thus, they reduce the impact on the plants.
- Take Extra Caution With Pesticides
It’s guaranteed that you’ll find pests in your garden. While you can simply get rid of these elements using pesticides, you might want to rethink that if you’re growing a vegetable garden. Moreover, a very small percentage of those pests are harmful to your plants.
If not done properly, pesticides pose threats to animals and beneficial insects. Humans may also be at risk when they ingest the produce of the garden because systemic pesticides like mocrotophos, roger, and domocran penetrate fruits and vegetables.
Only use pesticides when necessary, and make sure to do so with apt attention to the manufacturer’s guide. The best time to apply pesticides to your garden is late in the evening. Applying them in the morning may be harmful to beneficial insects, such as pollinators.
- Apply Fertilizers Appropriately
It is best practice to use organic compost instead of fertilizer. If applied wrongly, fertilizers may have other unforeseen adverse effects on the plants, such as soil mineral depletion, oxygen depletion, defoliation, dry leaves, and wilting, when applied excessively.
Those are some of the disadvantages of over fertilization. Seek professional advice before applying fertilizer to your farm if you have no idea how it is done. If you’ve already made this mistake, you can only wait it out and pray for the best.
Some general garden fertilization tips include:
- Applying in a proportion that is in tandem with the district’s annual recommended rate
- Applying to the soil when it is sufficiently wet
- Fertilize only when necessary, which can be deduced when leaves develop light green color and dark green veins.
Conclusion
Putting the tips I have suggested above to good use could make all the difference between a rich-looking garden with a beautiful harvest at the end of the season and a sickly-looking garden with yellowish leaves.
Preparation before starting is key. But if you have already dug in, it isn’t too late to implement the tips shared here. Do well to reach out to us if you found this page helpful, if you have any questions, or if you need professional guidance.
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