Tips, Tricks, And Advice For A Thriving Garden

Plants are often grown best in their native environments. This article helps to list many of the benefits of growing native plants, and the way that foreign plants react to certain environments. Based on many factors of growth, such as light and soil acidity, it may be wise to look into artificial environments, greenhouses or indoor growing of specific plants.

If you would like to create an eye-catching fall garden with a lot of height and contrasting colors, try planting spiky plants like the New Zealand flax, the yucca or tall ornamental grasses. Add drama with texture and color by adding chartreuse plants like the Golden Spirit smoke bush or the Tiger Eyes sumac. To contrast the chartreuse color, plant purple plants alongside the chartreuse plants like the Black Lace elderberry or Loropetalum.

When you buy young bare-root trees, keep the root ball moist until your are ready to plant. If the roots dry out, the tree will weaken or die. You should plant the tree as soon as you bring it home. If you cannot, lay the tree on its side and cover the roots with moist peat moss, then cover the roots with a tarp.

Save seeds from the garden for a new crop next time. Not only are seeds expensive, but why even bother with going to the store when they can be obtained from the previous crop. The convenience from having a steady supply on hand is also a plus. Use vegetables that are harvested when fully ripe such as melons, tomatoes, beans and squash for best results.

As you cut your grass, do not trim it too low to the ground. If you leave a bit more height, the grass roots will get deeper, making your lawn stronger. Cutting your grass too short will cause it to dry out and turn brown in patches throughout your yard.

Small pebbles and stones make excellent plant markers. To keep track of your plants while simultaneously adding a touch of natural beauty to your garden, collect some pebbles and stones. Find stones with a fairly smooth surface, and use a permanent marker or a little paint to place your plant names on them. This is a much prettier and more natural solution than the traditional plastic tags that clutter up most gardens.

If you have many potted plants, do not water them all the same way. Some plants do well with plenty of water, whereas other plants might prefer a drier soil. Over-watering can do as much damage to a plant as under-watering. So, be mindful of what types of plants that you have in the pots, and water them appropriately.

To keep pests out of your garden without using chemicals, try planting onions at your garden's borders. The scent of the onion will work as a natural repellent and will keep many creatures from disturbing your plants. As an added bonus, this allows you to regularly have fresh onions to use in your cooking.

Make sure that you are familiar with the level of humidity that your garden plants require. Some plants simply cannot survive without proper levels of humidity. Some plants require high humidity or tropical conditions, while others require arid or desert levels of humidity. Educating yourself will help you to avoid poor plant choices.

Put a fence around your garden. It keeps out dogs, kids and a wide variety of other creatures that might try to invade your space. If there are gophers where you live, you can also try using raised beds in your garden with screened in bottoms. The extra effort is worth the frustration it will save you.

Keep an eye on your lilies. Unfortunately, lilies are prone to virus disease, such as lily mosaic. If you can, purchase bulbs that are guaranteed 'virus-free'. During the growing season, keep a sharp look out for any aphids, as they spread the disease. Make sure to spray with insecticidals soap at the very first sign of them.

To ensure the vitality of your garden, research what plants are native to your area. While imported plants may look lovely, they may have health difficulties growing in your climate. Native plants and produce will easily be able to adapt to changes in the weather, and will keep your garden healthy and strong.

Choose specific plants for dry soil. Light and sandy soils have many advantages: they warm up quickly in the springtime and drain well after wet weather. The downside is they can quickly become very dry in the summer, and plants have to work hard to extract enough moisture to survive. Certain plants are very tolerant of dry conditions, as long as they are given a helping hand when young. Once established they do well with very little water. These plants include alyssum, cosmos, hebe, lavender, rosemary, sedum and veronica.

Remember to mulch before the first freeze. Spread compost or shredded leaves around the garden, mulching under shrubs, hedges, roses, and on top of the crown of any tender perennials. A layer of compost spread on bare ground will help to protect any bulbs, corms or plant roots. By springtime, this compost will have been taken into the ground by worms, and your soil will be full of nutrition, ready for new planting.

To reiterate from this article, it's generally best to grow native plants in their native lands. This applies to grass, trees, fruits and vegetables and even, some herbs. Plant life has adapted over millions of years to best suit its environment, whether it be through frost-resistant stems or competitive uptake of minerals. Understanding the basics of these evolutionary advancements can benefit, even the amateur gardener.

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