The Hidden Truths About Gardening Year Round

Lots of people think that gardening is a tough task to accomplish, but thats false, if you know how to do it. Knowing what it takes to correctly grow your plants will take you from an amateur to a master in no time. This article will introduce you to gardening tips that can help you become a master gardener.

Transform the handles of your tools into convenient measuring devices. Tools that have long handles such as rakes, hoes and shovels can be used in place of a measuring stick. Lay the handles on the floor, then run the measuring tape down next to them. Mark the measurements with a permanent marker. When you are gardening next, youll have a ruler beside you at all times.

To make sure you dont accidentally dig up bulbs in the following year, mark them with twigs. They should stay in place over the winter, and will be an easy reminder when youre planting new things in the spring. This is especially nice because you dont have to buy anything beforehand. Just grab some nearby twigs and put them in place.

To rid your plants of red spider mite, use old coffee grounds. Take the grounds and mix them with water in a spray bottle. Head over to your plants and spray all the infected areas. The caffeine in the grounds will help your plants fight off the spider mite, and unlike many other caffeinated beverage, theres nothing in coffee grounds that will harm your plants.

Exercise

To avoid injuring yourself while gardening, be sure to do some warm-up stretches before starting your project. Most people may not think of gardening as exercise, but injuries like pulled muscles frequently occur in the garden. You should also be sure to move around and not stay in one position for a long period of time.

Growing your own vegetable garden, whether large or small, offers many benefits. You will eat better! Fresh vegetables offer more vitamins than those which have been processed. Planting and doing upkeep on your garden will also help provide exercise which leads to better fitness. It will also save you a significant amount of money at the grocery store!

Nutrition

When youre picking vegetables from your garden, choose to harvest them when they are at the peak of ripeness for the best flavor and the most nutrition. It is best to pick vegetables and fruits in the early morning, because they are still full of moisture and nutrients. With only a few exceptions, anything that youre not going to use right away can then be preserved by chilling in the refrigerator.

To give your plant great nutrition without spending a lot of money, use leaves! Leaves are one of the best plant foods available. Try covering any exposed soil in your garden with small, shredded leaves. This will enrich the soil and will allow it to provide better nutrition to your plants.

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.

Clearly, it isnt hard to be a good gardener. You just have to know the tricks of the trade. When you have the correct information, gardening can be both easy and fun. The tips we have provided are a great place to start on your path to becoming an expert gardener.