Who doesn’t like to have a garden full of blooming flowers, candied fruits, green vegetables, and lush plants? Well, it’s not easy, a lot of effort and hard work goes into taking care of gardens. The busy city lives don’t leave people with enough time to garnish their outdoor spaces. A healthy garden can bring charm to your outdoor space, making it an ideal place to recline and peace out.
If you are passionate about gardening, then there’s nothing stopping you from it. At the same time, having some knowledge regarding cultivation is crucial. Here are some tips for maintaining your garden throughout the year. No matter if your yard is small or big, it needs regular maintenance.
Examine your Plants
A healthy garden calls out for some hardy plants. Thus, you must examine and monitor the health of plants. But can you differentiate between a healthy and an infected plant? Several signs can help judge whether the plant is healthy or not.
Dead spots on plants and dead stems are clear signs of an infected plant. Alongside, plants with bugs and slugs are also infected. You can thoroughly check the roots of a plant to determine its health. Moreover, these diseases are likely to spread quickly amongst the plants. So, if one of them is infected, all other plants are at risk of catching that disease.
Feed the Soil
Making the right choice of fertilizer is as essential as choosing the right food for yourself. It’s because the soil alone doesn’t provide enough nutrients and can hinder growth. Fertilizers consist of all the necessary nutrients that plants need to grow.
Do you know what’s more important? Excessive fertilizer can result in burnt roots, while limited fertilizer can make your plants nutrient-deprived. The best way to judge your soil needs is by grabbing a pH meter. It allows you to test the soil, giving an accurate idea of how many nutrients the plants need.
Hydrate your Plants
Many people believe, watering plants is all they have to do when it comes to gardening. Indeed, keeping plants hydrated is one of the most important things, but unsurprisingly, not the only thing. All the nutrients delivered through fertilizers transfer to plants through the water. It is the reason why you have to water your plants regularly.
However, the hectic routine of many people doesn’t allow them to regularly water the plants. Don’t worry; you can get the plants like Chrysanthemum or Gardenia as they require less watering. They are moist and require watering thrice or twice a week.
Regular Pruning Sessions
Maintaining plants all year along is quite challenging. The changing weather conditions call out for regular maintenance of the plants. You know how the chilly winter winds can be very harsh on the plants. So, once winters are over, opt for pruning and trimming sessions to eliminate any risks of diseases.
The procedure of pruning is all about getting rid of the dead and infected branches. It helps in getting rid of the damaged plants. Equip yourself with a sharp tool to make accurate cuts. If you think, this is not your cup of tea, then feel free to hire a professional.
Make Space for Roots
If you come across plants that are side by side, then create some space between them. Roots need a lot of space to grow, and not having enough space can result in some severe problems in the future. Several plants at a small place can create some deteriorating conditions because the air can’t pass through. Alongside, also hinders sunlight from reaching every corner.
Thus, while placing the plants, you have to be very careful and avoid placing them side by side, or the roots are likely to collapse.
Look out for Bugs
The most alarming and threatening moment is when you notice bugs and slugs wandering on the leaves. You have to be extra careful with insects because they can destroy your plants in no time. They are prone to eating leaves and roots of the plants which damage their health.
You can create a spray with a mixture of dish soap and water as it keeps the bugs away. Start spraying this regularly on plants to eliminate any risk of insects. Moreover, you can leave the leftover beer underneath the plants, and in the case of slugs, they’ll instantly dig into it.
Use Harmless Sprays
There are various types of sprays you can use that may be harmless as far as humans and pets are concerned, but incredibly useful for repelling pests. Diatomaceous earth is a popular ingredient that is used to fight many types of pests. According to Wikipedia, diatomaceous earth can absorb lipids from insect exoskeletons, which dehydrates and kills them. This ingredient is commonly sprinkled near crops, and you can even mix it with water and spray it on your plants for maximum effectiveness.
Other sprays that organic gardeners can employ include, but are not limited to oil sprays, garlic sprays, hot pepper sprays, baby shampoo, and essential oils. For your convenience, you can load these sprays into pest control equipment, which makes applying them to your plants much easier.
Mulch the Garden
It becomes quite difficult for plants to survive through the winter season. You can’t put all your effort into the drain just because winters are around the corner. Thus, consider using some mulch to cover your soil. It protects it from chilly winter winds and snow.
Furthermore, it creates a barrier between the soil and air, not allowing the brisk winds to pass through it, letting the plants remain healthy. However, avoid putting a lot of mulch because it can also damage plants.
Make the Right Choice of Plants
Don’t you look up to having a beautiful garden? Everyone has preferences when it comes to choosing plants and flowers. After all, it’s your garden, and you’re free to make choices, but there are certain things which you have to keep in mind.
Your garden will only look enticing if you make the right choice of plants, depending on the environment of where you live. For instance – if you expose an indoor plant to the sun, it can get damaged in no time. Therefore, having prior knowledge regarding plants is very important.
Clean it up!
The changing seasons and climatic conditions surely call out for some amendments in your garden. Don’t you come across leaves lying on the ground when the fall season is around the corner? For some people, this sort of environment looks aesthetically pleasing, but it can transfer diseases to new plants. Thus, getting rid of all the dead leaves can create a healthy environment, allowing the new plants to grow correctly.
Maintaining and creating an eco-friendly is not an easy task. At times it is very daunting too. But having one is very beneficial not only for the environment but for your family as well. This infographic from Capital Garden Services summarizes everything you need to do to make your garden as eco-friendly as possible.
Wrapping Up
Maintaining a garden all year long is not a piece of cake. It’s a mixture of effort, hard work, and some knowledge regarding plants and gardening. Besides, it’s only for nature-loving people who are compassionate for gardening. If you don’t know how to take care of plants the entire year, have a look at the tips mentioned above to maintain your garden throughout the year.
