Gardening Basic Skills

Stating small is the smartest way to start gardening. A plant bed that is approximately 25-30 square feet is just about perfect and will provide enough space for around 30 plants. In this way you can try out that green thumb of yours and see if you do a good job with your garden and enjoy it then you always have the possibility of expanding and increasing your plantings.

Choosing a site comes next. A spot that gets sunlight for a minimum of six hours is ideal. Do not do the planting too near large trees, as these will deprive your plants of nutrients and water. Also steer clear of fences and buildings by at least 3 feet. When planting in rather hot climates, choosing a location that will get some shade from the intense sun in the afternoon is a great idea. Even with 10-12 hours of the sunlight it’s possible to maintain a healthy and beautiful garden provided the plants are adaptable. Although the garden soil can be improved, yet it is always a good thing to have good soil. Areas that should be avoided are that having rocky soil, water logging soil or those with steep slopes.

Now we come to the real part … just dig on. Whatever gardening may be, for sure it isn’t a very clean hobby, to say the least! The first step is to remove any debris/rocks, or weeds or grass and then to dig the land about up to one feet deep. After leveling up the soil, add the minerals or compost if required. In case your soil is bit too acidic, just add some lime or if it’s too sandy then add some peat moss. Some fertilizer, if added, will facilitate the plant’s growth in soil that’s neutral to acidic.

Seeds should always be planted in accordance with the instructions. When choosing plants, make sure you choose the ones with healthy looking green leaves as well as stem and roots. Place the shorter plants in front of bed and the larger ones at the back. Planting done at the correct time is crucial to successful gardening. Waiting till the frosts get over is a better idea.

Making sure that plants receive thorough care and enough amount of water since these factors are crucial for their growth. For a small number of plants hand watering may work well. Otherwise you may need to use sprinklers. Watering is most efficient during that part in the day that is cooler. Although the plant type may determine the amount of water needed, yet most plants require around an inch of water per week, while during hottest periods, the plants will need watering approximately thrice a week.

Adding compost or mulch is very often the most useful thing you can do for a garden. A couple of inches deep organic mulch can improve soil fertility and also help in moisture retention in soil.