5 Tips to quality gardening

Gardening is one of those activities that is great for a simple hobby or it can be one to express ones passion. Whatever gardening is for you, it is an activity that can at the minimum produce you some food for you and your family to an activity that can also challenge your abilities.

No matter what our level of gardening experience, we are always looking for a few tips and tricks to help us move to the next level. Whether you are a beginner or more seasoned, this article is for you. We have put some tips together for you that will advance your gardening experience.

Soil is your foundation

The first thing that we need to understand, to grow proper plants, we need to have good soil and not just dirt. Yes, there is a difference between soil and dirt. Dirt is basically sand, silt and clay, it contains no minerals, nutrients nor the living organisms that makes up soil. Dirt lacks the texture and structure that is needed to produce the life that comes from soil.

When planning what we are to grow, whether vegetables, flowers or fruit, we need to take into consideration the demands of what we are going to be growing in that location. If you find out that your soil not up to growing what you plan to grow there, you need treat it.

The best way to take your dirt and make it soil or to enhance your soil is to add compost. Compost is simply a compilation of simple organic matter. Compost is nothing more than organic matter such as animal waste, leaves, kitchen scraps and grass clippings. As these items break down, they will attract the beneficial organisms that is necessary to start breaking them down. As this material breaks down it attracts worms, fungi, microbes and bacteria.

Proper Planning

When it comes to growing an abundant crop, it does not happen simply from planting more plants in less space. The reality of this is, you generally end up with less produce. The reason this is, overcrowding causes increased stress on the plant and when a plant is stressed it diverts its energy from production of fruit to simply fighting to exist. re

So, as you start to look at planning your flower or vegetable garden or your fruit plants, you need to review how much space is needed to grow that particular plant. Take one of the most poplar plants to grow, tomatoes. To get the best production from your tomato plant you need a minimum of 24 inches between each plant, but it is better at 36 inches.

With this information you can figure out how long and how many rows you will need in your garden plot.  Let’s say you want to grow twelve tomato plants. You will need to have a row of at least 26 feet to 38 feet in length plus about 36 inches wide.

Other crops will have their own spacing, so when it comes to gardening make sure to take time to properly plan your garden

Tool Care.

If there is one thing that tends to fall into, “I will get around to it when I have time” it is the care of our tools. The reason that this needs to be more prevalent in a good gardeners activity list is, clean and sharp tools aid in the amount of time it takes to do the task at hand. When our tools are left dirty or the cutting edges get dulled, the way they move through the soil is harder.  When it comes to transplanting our plants, not only will a dull tool be harder to work with, it can also cause damage to the root system. Rather than slicing clean through the roots, it will blunt and tear at the roots. When this happens, you hinder the plants ability to absorb the nutrients that you worked so hard to get into your soil.

Give your plants a regular checkup.

The number one enemy of your garden is harmful pests. Because of this potential, it is a good idea to understand the potential pests that can affect your various plants. Because of this potential is a good idea to spend a little time on a regular basis looking for any signs of leaves that have wilted or been eaten. As soon as you spot these signs, the time to act is now.

One of the best ways to reduce harmful pest is to make sure that your plants do not become stressed. This is achieved by giving your plants the proper nutrients in good soil along with proper spacing.

Keep experimenting

When it comes to gardening, there are too many things not to try. This is not to say that you simply replace your tried and true favorites but throw in a new variety of tomatoes or beans. Let your garden become an adventure, not just for your taste buds but for your eyes.

Just think, who would have thought that you could grow tomatoes upside down or that you could not grow potatoes in bags or wooden boxes.

Who knows, maybe you will be the next person to show the world a new kind of produce or a new and imaginative way to grow. Let go and lets grow.