Developing basic gardening skills
If you want to grow healthy plants that are strong and productive, then acquiring some basic gardening skills is a must. Not only will they help you produce high-quality produce, they will also make your time spent in the garden more enjoyable.
We've put together this brief introduction to gardening and the basics of what it takes to develop basic gardening skills.
In this post, we'll cover topics like how to choose plants for your garden, prepare your soil properly, and identify weeds that might be taking up valuable space. After reading this article, you'll know how to start your first garden and know what to do and what not to do.
Gardening Basics
The first thing you should consider when starting a garden is that it will be something you will want to have around all year round, so it’s best not to use any annual plants. This means that you will need perennials because they are carefree, as they grow from seeds and store their energy during the winter months.
As well as ensuring your plants have a suitable environment, there are also several other things that you should consider when picking out a place for your garden. For example, your location should be suitable for the plant’s growing zone. The growing zone of a plant is the region where it is capable of growing under optimal conditions.
To find out more about your growing zone, check with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) or try searching online.
After you've picked out your plants, in order to ensure a successful harvest you'll need to prepare your soil properly before planting. Not only will you want to prepare the soil but it's also important that you amend it too. To amend means to add nutrients and organic matter such as compost, manure and peat moss. The amendments will help improve the structure and fertility as well as water retention of the soil.
You should follow a three-step process when preparing your soil: add amendments, mix them in thoroughly and then get the water into the soil in order to ensure that everything has drained properly.
Diseases and Weeds
One of the most common garden problems is weeds. They are a problem that everyone experiences and it's always something to check for when planning out your garden. According to The Garden Center Association there are around two hundred different species of annual weeds in the US alone, so it's best to stay on top of them.
There are two main types of weeds: annual and perennial. Since annual weeds grow from seeds each year, you will need to remove them each season before they go to seed and re-grow next year. Perennial weeds, on the other hand, will re-grow from the same spot year after year unless you remove them completely. This article on how to get rid of weeds will help you to deal with any weeds either way.
Lastly, many people put a lot of thought into the food that they grow, but just as important is what their plant is grown in and sometimes what their home is like too.
There are a few things that can be done to try and prevent the spread of disease or harsh consequences. For example, if you have a nearby chicken coop then it might be best to keep horses away from it, as they have a bit of an affinity for eating chickens.
The same goes for your plants - if you're in the area that is prone to windblown diseases like mildew, then there's no benefit in growing plants that are susceptible. You can also try to create a microclimate around your garden which will help keep some disease at bay. To do this, just plant your tomatoes up against the garden fence or in pots close to the house so that air doesn't have much to travel over them.
It's also good practice to prune some of your plants. If they’re healthy and happy then you can trim them in order to remove diseased or dead leaves. This will help prevent the spread of any disease or bacteria which may be present on the leaves.
The most important part of basic gardening skills is choosing the right plant for the right place at the right time – this will help ensure that your garden grows healthy produce that can feed you and your family throughout the year.
Resources: http://www.gardengrovegifts.com/articles/Developing-Basic-Gardening-Skills/67412, http://www.gardens365.com/how-to-get-rid-of-weeds/
Hello fellow gardener, Jeff here with another post on gardening basics. After learning about the ten most commonly grown fruits you may want to try some of them in your garden.
If you're a first time gardener then make sure you start out with more practical type plants like tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. As you become more experienced you can experiment with other plants like gourds, squash and sweet melon. These types of plants tend to be a lot larger than other fruits so they look great in the garden too. To add some unique shapes to your garden consider growing squash balls and zucchini spirals.
If you're new to the garden then it's a good idea to get familiar with things like gardening tools and the basics of garden plants by reading this post here. Once you have an idea about what plants you actually want to grow in your garden, it's time to start choosing them. Selecting plants is the easiest part of gardening because you can grow just about anything.
The best way to choose plants is by looking at their size, flavor and unique shape or color. You'll also want to consider how easy they are to grow since some plants will be more challenging than others.
If you're going to grow more than one vegetable then it's a good idea to plant them together in the same garden space. This way they can give off a balanced harvest and you should have fresh vegetables throughout the season. It also gives you an opportunity to enjoy both plants together, which you may not be able to do with their individual plantings.
Once you have your garden space prepared then it’s time for planting those seeds or starting your seedlings off. If you're growing plants from seed then check out this article about sowing and planting seeds before trying it out yourself.
Conclusion
Once you know the basics of gardening then you'll be able to grow your own fresh produce with ease. You'll also be well on your way to developing more gardening skills and building up a good vegetable garden.
If you have any questions feel free to comment below or visit the Garden Center Association for an article about soil preparation. You can also check out https://www.knowgardens.org/basics for more information about being a gardener and preserving knowledge through lectures, seminars and conferences. Finally, if you want to try some of the flavorful garden fruits that are mentioned in this post, click on this link to get some ideas from Everything Home Magazine (affiliate links).