Starting and garden can be hard – maintaining it can be even harder, especially when you still working on cultivating that green thumb of yours. Whether you’re a gardening newbie or pro, these 13 tips are sure to get your garden growing strong and fierce year-round.
1. Know Your Zone!
This is absolutely a gardening must! Make sure you are aware of what plants grow best in your climate year-round so you aren’t constantly battling the seasons. Doing this can ultimately be a major water-saving move in the long run.
2. Always Plant on a Level Surface
Whether it’s planter boxes or a natural slope, you want to make sure your plants are staying level – this helps prevent runoff from gathering in one area while making sure that your plants are actually getting the water their need before it drains away.
3. Water Often and Water Right!
Plants need water, but it can vary on how much they’ll need. Make sure you’re always giving your garden a healthy drink of water, especially for any hanging planters. Pro tip: Water in the morning to help conserve water, and distribute your water evenly around the base, instead of directly on the stems to avoid injuring your plant.
4. Personally Water Your Precious Plants
Sprinklers can be seriously useful for large lawns, but often can overwater or underwater your garden. Invest your time into personally watering your plants – it really makes all the difference!
5. Don’t Tolerate Pesky Weeds
Some weeds can be harmless, but they can overcrowd your plants and make your garden look messy. Hand-picking is the best option for weeding, but lightly hoeing your soil can be another effective way of tidying up your space. Be careful with hoeing as it can be detrimental to your plants if you nick one of their roots.
6. Remember to Wear Gloves
I know we already covered how to cure your “gardener’s hands” with an easy DIY recipe, but really. Gloves are so much more important than just keeping your hands feeling soft and luxurious – they also protect you against any harmful bugs or plants that could be lurking in your garden!
7. Get Ready to Soak Those Seeds!
Yep, you’d better believe it. Soaking your plant seeds in warm tap water for up to 24 hours helps the seeds to grow stronger and faster. Pro tip: All seeds can benefit from various amounts of soaking. Don’t leave your seeds to soak for longer than 24 hours, or you might find some of your seeds beginning to rot!
8. Use Hanging Planters to Save Space
It’s no secret that fruits and veggies can eat up a lot of space in your garden. Try planting your harvest foods in baskets instead of in the ground. Not only does it look great, but it gives you the freedom to plant even more things in your garden without the commitment!
9. Make Your Own Organic & DIY Pesticides
In case you hadn’t already heard, chemicals can be immensely harmful for not only your garden, but also for your health, especially when used on fruits or vegetables. We recommend trying some DIY recipes for purely organic pesticides that won’t bring in any nasty, unnatural chemicals to your space or your diet.
10. The Wonder that is Coffee-Fertilizer
Tired of dumping your coffee grounds? Don’t worry – we are too! But did you know that coffee grounds can actually be used as another form of organic pest-repellents, while also fertilizing your soil? Yeah, we didn’t either. At least now there’s an excuse to have that extra cup of coffee each morning!
11. All Aboard the Compost Train
Not only is coffee a good compostable item, but so are eggshells due to their high levels of vitamins and calcium! Spread these around your plants to also give your plants an extra boost.
12. Compost Fallen Leaves for 100% Natural Fertilizer
If you don’t like coffee and you don’t eat eggs, you still have a good source of fertilizer – old leaves. That’s right, all you need to do is pile up your old leaves and give them time to compost. Pro tip: After composting your leaves, mix them with your garden soil and redistribute. You’ll see results in no time!
13. Plant Some Natural Mosquito-Repellants!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family!
If you want to enjoy your garden but can’t because of mosquitos, then we totally have you covered. Getting a few natural mosquito-repellant plants, such as lemon balm, into your garden can make all the difference. Check out this post to find the right mosquito-repellant plant for you!
Let us know in the comments if you have any more suggestions for beginner gardeners!
