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Tips on Getting Started in Gardening

Getting started on your first garden can be a lot of fun. If you follow these easy tips, you’ll be proud of your lovely, blooming garden soon!

• Find a good place for your garden. If you are planning to grow flowers, choose a site which is close to the door, or one which you can see from your favourite window. This will help keep you motivated, and help you to enjoy your garden.
• You must take into account the growing conditions required by the plant which you are growing. If you are growing vegetables, they require at least six hours of sun exposure in a day. Most flowering plants also require the same amount.

Also take into consideration where the sun hits your site. Many plants turn their faces towards the sun, so if your view of the garden is from a west window, then they may face away from you during the afternoon. And, afternoon sun will be hotter than the morning sun, in addition to being more drying. Other elements of exposure such as high, drying winds and heavy foot traffic must also be considered.

• Once you have picked a good location, it is time to check the soil. It is a very important part of gardening. Is it acid or alkaline? Check the soil pH to make sure. Some plants are not able to take up nutrients unless the pH of the soil is within the range acceptable to them. A neutral range works for most plants, but some are more particular. Check the plant tag if you are growing plants from a nursery.

Also check the texture of the soil. This refers to whether it is sandy, rocky, heavy clay or, ideally, sandy loam. Compost can be added to improve the texture.

• While preparing the bed, weeds must be cleared. This can be done either by removing them completely, or by smothering them. A sharp, flat-edged blade can be used to remove the sod. This is an essential procedure. If you start with good, well-tilled soil means that you won’t have to add a lot of artificial fertilizer in your garden.

• If you are starting small with what you’re growing, limit yourself to a handful of plants. Growing flower gardens can be harder than vegetable gardens. Keep the variety of plants that you are growing limited. It is better if you have more plants of less varieties rather than one of this and one of that. It makes for better composition.
• When it comes to planting, be sure to water the plants in their pots on the day before you plan to plant. Don’t leave your plants sitting in the sun, otherwise they will dry out. Bury the plant according to the depth that it was in the pot. If you bury them too deep then the stem will rot. If you bury them too high then the roots will dry out. Don’t press down on the plants. Water your garden as soon as it is planted. It should get at least one inch of water per week.
• Mulch is very important. It improves the quality of the soil drastically. Organic mulches like compost, chipped or shredded bark, shredded leaves and straw are a big help in conserving water, cooling the soil, and blocking weeds.
• Keep a record of all your plants, as well as their original labels. This will save you a lot of time and effort later on, in addition to being an easy way of keeping track.
• Remove spent blossoms from your flowers in order to keep them blooming for a longer period of time. Vegetables will produce more if you harvest them when they are young.
• As your garden blooms to its full potential, sit back and enjoy what you’ve created. Expand next year if you feel like it.

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