Make Your Gardening Dreams Come True With This Advice

A lot of us plant our gardens during the spring and summer months in order to have fresh vegetables for our families. Although you may not call this "organic," thats exactly what it is if youre not using chemical enhancers to assist you. Find out what else you can do to enjoy an organic garden by reading these tips.

If you want a patch of green in your garden, consider planting a ground cover instead of a lawn. Lawns require a lot of water and maintenance. On the other hand, a ground cover usually uses less water, and certain varieties discourage weeds from growing. Many varieties of ground cover have the green color comparable to a lawn. You can save time and money with a ground cover.

Use compost that is homemade and free. Making a habit of using leaves, pulled plants and other organic bits, will create a rich and nutritious compost for the garden that is free and organic. Additionally, if an enclosed composter is utilized, kitchen scraps and garbage can be thrown in a mix for an excellent compost that is free also.

Make sure that you divide your irises! You can increase the number of irises you have by splitting clumps that are overgrown. Lift the dead bulbous irises. The bulbs should split up normally in the hand, and should flower when replanted for the next year. Split rhizomes with a knife. Cut new pieces from the outside and discard the old center. Dont plant any pieces that dont have any strong offshoots. Replant immediately.

Exercise

To avoid injuring yourself while gardening, be sure to do some warm-up stretches before starting your project. Most people may not think of gardening as exercise, but injuries like pulled muscles frequently occur in the garden. You should also be sure to move around and not stay in one position for a long period of time.

Growing your own vegetable garden, whether large or small, offers many benefits. You will eat better! Fresh vegetables offer more vitamins than those which have been processed. Planting and doing upkeep on your garden will also help provide exercise which leads to better fitness. It will also save you a significant amount of money at the grocery store!

Nutrition

When youre picking vegetables from your garden, choose to harvest them when they are at the peak of ripeness for the best flavor and the most nutrition. It is best to pick vegetables and fruits in the early morning, because they are still full of moisture and nutrients. With only a few exceptions, anything that youre not going to use right away can then be preserved by chilling in the refrigerator.

To give your plant great nutrition without spending a lot of money, use leaves! Leaves are one of the best plant foods available. Try covering any exposed soil in your garden with small, shredded leaves. This will enrich the soil and will allow it to provide better nutrition to your plants.

Remember to mulch before the first freeze. Spread compost or shredded leaves around the garden, mulching under shrubs, hedges, roses, and on top of the crown of any tender perennials. A layer of compost spread on bare ground will help to protect any bulbs, corms or plant roots. By springtime, this compost will have been taken into the ground by worms, and your soil will be full of nutrition, ready for new planting.

People often do not realize that organic gardening can be quite easy. Many people gardening with the aid of chemicals fail to realize the benefits of going organic. Make sure youre ready to use the tips youve learned here to get the most out of your garden. You might even inspire a few others to do the same!