Gardening
by Richard Wong
The main thing about gardening is to start small. A small plant bed, about 25 or 30 feet square is perfect, is just enough room for about 30 plants. You can try out your green thumb and expand and increase your plantings should you enjoy it.
Next, choose a suitable site. The gardening site must get at least six hours of sunlight. You should keep away from large trees that will away nutrients and water from your plants. Also, keep at least three feet from any fence or building. Your gardening site should also be shaded from the hot afternoon sun in hot climates. With suitable plants that are adaptable, you can have a healthy garden with ten to twelve hours of sunlight. It is definitely advantages to find a site with good soil but this is not really important as you can always improve on the soil later on. You should not choose a site that has steep slopes, rocky soil, or is watery.
After choosing a suitable site, the next thing to do is to start digging which can be fun. Gardening is not a clean hobby; you're going to have to get some dirt under your nails. The first thing you need to do is to remove any rocks, debris, grass, and weeds. Then dig the spot about one foot deep. Then add compost or minerals if needed after you have level up the dirt. If your soil is too acidic, add lime; if it is too sandy, add peat moss. Your plants should do well in neutral to acidic soil if you add a little fertilizer.
If you are buying some seeds, then you should plant them according to the instructions provided. If picking plants, choose ones with green, healthy looking leaves and stems and healthy roots. The smaller plants should be placed towards the front of the bed while the larger ones at the back. Planting at the right time is the key to a successful start in gardening. Start planting only after the frost are over. If you are planting seeds the package will usually tell you exactly when you can plant them to achieve maximum growth.
When you have started gardening, make sure you provide enough water to your plants everyday to ensure their growth. If there are only a few plants, hand watering will do. Other options include sprinklers or sprinkler hoses. Watering is more effective during the cooler parts of the day. The type of plant will depend on how much water is needed, but most require about an inch per week. Water your plants about three times a week when the periods are at the hottest.
It is very helpful to add mulch or compost to your garden. By adding a few inches of organic compost to the soil will help it to hold moisture better and improve fertility. Wood chips, grass clippings, leaves, manure, and pine needles are all things that can be used as mulch.
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Richard Wong |
