Sometimes growing a garden seems like a daunting task, especially after binging on Pinterest boards and thumbing through Better Homes and Gardens. Fear not, growing a garden that becomes the talk of the neighborhood can be made easier. For all those with a green thumb looking for new ways to help keep their plants healthy and growing take a look at the following garden tips.
Yesterday’s News
Before you put your old newspapers into the recycle bin, keep a stack ready to go for when you mulch your garden. Weeds sometimes seem to be the strongest force on the earth, especially when you feel like you have pulled the same weed 8 times from the same spot in your garden. This is when the newspaper comes in handy. Grab your wheelbarrow, your newspaper stack, and a hose. Put your newspapers in the wheelbarrow and hose them down with the water. Make sure they are well soaked but not to the point that they are falling apart. Lay them out on the ground and cover them with mulch. The newspaper will act as a barrier and keep the weeds down. It is also biodegradable and will help add some new life to your soil. Be sure that you take out the crazy colored advertisements though; the ink can run off and harm the environment.
Diapers
Babies and toddlers are not the only ones that find a use for diapers. When you are filling up the garden with those pansies or petunias from the local store, give them some extra water with diaper filling. Start by digging the hole that you are going to be planting your flower in. Rip open the diaper and pull out some fluff and put it in the bottom of the hole. Pour some water in the hole so that the diaper fluff is wet. Then plant your flower like you normally would and water it again. This will decrease the number of times you have to water your flower because the diaper fluff will help keep the moisture near the roots.
Put a Stop to Root Rot
When rooting a plant in water, so that you can transplant later, the plant can get a disease called root rot. This is when the roots of the plant begin to brown and the plant slowly dies. Hydrogen peroxide will help reduce the risks of this disease striking your plant. Use a 1 to 32 ratio when determining how much hydrogen peroxide you need for your plant.
Epsom Salts
When you get your plant rooted and ready for transplant make sure you bring some Epsom salts out with you. The Epsom salts will help make the transition for the plant easier and prevent transplant shock. Use one tablespoon of Epsom salts per one gallon of water. Dig your hole and saturate the soil. Plant your flower as you usually would and then water it with your Epsom salt solution.
Time to Get Started
Not everyone has a green thumb, but we still love flowers and can appreciate a beautiful garden. Hopefully these garden tips can help your garden become the next envy of the neighborhood while keeping your plants healthy and growing.
