5 Ways to Use Castile Soap in the Garden
Threats That Every New Gardener Should Watch Out For
Taking up gardening can be a wonderful endeavor that gets you outside and using your hands. However, it’s more than just digging and planting. When starting a garden, it’s important to be aware of any ways your garden may be harmed.
Pests
An easy way to keep pest populations under control is to attract their natural predators. Some spiders and insects, including ladybugs, wasps, and lacewings, prey on the insects damaging your plants. To attract them consider adding plants such as dill, fennel, or coriander.
There are several other natural deterrents that can be used to keep pests away. For example, slugs and snails can be kept at bay by adding crushed eggshells below your plants. Many insects are also deterred by smells. The scents of mint, lavender, citronella, basil, lemon grass, and many others drive insects away. As an added bonus, some of these smells also attract pests’ natural predators.
Diseases
Most diseases in your garden will be fairly easy to spot. They present themselves in the form of discolored leaves, spotting, wilting, and mildew. Avoiding diseases in plants begins with prevention. Have your soil tested before planting. Use disease resistant varieties. As your garden grows, regularly trim and remove weeds to give plants plenty of room for air circulation. Monitor weather conditions as many diseases thrive with excess moisture.
If you grow corn in your garden for the fall, there are several diseases you should watch out for. Most diseases affecting corn impact the leaves of corn. These include gray leaf spot, common rust, and corn leaf blight. These types of diseases can be prevented by proper seed selection and treatment as well as regular fungicide application during the growing season.
Improper Maintenance
One of the most important parts of gardening is properly maintaining your plants. Your garden can begin to fail if plants get too much sun, too much water, or even too much fertilizer. It’s important to be well educated about your plants and their needs. Ensure that your plants are being placed in nutrient rich soil. Inspect your plants regularly for discoloration or disease. Remove any dead leaves or buds from your plants. Be sure to weed often to help repel pests.
Gardening takes a constant and consistent effort, but as long as you are vigilant your garden can thrive. Keep an eye out for pests and diseases and take the time to address them. Most importantly, do plenty of research on how to best care for the plants in your garden.
Read this next for more great tips: How to Deal with Weeds in Your Organic Garden
Why You Should Pull Out Weeds on Your Property
• Weeds can harm your plants by stealing resources from the soil.
• They can also distract from the beauty of your landscape and even damage concrete with their strong roots.
• Additionally, weeds can house pests that may spread to other plants and even into your home.
• Regular weeding helps ensure that your garden or yard stays healthy and beautiful for years to come.
3 Things to Know About Planting a Tree on Your Property
Of the many ways to beautify your property, planting a tree is a very good choice. One reason is that you'll benefit from the sight of branches full of healthy leaves. You also help the environment by creating a space where carbon dioxide is absorbed, oxygen is released into the air, and roots hold onto the soil to prevent erosion. Below, we've identified three key steps to help you make your planting successful.
Plant a Native Species
First, choose the right plants for your area. A tree that naturally fits your environment should require less work in terms of watering and fertilizing. For example, if you live in a very dry area, plants that thrive in humidity may need a lot of extra help to thrive, which translates to more time, money and effort on your part to keep the tree healthy.
By choosing a native species, you'll also be providing support for birds and other animals whose needs are compatible with those of your tree.
Plant it in the Right Place
If you're in the northern hemisphere, planting the tree on the southern or western side of your home will provide shade from the sun during the hottest part of the day. Kruse Tree Trim & Construction suggests taking height and spread into consideration so that it doesn't pose a threat to your house later on and have to be removed.
Trees that grow too close to your home tend to cause damage to your roof and drop debris into your home gutter system. This build up in your gutters can ultimately attract more pests into your home. While you can take steps to deter pests, it's better to be safe and plant the tree at an adequate distance from your house.
Consider soil, sun, and moisture requirements and plant in an appropriate location. Also consider whether your tree will drop lots of leaves or overripe fruit into a neighbor's yard. That tree which is a source of pride for you could be a big nuisance to the family next door.
Plant it Properly
Trees Are Good recommends that the best time to plant a young tree is when the weather is likely to be mild, without hot or cold extremes. For much of the US, planting in spring or fall is ideal.
Dig a hole that's deeper and wider than the root ball to allow room for the roots to spread out and grow. Really hard soil could block root growth, so break up large clumps and remove large rocks. Note that specific planting techniques are required depending on whether the roots are bare, wrapped in burlap, or planted in a container.
Choosing and planting the right tree can be easy. If you give your tree what it needs to thrive, it should reward you with years of healthy growth.
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