gardening for dummies
Gardening for Dummies
While growing plants for the first time, beginners need to know the characteristics of the plant they select and its optimum growing conditions. More gardening knowledge comes with further experience. The following section gives some gardening tips for beginners.
- First and foremost, select the plantation site, that is, plan the garden layout. Opt for areas that receive ample sunlight--for maintenance of healthy vegetables.
- Prepare the soil in this selected area. Using an appropriate garden tool, loosen the soil and remove the weeds or unwanted grass. Expose the garden soil to sunlight for a few days before planting the vegetable seeds.
- If the planting site is large, you can separate it into garden rows. Leave a small space between two rows to perform gardening activities and to have easy access to the plants.
- Following this, plant the vegetable saplings or sow the seeds, depending on the plant. Vegetables that require least maintenance are tomato, cucumber, spinach, onion, garlic, carrot, squash, beet, and herbs among others.
- Water the planted vegetables whenever the upper soil layer turns dry. Frequent watering is essential in dry climates. Remove any diseased parts of the plant and uproot the weeds.
- Planning a flower garden layout is a bit tricky, as your overall garden appearance depends on it. You can start by preparing the soil and creating equal-sized rows in sunlit areas. The most crucial part is selecting flower varieties which are perfect for the current season.
- The best way to choose season-appropriate flowers is to get an opinion from your local horticulturist. Apart from the flower size, color, and plant height, make a note of the level of maintenance that each plant requires. As a beginner, preferably start with hardy flower species.
- Decide the plantation area according to the flower color and height. You can also create a border for the flower beds with contrasting colored flowers. Once you are done with the layout plan, proceed with growing the plantlets.
- Practice the regular plant care tips to ensure timely flowering and production of healthy blooms.