Every gardener was the first time at some point. It can be exciting to do something for the first time: a rich prize of new adventures is in front of you. But you can also be plagued by doubt:
- Is it difficult to do gardening?
- Does horticulture require special knowledge?
- Is my soil quite good for gardening?
- Is horticulture expensive?
- What if my plants die?
If you want to become a gardener for the first time, then this guide should answer all your questions and you should prepare well for your first growing season. Find answers to all your questions here.
before you start
Do not doubt your ability for the garden because you do not have a “green thumb”. Getting that psychological barrier is the first step towards becoming a gardener. Everyone can grow Some? Immediately, even if they are completely lacking in horticulture experience.
The key is to start somewhere. Start small, keep it simple, and select the easiest possible plants to grow. One success will give birth to another, and you will learn from your mistakes on the way.
Do not be afraid to make mistakes: If one plant dies, try to another. The death of a plant on you does not mean that you have a lack of green thumb, this means that the special plant was not compatible with the conditions you have provided. This is how you learn and improve your gardening skills over time.
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Understand your climate
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How do you know that you live where plants can grow? Start finding which one USDA hardness area You live inside. Once you get the information, make sure your zone coincides with the zone that is indicated in the details of the plant you are interested in buying.
Familiarize yourself Specific horticulture conditions You see, and let it inform your decisions. A perennial (a plant that is going to come back again and again) is not favorable in a climate. You have more levery with an annual (plant grown for just one season). Just don’t be disappointed when it dies in falling – it is believed.
Equipment for Equipment
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If you are doing horticulture on a budget, then you really only need Two tools, and one want to make things easier.
- Shovel: It should be a kind of shovel for excavation, and you will use it to work on the ground. It is strong and the blade is down at a blunt point.
- Can do gardening tube or water: How many of these two do you go with, how many plants do you have. If you have a lot of plants, giving them water from the hose will save you time. But if you have very few plants, you can just get away with A watering can,
- Wheelbrobro: While it is not necessary for itself, a wheelbro is used for many horticulture works. For example, it is easier to transport a heavy bag of fertilizer around a property to transport it by hand using a wheelbro.
As you get more advanced in gardening, you can Add this original equipment to the arsenal They arise to meet various needs. But at the end of the day, you do not need a lot of equipment for the garden, especially if you are fine with starting small. At your most basic level, you just have to do this to develop a plant:
- Do enough work on the ground so that you can make a hole.
- Install the plant in that hole.
- Give it water.
- Supply it with fertilizer.
Select
“Location” refers to the most importantly How much sun gets a placeSome plants require a complete sun to grow properly. Some other can grow with some shade.
Do not try to swim against the stream: if a plant is listed as one Full sun plantIt should be obtained from 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily, otherwise it will not grow.
If you do not have a plot that is complete on your property, Shadow plants growinstead. Or grow plants In a container That you can place in a sunny place, even if it is a small area at the end of your driveway.
Select plants
Start with plants that are cheap and easy to grow. Success with them will create your confidence so that in future you can try other plants that may cost higher or be slightly more challenging to grow.
Cheap plant
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Annual (Plants that naturally die after a year) are at least expensive plants that you can get which you can immediately put into the ground. In spring, you can buy annuals that have already started for you at the garden center, supermarket or some big box stores.
Another cheap way to go Seeds,
Easy plant
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In addition to choosing plants that are cheap, look for those who are the easiest to grow so that you can enjoy some quick successes. Keep an eye on the following:
- geraniums Practically fools are proofs. When the soil dries, just apply them in sunlight and water.
- Coleus If you do not have sunlight, then there is a great option for plants.
- Pole beans: There is a great option to grow from seeds if you set your heart when some food grows and does not object to waiting a little. Drive a pole in an sunshine area in an sunshine area, water, and keep the soil equally moist. Follow planting instructions on the seed package.
Jewelry vs Vegetables
“Jewelry” are plants that you grow just because they are beautiful to look like flowers. Some gardeners like to grow vegetables, because they provide you with what you can eat. Vegetables usually require a complete sun, however, if your property is mainly shaded, jewelery may be a better option for you.
Understand soil
Good horticulture is loose and uprooted to touch the soil. This texture makes the roots possible to grow, and it also allows oxygen, water and nutrients to move forward, through which your plants need roots. You can always add fertilizer to make the soil more fertile, but there is No option to be loose soil,
If your soil is so difficult that you cannot dig in it, then you can still grow plants, but Container gardening Your best bet.
If you do not need a garden immediately, you can easily loosen the soil on your sub -sub -soil and work in working in it. A small amount of compost can be purchased by the bag; In large quantities, you can send a local nursery to a truck load.
Understand fertilizers
Fertilizer is nutrition for plants. You can go to the natural route (eg Fertilizer), Or you can buy chemical fertilizer at the store.
If you choose a latter option, follow the application instructions on the package very carefully, and, if anything, is wrong, not more in favor of using low. You can damage plants by improperly applying chemical fertilizer. Conversely, you cannot harm plants by using manure on them.
Understanding irrigation
Plants require water to grow. But be careful: In early gardeners, plants are prone to underwater water because they are to make them under water. These can be equally harmful for your plants.
Attack a balance when watering plants. Targets for equally moist soil. Scoop some soil in your hand and squeeze it. When you open your hand again, see what happens:
- If the soil falls out of your hand just like dust, you are underwatering.
- If the soil completely keeps the shape you have squeezed it, then you are overwater.
- If the soil mostly keeps its shape, but its pieces are removed, then you have made the right balance.
To look out for normal pests
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Depends on where you live Your plants The deer can barely be in size to the insects that appear.
Since deer and other mammals can eat lots of plants quickly, it can be too late after attacking a small garden plot once. Prevention is necessary, which often takes the form of fencing.
Insect pests are handled in different ways: regularly inspect all parts of your plants, and take immediate action. You should find out their presence. Remember to observe the undersides of the leaves, especially where pests Aphids Nobody can be noticed easily. You can either remove pests physically or apply sprays to kill them.
General early problems:
- Installing tender plants very quickly: Find out that, on average, your area receives its final frost of spring. Your county extension office can provide this information. Do not install your annual until this date passes, otherwise they can be killed by frost.
- Let the weeds get ahead of you: In a small plot, weed control should not be very challenging. But this is only when you regularly inspect the plot and remove the weed as soon as you see them. Once Weeds get out of controlSpace can be difficult to recover. Use Mulch to help you keep weeds.
- Trying to remove it too much: It is better to start small as a beginning. Focus on growing some plants in a small space. In this way, you can dedicate your full attention to them: you will learn major takeaways to apply in the future. You can try too much, causing you to get distracted and disappoint.