Tips to Avoid Infestation

One of the most important factors you’ll want to watch for as your garden begins to take off is insect infestation. Regardless of where you happen to live, this can be a problem. The good news is that there are a number of steps you can take to keep insect infestation from becoming too much of a headache.

The first step is to be quite vigilant in paying attention to your plants and notice infestation as soon as it begins. This will help to keep the problem from expanding into devastating blight on your entire garden. Do your best to identify the type of insect that is causing damage as quickly as possibly. Certain kinds of insecticides are manufactured to fight back against specific types of insects, so it is important that you understand what kind of enemy you are battling.

At this point; however, it should be pointed out that not all insects in gardens are dangerous, so while you should be concerned if you see insects on your plants, realize that it may not be necessary to launch an all out war—at least not until you identify the type of insect you’re dealing with and understand whether it is an insect that will cause damage to your plants or whether it might be a beneficial insect.

Beneficial insects provide a number of advantages to your garden, including feeding off other types of insects and insect larvae. If you aren’t sure which types of insects in your area may be beneficial, do take the time to find out. You may discover that you’re battling the wrong insect.

If you are growing an organic garden, you will not wish to use any type of chemical or insecticide; of course, but that doesn’t mean that you cannot take steps to eliminate insects, either. Many garden supply stores now stock organic pest control solutions that can be safely used on your organic plants.

You can also make your own herbal or organic insecticide at home by combining garlic or hot pepper spray with water, blending the solution well and then straining out any pulp that may be present. Some gardeners have found success by also mixing in a few drops of common soap; which can be toxic to many types of insects.

Regardless of whether you are growing an organic garden or not, there are also other measures you can use to keep insects at bay. Some of these steps should be undertaken as soon as you begin putting your plants into the ground. For example, proper spacing of your plants can play an important role in preventing infestation as can routine weeding and good fertilization.

Transplanting Tips

Whether you have decided to grow seeds at home in order to propagate your own plants or you have purchased transplants from a garden supply store, it is important to understand how to properly transplant young plants so that they have the best chances of survival. These vulnerable plants should be handled with extreme care so that the tender root systems are not damage during the transplant.

It is also important to keep in mind that ideally, the best time to undertake transplanting is before the weather actually begins to grow warmer. In most locales, autumn is the best time to transplant; however, you can also transplant as far as into the spring, provided that you do so before the plants begin to leaf out for the new season.

A small gardening implement or even an eating utensil can be ideal in removing the young plants from their initial containers. Be careful not to force the plants out but work with them gently and carefully until they are freed from the container.

When placing the transplants into the ground, be sure to allow sufficient space for them to grow. One of the most common mistakes of many new gardeners is to crowd transplants too closely to one another because they want their garden to look fuller. While spacing them out from one another further at first will give your garden a bare look, it will provide plenty of room for the young plants to grow and will also assist in proper air circulation. The latter is extremely important in keeping disease at bay.

Once the plants are in the ground, you should also make it a point to place some type of mulch around the young plants. This will help the soil to retain moisture and will also prevent a large portion of weeds from growing around the young transplants. Just be sure to pull back the mulching during watering, otherwise the water might not reach the root system of the plants.

With that said, it is imperative to note that transplants should not be allowed to dry out. These young plants are very susceptible to shock at this point and will continue to be susceptible until they have become established in their new homes. Follow the same watering schedule as you did when you were seeding the plants. Water every day or every other day.

When transplanting young seedlings, make sure that you add in a sufficient amount of fertilizer so that the young plants receive the nourishment they need in order to continue growing.

Finally, don’t forget to pinch off stem tips as the plants begin to mature. This will assist the plants in side branching.

Tips on Seed Gardening

Starting your garden from seeds may seem easy at first; however, if you have ever attempted this feat you may know that it is not quite as easy as one might believe. Growing plants from seeds requires an infinite amount of patience and an understanding of what plants need in order to grow from mere seeds.

To begin growing your plants from seeds you will need containers with adequate drainage as well as a good quality planting medium. You can easily obtain commercial quality containers at any garden supply store; however, if you plant to start a large number of seeds this can be an expensive undertaking. Items you have at home can be just as easily used, such as soda bottles, milk containers, plastic food containers, etc. If you elect to use these kinds of homemade containers be sure to wash them out well with a mild soap and warm water. Then clean them once again using a solution of one part bleach to two parts water. This latter solution will help to prevent your vulnerable seeds from picking up any diseases. The containers can be given good draining by drilling or cutting holes in the bottoms of the containers.

When choosing your planting medium, be sure not to use dirt from your own garden. Ideally, you should obtain a commercial grade of growing medium that is sterile and contains the nutrients necessary to promote good growth. Begin by adding some gravel or some other similar material to the bottom of your containers to assist in drainage. It is important that your plants not be allowed to sit in water because they will rot if they do so. Adding gravel or a similar material will prevent this from occurring.

If there are directions provided on your seed packets, be sure to follow them in regards to the depth at which you should plant each individual variety of seeds. If, for some reason, there are no directions, provided; you can usually plant most seeds at a depth that is twice the diameter of the seed. For very small seeds, simply sow them on the surface of the soil.

You will find that your seeds will germinate better and quicker if they are provided with some type of heat source. This should preferably be provided from the bottom of the surface rather than from over head. If you live in a warm climate, the provision of heat won’t be necessary, but in cooler climates it is quite necessary.

The germinating seeds must also be kept moist in order to flourish, but keep in mind they should not be over watered. It can be quite convenient to keep a spray bottle nearby and simply give your growing plants a fine mist of water each day or every other day as you see is necessary. Make sure they do not dry out. You will know that it is time to transplant your young plants when they have developed the first two true leaves. Be aware that this is not the first two leaves to sprout; these are merely the seed leaves. The next batch of leaves is the one to look for before transplanting.

Tips on Taking Root Cuttings

Taking root cuttings is an important part of keeping your garden healthy as well as propagating new plants; however, it is important that you know how to go about this task the correct way. The most important factors in cutting back the roots of your plants is the time of year in which you do it, as well as the time in the life of the plant.

Ideally, you should cut back the roots of your plants during late winter. This is when the maximum amounts of carbohydrates are stored in your plants for the coming spring growth period. It is also imperative that you cut back the roots of your plants when they are still relatively young; preferably around one year of age. With plants this young, you should focus on cutting back as close as possible to the crown of the plant.

Once the roots have been cut, you should make a special effort to then wash them free of any remaining soil before you begin to divide them and cut them into further lengths. The manner in which you regenerate them at this point will depend largely on the type of plant that you are working with.

For example, plants that tend to regenerate quite easily can simply be placed in a good quality of nutritious soil and covered. Plants; however, that find it more difficult to regenerate may need a more protected environment, such as an area that can be kept warm for several weeks at a time.

Some types of plants can take as long as four months in cooler environments to regenerate; however, when they are placed in a warmer environment, the regeneration time is significantly reduced. In some cases, plants can regenerate in as little as a month to six weeks when allowed to do so in a warm setting.

Be aware, when taking root cuttings, that one of the most common problems that many gardeners run into is rot. The most frequent cause of this problem is a lack of moisture in the root cuttings. It is imperative that they be kept damp, but not overly wet. Ideally, they should be only moist. Also, be aware of the fact that top growth will generally start before you see any activities in the roots; therefore, it is important that patience is exercised and you avoid transplanting the cuttings before the new root growth is well established.

Of course, you may also choose to propagate your roots outdoors, but you will need to take care that they are kept covered for at least six weeks, preferably up to eight weeks. Moisture must be maintained and it is best if the roots are placed in soil that has been well cultivated and allows for good drainage.