Tuesday, 20 April 2021
19 Top Gardening Tips for Beginners
Everyone dreams of having a garden that fills their home with positive energy and serves as a shelter when they are stressed or simply want a place where they enjoy a moment of peace. Although gardening requires a lot of passion and dedication, you don't need to be an expert to have a beautiful garden. In this article we share the best gardening tips for beginners!
Best Gardening Tips for Beginners
1. Consider the weather conditions
Before buying the plants you’re going to place in your garden, it’s important to have a thorough understanding of the climatic conditions in which you will grow them. It may be a hot, tropical, humid or cold area. This way you will be able to choose flowers, shrubs, and herbs that are truly adapted to their growing climate.
You should also consider the microclimate, which refers to the specific climate of a much smaller area. For example, the microclimate of a place that receives sunlight all day is different from the microclimate under a big tree.
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2. Give your plants more hours of light
If your plants are not flowering, you may need to give them more light. Many flowers need at least six hours of sunlight to germinate. We all know that plants need sunlight for photosynthesis, so if there is not enough sunlight, they will become stressed and won’t grow properly.
One of the first things to do if you have stressed plants is to pluck the flowers and buds to help keep them alive. A good indicator to know if it lacks light is if your plant grows tall, weak and lanky, and if its leaves and branches are positioned in the direction of the sun.
3. Aerate the soil
To do this, you can make a small hole with a stick. This will allow air and water to penetrate well and reach the roots and it serves to promote a healthy development of the plant. Not really sure what aeration is? Check out our tips section and learn many useful tips to become a pro-gardener!
4. Use baking soda
It may sound a bit strange to you, as the benefits of baking soda for plants are a bit unknown, but it’s extremely useful. It’s definitely a great ally for your plants, since it serves as a pesticide and fungicide. You just have to dilute a tablespoon of baking soda in a liter of water and you’re ready to go. Watering your plants with this mix will help your plants stay healthy.
5. Make the most of different sources of nutrients
For example, if you have an aquarium with fish, you should be aware that you have a rich source of food, because you can use it to water the plants every time you clean the aquarium. Why? Wastewater contains organic waste such as manure or algae, which are natural elements essential for plant nutrition.
They provide a lot of nitrogen, which is beneficial for growth and greening. If you have a pool and don’t use any chemicals for maintenance, you can fill up a watering container, add fertilizer to this water and use it to water the plants. It will help to keep them looking great! Don't know which lawn fertilizer to use? This article will help you out!
6. Choose well the substrate or terrain you use
There are plants that need more sandy and drained soils to live, such as cacti. There are also other types of plants, such as heliconia, they prefer more clayey and humid soils. It’s important to know that each type of plant needs a specific substrate.
Before sowing you must know the type of soil your garden has and cover it with suitable organic compost. This way you will fertilize naturally and promote biological activity in the soil, which will result in healthier plants.
7. Water the plants at the proper frequency
Many beginners believe that the more water their plants receive the faster and healthier they will grow. This is a big mistake! You have to know that not all plants need the same amount of water to live.
Most of the time, outdoor plants should be watered at least once a week. However, the cycle can vary depending on the species, the climatic conditions and the level of evaporation of your area.
You must also remember that irrigation is done on the ground and not directly on the leaves or flowers of the plants. This is very important, otherwise they will be prone to pests, diseases and rot. How long should you water your lawn? Good question, here's the answer!
8. Acquire the basic gardening tools
A big part of being a good gardener is buying and properly selecting the tools that you will use to take care of your garden. Here are some basic gardening tools you should have handy:
- Shovel
- Gloves
- Irrigation hose and sprinkler
- Flowerpots and containers
- Rake
- Pruners and brush cutters
- Gardening scissors
- Brush cutter
- Workwear
These tools and utensils are the basics to perform basic beginner gardening tasks. Over time, your knowledge and needs will change, along with your equipment needs. Want to have the most impressive garden in the whole neighborhood? Check out our packages and see which one suits you best.
9. Allow insects to live in the garden
Not all insects are harmful to plants. Some, like bees and butterflies, pollinate flowers. The worms, although they are not really insects, also contribute nutrients to the earth through their excrement, they aerate the soil and control its PH.
10. Be really careful when transplanting
Many beginners make a big mistake when transplanting newly purchased plants. These plants usually come in pots. Inexperienced gardeners just take them out and immediately introduce them into the previously dug hole. This may cause the roots to roll on each other, which can cause them to rot when you water them. Ideally, when transplanting them, take the roots very carefully from the inside to the outside until they get back to their natural position. This step is critical, especially if the plant has been left in the pot for too long.
11. Pay close attention to pests
It’s really important to regularly check the leaves and stems of plants for parasites, fungi or harmful insects. If you find them, you must cut off the affected parts and burn them, or put them in a closed container. If the problem persists, you have no choice but to use professional products immediately, preferably natural or the ones recommended by gardening experts.
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12. Keep an agenda of the plants
Once you have planted the garden, it’s important to include in a single agenda a list of the plants that we have, writing down their flowering period, fertilizer, pruning and other important and relevant information for their maintenance.
13. Take into account the height of the plants
When sowing your plants, you must take into consideration the height of each one of them. In this way you will ensure that, when they grow, the tallest ones won’t deprive the smallest of light. You should also make sure the plants don’t receive too much sun.
14. Prune the rose bushes to get more beautiful roses
Rose bushes are one of the most popular flowering shrubs in the world. To bloom all year round, it’s important to prune them regularly. To do this, remove all wilted flowers and trim a little more at the end of winter, trimming the stems by 3 to 5 cm.
15. Plant long-rooted trees far away from constructions
Trees with invasive roots (such as banyan trees or bamboo) should be planted at a distance of at least 5 to 10 meters from pipes, sidewalks, swimming pools or any other types of constructions. Otherwise, they may eventually destroy these structures or hinder them.
16. Choose native plants
Native plants are those that grow wild in your area or region. They are resistant to the climatic conditions of the place and are therefore easy to care for. If you don’t like them or they don’t really convince you, you can also buy plants that grow in a climate similar to that of the area where you live.
17. Share your garden with friends or neighbors
Not everyone that lives nearby needs to have their own lawn mower or hoe. Borrow some products from neighbors or reach an agreement between several people to share the costs of purchased quality products. You can also trade plants and bulbs with friends and neighbors, share tips and strategies, and help each other when lifting heavy objects or watering plants. Just make sure to invite them to an amazing garden party to show your gratitude!
18. Learn about plants
Read books about gardening and botany. These books are very useful because they will teach you what kind of soil is suitable and how to grow each plant. It’s best to have a notebook where you can write down information about the plants you plant, detailed information about their growth or abnormalities you see in it. This gardening advice will help you understand how you should treat your plants accurately.
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19. Choose plants that are good companions
When choosing plants for pots, make sure they work well together. This means that all plants in the pot should need the same amount of light and humidity. If you combine plants with different needs, some of them will certainly not flourish.
For example, if your plants require direct sunlight, it’s important that all the plants you choose for the pot also require direct sunlight. If you have plants that dry out between watering, don't put them in pots with plants that need moist soil.
After reading this list of the best 19 gardening tips for beginners, we hope you have the necessary knowledge to make your garden look sparkling and full of life. Like everything in life, gardening skills improve with practice. So be patient, dedicated and you will see how you will master the art of gardening sooner than you think.