A study in the U.S. shows that in 2017, approximately 118 million Americans did some sort of gardening. Some did this just to spruce up their home landscape, while others just love the idea of gardening.
Besides improving the backyard, home gardens can also be a source of fresh fruits and vegetables.
These fresh vegetables can be used to supplement those that you buy from the fresh food market or your local grocery stores. Further, these gardens can be a perfect place for you and your family to relax. However, before you begin your gardening endeavors, here are some important tips you need to know about plants and gardening in general.
Light
Light is a basic, and yet a crucial requirement for any plant. However, different plants have different light requirements. The first category contains plants that do well with little sunlight or full-shade. These options can be planted under trees or even directly under the balcony to avoid damage from the sun.
There is also a unique breed of plants that only require bouts of sunlight. They need only about two to three hours of direct sunlight daily.
The last group of plants is the ones that require full, natural lighting to grow. For most people, these are your everyday plants. These must receive at least six hours of daylight every day.
It is very important that you understand the plants’ light requirements before buying them from your local plant nurseries. This will help you understand where to station your plants or garden and also make it easier to maintain a healthy home garden.
Remember that different plants portray different behaviors under an excess of sunlight or when they experience too little sunlight. Signs such as leaning towards sunlight and long spindly stems could be a sign of low sunlight. Dried out petals and burned leaf edges might be a sign of excess sunlight.
Watering
Like light, water is also a vital requirement for plants. However, it is important to remember that while some plants require regular water intake, other plants, such as succulents, require very minimal watering. There is always a need to achieve the right balance.
We find that more often than not, over watering, rather than under watering, is the most common problem in our area. Know your soil types is also a crucial decision making factor. One of the best ways of determining a plant’s water needs is by looking at its natural growing site conditions. If this is not possible, talk to us or your LOCAL garden center, and we can advise you on what to to or use.
Fertilizer
Fertilizers are an excellent source of nutrients for your plants. They ensure that the plants are supplied with the right amount of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, and other micro-nutrients which are essential for growth.
Some garden centers recommend the use of organic fertilizers. Unlike other chemical fertilizers, organic compost contains tons of micro-nutrients. They also supply your plants with nutrients for a longer period. Research has also shown organic fertilizers to be better for the environment as they rarely contain contaminants that can be harmful to the soil. We carry a full line of both regular and organic fertilizers from Fertilome & Happy Frog.
Weeds
Weed are any unwanted plant that in growing in the landscape or garden. Having weeds can ruin the beautiful view of your garden, especially for landscapes that are purely ornamental. These unwanted plants also compete with those you planted for space and nutrients, thus undue stress and work on the plant and you.
Get rid of weeds as soon as you spot them. You can do this by pulling of the weed as close to the ground as possible to ensure you pull it out with its root system. Doing this will prevent it from growing again in the future. Another option would be to use chemical weed killers. Always talk to us or visit your LOCAL garden center and get some advice on which weed killer to use so that you do not destroy or kill your plants together with the weeds.
Before visiting us or your LOCAL plant nurseries to get plants for your garden, it is important that you prepare it first. You can begin by leveling the soil and getting rid of any weeds that have already germinated. After this, you can visit the garden center, choose some plants, and begin your gardening journey.
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