gardening

Gardening
By Simon Morris

Gardening can be a fun and exiting hobby to acquire. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, in there is always room to expand your knowledge. A few things to keep in mind when beginning any type of garden for the first time, is to begin at a smaller scale. I would start with a planting area roughly 20 by 30. This will allow you to grow roughly 25-35 plants depending on the variety of plants used. By beginning at a smaller scale you can try out your skills and see if expanding is something you want to do. Going bigger with your garden is always available. You can start with a garden hose reel and garden hose, when you are satisfied with your new hobby move onto a sprinkler system or drip system.

Your first step will be to pick an area to turn into your garden. You should choose an area that gets full sun for most if not all of the day. Although if the climate it is growing in is extremely hot some shade during the day is not always a bad thing. If full sun is not available there are plants you can grow with less light. You local nursery can help you make the correct choices regarding the correct plants to choose.

The next step to consider is the soil for your garden. Your soil is the bread and butter of your crop. A bad batch of soil can ruin the entire years harvest. Depending on the type of garden you are growing you may want to go in a different direction with your soil mixture. Although for all varieties of gardens the best preventative measure for your soil, insects, and diseases is to completely strip the area of all debris before planting your garden. Preferably with a garden tiller.

For a vegetable or herb garden you will always want to go pesticide free with organic nutrients. The best ingredient you can include is homemade compost, but if this is not available good soft wood mulch will suffice. You should always use a

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garden tiller to make sure the soil is mixed in well. For a regular plant garden that does not include any edible varieties you can use any type of fertilizer that fits the specific plant type best. Your local nursery can explain the best fit for your garden. As mentioned earlier a garden hose reel and garden hose can be used for the initial watering. When you are comfortable with and know this is something you want to continue to pursue, a garden sprinkler or drip system is best.

Another recommendation for your garden is to group plants varieties with the same growth characteristics together and range from smaller to larger growth. This way you can use all of the space in your space efficiently. You should also plant during the correct time of year. Planting in the winter or beginning of fall can ruin your crop before it even starts.

The last thing to consider is the correct way of watering. If you are going to keep your garden going for the years to come the best thing to do is install a water sprinkler system. A sprinkler system can put your garden on autopilot and take some of the load off your back. You can also install a drip system. A drip system has some advantages over a sprinkler system because it does not waste as much water. A drip system drips water slowly and directly to the plant itself. Watering should be increased slightly during the hotter months and decreased during the colder months.

Having a garden of any kind requires some work on your part. Tools such as the tiller and a garden sprinkler system can make things a little easier. The steps to take are, to find the area you want to use, mix your soil accordingly, organize the plants by characteristics, then either water by hand if small or put in a sprinkler system. I you follow these steps and do a little research you should have a flourishing garden.

Simon Morris is a long studied landscape design expert with 25 years of field expirience. You can find more articles written By Simon Morris on his Gardening website www.Garden-now.com. You can also find his articles on www.linkmyarticles.com.

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