Taking your hobby of gardening an extra step and using organic materials, can be beneficial for the plants you grow, as well as, the environment! Instead of using pesticides and toxic weed-killing solutions, use natural alternatives like vinegar and soapy water. Read this article for more tips on organic gardening.
Use a mixture of vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and water to get rid of salt deposits. If you are having a problem of salt buildup on your clay pots, mix equal parts white vinegar, rubbing alcohol and water in a spray bottle. Spray on the deposits and they will wash away with ease. Make sure to let the pots dry thoroughly before use.
Keep herb plants trimmed and bushy. By consistently pruning your herb plants you will create a shorter path for nutrients and allow the leaves to grow fuller and quicker. Keep the plants short through trimming as well and increase the density of the leaves. When at all possible do not allow the herbs to flower.
When you need to control weed growth, choose your weed killer carefully, and always follow the directions. Many weed killers have chemicals that are harmful to people if they are not applied properly. They are especially harmful to young children if the children play around an area that has recently been treated.
You can use items in your fridge for a safe and organic way to adjust the pH of your water. You can use lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to lower your pH (a few drops at a time) or use baking soda to raise your pH (a pinch at a time checking after each adjustment).
To kill off aphids on rose plants, spray them with a powdered milk and water mixture (1/3 cup powdered milk to one quart water). When the mixture is sprayed, the aphids get caught in the liquid and eventually die. Every few weeks spray down the roses with water to rinse off the mixture and reapply it if needed.
If your garden contains lots of short plants, purchase some gardening knee pads. The amount of time that you spend gardening on your knees can make your knees hurt by the time you are done. Having a pair of excellent knee pads for gardening can help cushion the knees to provide additional comfort.
Grow plants from seed rather than purchasing plants from a nursery. It can be tempting to purchase plants that already have a head start, but it is usually not necessary. By growing from seed, you could find yourself landscaping your yard for under $50.00 worth of different plant seeds, rather than spending hundreds or even thousands of dollars at a plant nursery.
Wind up your water hose after each time that you water your garden. Winding up your hose will keep you from tripping over it, and help you find the watering end of the hose easily any time you need it. Winding the hose on a hose reel will also help your hose last longer.
Experiment with color pairings. Purple and yellow work very well together, and can be used to create either a warm or cool effect. For a warm effect, use more yellow flowers than purple, conversely, using mostly purple flowers will give you a cool, soothing effect. A mixture of tall purple delphiniums or penstemon, and lower growing yellow achillea gives a spectacular display.
You can maintain a garden without spending a lot of money on store-bought mulch or using pesticides on your plants. Anything that used to be alive is a great source for mulch, like leaves or kitchen waste. Remember the tips in this article, in order to maintain a great organic garden, without spending too much money!