Gardening, be it for shrubs, trees, flowers, or vegetables, can be a very relaxing and rewarding activity. The smell of the dirt under our fingers as you plant seeds and pull up weeds, the thrill of watching tiny plants start to come up, and the pleasure you take in the results of your efforts, all make gardening an affordable and pleasurable past time. Here are a few useful pointers.
Make sure that your sod is laid properly. Start by preparing your soil with care. Remove the weeds, then break up the soil into fine tilth. Using a light but firm touch, compact the soil until it is flat. The soil should be adequately moistened. Sod should be placed in rows that are staggered, where the joints connect to offset each other. Tamp down the sod so it has a flat and even surface, then using some extra soil, fill the gaps between. Water the sod every day for the first two weeks until the roots grow enough.
A trick to help measure in the garden is to take one of the long handled garden tools like a shovel and mark on its handle using a tape measure. Using a permanent marker, mark out the feet and inches on its handle and when specific distance is required in planing, have a handy measuring device close at hand.
Make a profit off of the garden by selling micro crops. There is a huge demand for micro crops from restaurants and organic markets who are willing to pay a premium for these fresh vegetables. Specialty mushrooms, baby corn, rare herbs and other micro crops are in very high demand, and can earn a gardener upwards of fifty dollars a pound or more.
Plant your garden in stages. Put in a new vegetable every week, or plant vegetables with different maturation speeds when you do your planting. This helps prevent you from having a large harvest all at once, and will better allow you to enjoy the fruits (and vegetables!) of your labors.
If you want to grow peas, consider starting them indoors instead of planting them outside. If you give them a chance to grow indoors where they are protected, they will germinate better. This will also make the seedlings hardier, which will help them resist diseases and pests. Once the seedlings are sturdy enough, they can be transplanted to their rightful place in the garden.
Gardening is a pastime that really gives back. It brings benefits to ourselves, to our family, and to our planet. So, turn your thoughts to outside, and to the pleasure to be had by tending our own piece of the earth, and work on that garden!
If you want to know more on the different ways of gardening, visit the CX Hydroponics website and gain useful tips for fungus gnat prevention in your garden.