Gardening Basics

Each one of us long for a pleasant and serene environment where you can feel at ease and relaxed. Having a garden in your home not only adds to the aesthetics but also reward you with beautiful flowers, scenic growth and delicious yet nutritious fruits and vegetables. Plants, in order to grow and reproduce require four basic elements namely heat, sunlight, Gardening is such a broad concept that you can get stuck with the details. Here are some basics on gardening.

Sunshine everywhere!

If you are planning to have a vegetable garden, it requires considerable planning in advance. The site location is of prime importance in terms of soil fertility, climatic conditions and exposure to sunlight. When the vegetable garden is exposed to full sunlight for about six hours everyday, it spurs the maturity of food crops properly. Sunlight takes a lot of precedence in the growth of plants as compared to water, fertilizers or human care. The soil needs to be fertile with ample draining facilities so that water does not stagnate after a rain storm. While your garden needs to be airy

Prepping the Soil

Well drained fertile soil is vital for a garden to nurture and flourish. There is no exact type of soil that makes a difference, however soil that is well drained, amply supplied with organic matter, free of stones and moisture retentive augments the growth of plants in your garden. Hard shale, rock ledges, gravel beds, deep sand, or hard pan under the surface may hamper the development of fertile garden soil. Alternately, infertile soil that has good physical properties can be made productive by using organic matter, lime, commercial fertilizer, and other soil improving materials.

Facilitating Fertilizers

Additional organic materials and composted manure are types of fertilizers used to facilitate the growth of young saplings. Infertile soil often benefits from larger proportions of chemical fertilization, but with caution as excessive fertilization leads to fertilizer burn. When manure is added to the soil, it must be composted prior to planting, because fresh, hot manure will also burn your plants.

Sowing the seeds

Depending on the type of sapling you are planting in your garden, set the depth to the recommended requirements on the seed packet. Tear the corner of the seed package off and use your finger to tap the package lightly as you move down the row, carefully distributing the seeds evenly. Larger type seeds may be placed individually in the row. You will want to plant extra seeds in each row to allow for failed germination, and for thinning. Cover the seeds with fine soil (no clods or rocks). Firm the soil over the seeds to ensure good moisture contact, and to help retain the moisture in the soil. Gently spray the water over the plants so that you don't disturb or uncover the seeds. Seeds need moisture to germinate, so it is vital that you keep the soil moist until the seedlings are up. When the seedlings have emerged and developed their second or third set of true leaves, thin them as needed so that you keep the strongest plants, leaving the remaining ones spaced as directed on the seed package. It is best to thin while the seedlings are still small, so that you are not disturbing the roots of the plants that is the foundation for its development.

Tips to maintain a beautiful garden!

• During dry periods, vegetable gardens need extra watering. Most vegetables benefit from an inch or more water each week, especially when they are fruiting.

• Throughout the growing season be vigilant against insect pests. Discovering a bug problem early will make it much easier to take appropriate action and eliminate the pests. Do not use pesticides once the plants have fruited unless it becomes an absolute necessity.

• Weeds rob your vegetables of water, light and root space. Keep them pulled out regularly (try to get the entire root). If they are allowed to go to seed, you may be dealing with thousands of weeds instead of a few.

Gardening is a relaxing hobby that rewards you with beautiful flowers, vegetables and fruits in your garden. All it takes is a lot of tender love and care and a passion for gardening. If you diligently water the plants everyday while carefully tending to their reasonable needs of ample sunlight, airy space and water you are always surrounded by a cheerful and inviting garden!