When we garden at home, it is not usually as a professional gardener or horticulturist, so all the tips we can gain is better, especially when it comes to making use of the space that we have and having a garden that looks as aesthetically pleasing as it is functional.
We can, for instance, learn techniques such as square foot gardening to make effective use of space.
Plant by Area instead of In Rows
There is a new technique that we can learn whereby we plant by area rather than conventionally in rows. It makes more effective use of space and so allows us to grow more things. We, after all, want as much variety in a garden as possible and want to leave space for growth so that we can have some tasty and ready-made ingredients to hand. You will want to find LED grow lights if your garden is in doors. Salads will never have tasted better once we get our garden up and running and providing for us. Flowers can be coordinated to come out at different times or as an array of colours in combination.
Check Soil pH Levels
It is important when you are growing things to have the correct pH levels in your soil. If this does not naturally exist, which it often doesn’t, then it will need to be rectified before you will grow what you want successfully. We cannot leave it to chance that the plants will like and thrive in the soil in which they are attempting to grow.
The h in pH stands for hydrogen, with the p either standing for power or potential of. There is some dispute on this. However, the fact is this is the level used to measure the acidity or alkaline levels of soil. Certain plants will thrive or grow better in certain levels of acidity. To give plants a fighting chance and to produce the best crops we can, we need to get this right through the use of soil additives.
A pH of 6.5 is considered ideal for home gardens because most plants are likely to thrive in levels between 6.0 and 7.0. There will be some plants that prefer more acidic soil, such as blueberries and azaleas. Whereas asparagus and ferns do better in soil that is neutral to slightly alkaline. So, it is worth checking this out in terms of what you intend to plant.
Consider Carefully What to Grow
It is worth considering the list of incompatible plant combinations when it comes to avoiding the situation where plants are competing for space and nutrients. Also, because certain plants will attract funguses and insects that are damaging to other plants or crops.
So, here is a list of planting combinations to avoid:
- Asparagus and Garlic
- Beans and Onions
- Celery and Carrots or Parsnips and Carrots
- Cucumber and Rosemary
- Eggplant and Fennel
- Lettuce and Garlic
- Potatoes and Sunflowers
- Pumpkins and Summer Squash
- Tomatoes and Corn
So, we can see that there are vegetable combinations such as parsnips and carrots to avoid where gardening is taking place in a confined space. Also, if you want sunflowers to make the garden look beautiful, do not plant them near your potatoes.
In terms of what to grow, it will depend on the colours that you want to see and the vegetables that your family enjoy eating. You do not have to grow everything in the food store, not that you can in every environment and in the space that you have, but just those things everybody likes the taste of and so want to taste better because they are homegrown.
If you want strong colours, go for bluebells, hibiscus, marigolds, and roses.
Bluebells will range from common white through to pale blue, lilac, and cobalt. They display well in April and May.
Tropical hibiscus flowers will grow between 4 and 6 inches across for an impressive size and come in shades of orange, yellow, pink, red, and also multicolours. The flowering period of hibiscus is between May and October, so you can see them at the same time as Bluebells for coordination and then after that to keep your garden colourful for longer.
Marigolds are often grown as a border plant but can be grown in other places too. They offer shades of yellow, red, orange, darker oranges, and dark brown. Marigolds will bloom from spring until mid-summer, so fit in well with the blooming times of other flowers around them.
Roses can be given special names and come in a variety of colours including white, ivory, peach, orange, yellow, red, pink, green, blue, lavender, black, mixed or multicoloured shades. They are useful for putting in a buttonhole when you have a wedding. They will have a nice scent to them.
Further useful gardening tips can be obtained from online guides that are intended for beginners. Help will also be on hand at garden centres where seeds and tools can be purchased, as they can be online.
Here are just a few ways to help you become a successful gardener at home. Thinking about how you are arranging what you are growing to make the best use of space, check and correct as required the pH levels of your soil and decide on the best growing combinations so that no plants or crops are competing against each other. We want everything to grow well equally for the perfect home garden.
