Some gardeners seem to have been born with a green thumb, but you might not be one of them if you are reading this article. If you are hoping for some incremental, or even substantial, improvements in your gardening results, keep reading for some simple suggestions that can help you help your plants.
Spend a few dollars on a pH tester, and then measure your gardening water on a regular schedule. Plants are very sensitive to changes in chemistry and expect pure, balanced water. If you are watering from any kind of manmade source, like through a hose, there may be chemicals in the water for purification that affect your plants. Even collected rainwater might have some pollutants. Know what is going on.
Consider keeping your garden area small. At the very least, keep the patches very narrow. Ideally, you want to be able to physically reach any plant within your garden areas without actually setting foot into the planting area. If you fall over, you can damage your plants. You also stay cleaner this way.
Make a journal and track all of your plantings and what your yields are from these. You can use this information the next season for two benefits. First, you know what works and can do more of it by dropping out what does not work. Second, you might be able to schedule a second or even third planting and yield in the same soil.
Think proactively with your plants. Some are known to attract predator insects. These plants might not be your first choice for growing vegetables or blooms, but the hunter bugs they draw into your garden can control the pest population and protect the rest of your garden.
You might love your plants, but do not baby them. Let them grow and stick to your schedule. At some point, they just have to make it or break it on their own. Know the visual differences between plants that are struggling, and plants that are wounded, dying and need definite attention from you or a professional.
If you need to adjust the pH balance of your garden soil, do it with organic ingredients. You might can do it a little cheaper and faster with synthetic ingredients, but the side effects might not be favorable. Organic ingredients will decompose without polluting your garden, and might even help feed your plants.
If you plant in pots, make sure the size is right. Keep in mind how big the plant will be at maturity if it is not going to get transferred to a bigger pot or the ground. Know how wide and deep the roots will get, and plant in the top geometric center of the pot.
Even a small adjustment can mean the difference between success and failure in your gardening efforts. Any of the ideas presented within this article should have a huge impact, but the essential factor is that you not lose any sleep over whether or not your plants are going to make it.
