Gardening can be a very fulfilling hobby. Spending time outdoors surrounded by greenery will have a myriad of benefits for your health. From improving your mood to lowering stress levels, working around the garden will pay off in more ways than one. You can grow your crops and stop bringing in food from the market or grocery stores. This can quickly grow from being only a hobby to becoming your best investment. If you’ve been thinking about starting your gardening journey, here are some basic pointers to help you begin.
Some Gardening Tips That Help You Begin
Know your hardiness zone
Before you start planting, you need to know more about the hardiness zone for gardening and which plants are suitable to be grown in your climate zone. The United States is sectioned into 11 hardiness zones. Based on the temperatures, each zone will be suitable for growing different crops. You can find more about hardiness zones online and learn which plants will thrive in your area.
You’ll need the right tools
From digging to trimming, raking, and watering, all planting tasks will require you to have the right equipment. You cannot plant safely without a pair of gloves, and you’ll need shovels and many other tools to take good care of your garden. You can find all the necessary gardening watering tools at Hoselink US and start your planting in your garden hobby today. From sprinklers to hose reels and a complete range of essentials that every gardener needs to have in their collection. Get yourself pro secateurs, a soil breaker, sprinklers for easier watering, and all the other necessities which an avid gardener must own.
Learn about your soil
Different types of soil can grow different plants. That’s why you should learn more about the soil in your area before you start planting anything. Different fruits and vegetables can tolerate varying pH levels, so be sure you test your soil for gardening. You can either send it to the nearest lab or do an at-home soil test kit, to determine the pH levels of your soil. It’s important to know how high nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus levels your soil is. If there are not enough nutrients in the soil, you’ll need to correct the deficiencies first and start planting later.
Water the plants at the right time
It won’t be the same if you water your plants at noon when the sun is at its highest, and in the morning before your plants are exposed to direct sunlight. If you decide on gardening like grow vegetables, watering early in the morning will be your safest bet. That way, the water won’t evaporate quickly, but the soil will be able to soak up all the necessary fluids. Alternatively, you can water them once the sun sets down and it’s not too hot outside. That can serve as a nice evening meal for your crops.
Store and organize your seeds properly
Seeds are tiny, and they can get lost easily. If you’ve stocked upon them, the last thing to need is to lose them. One way to always keep all the seeds neat and don’t get lost or accidentally thrown away is to store them in a photo album. Thanks to the folder-like design, you’ll be able to place all the bags in separate sleeves and always know where your seeds are for gardening. Turn the pages and see what you’ve got in there — it’s that simple. Make sure you keep the photo album away from heat. They should be at a constant temperature and constant humidity. Ideally, store them at a temperature below 50 degrees Fahrenheit and less than 50 percent humidity.
Use the right fertilizers
Fertilizing the ground is an essential step in gardening. It adds nutrients and minerals to the soil, allowing the plants to grow better and faster. Choose the type of fertilizer based on the type of plants you’re growing. Mulch is one of the great options for feeding the soil with nutrients and protecting it against erosion. If you’re afraid you’ll have a problem fighting off weeds, mulch will help with that problem.
Crop rotation matters
The soil in your gardening will be under the effect of the plants grown in it year after year. That’s why you need to practice crop rotation if you want to offer necessary nutrients to the soil every year. Crop rotation will replenish nutrients in the soil, and keep common pests on their toes. They won’t see their food source in the same spot every time, which will prevent them from invading the garden that often.
Read more: Top five blue colored flowers for your garden
Final thoughts
If you’re contemplating starting your gardening hobby, then you need to learn a little bit more about it. With a comprehensive guide we’ve set up for you, you’ll be ready to start your planting journey and engage in an interesting hobby. Be sure you get all the necessary tools and do as much research as possible to be sure you’re doing everything right and growing healthy crops.
