How To Control Backyard Garden Pests

June 2, 2016 by 1 Comment

Gardening is one of the best remedies for the mind. There are many benefits attached to it like enjoying outdoors, getting some physical activity, and growing nutritious fruits and vegetables.  Unfortunately, there’s a few downsides to backyard vegetable gardening.  How to Control Garden Pests is major issue in gardens.  We’re going to share a few tips today on how you can take preventive measure on controlling them.  And, how to fight them when you encounter them in your garden.

 

 

garden pests

 

One of the important aspects of maintaining a garden is to nourish and protect your plants. It is also natural for gardeners to use pesticides to protect their plants from pest attack. Most of the pesticides have harmful chemicals, and it affects your health and the environment as well.  Find preventive pest control methods that will keep your plants healthy. You have to put in some extra efforts to follow them, but in the end, it will all be worth it.

 


 

 

  • Organic gardeners recommend natural pesticides like soaps, vinegar, neem oil, and row covers.  Chemical pesticides can protect plants, but the majority of the garden has vegetables that are edible. Plants inherit these chemicals.  Consuming the chemicals can become dangerous. Dust and pyrethrum solution extracted from daisy flowers are good natural pesticides. By spraying the solution from time to time, plants are protected from insects, such as flies, fleas, ants, and aphids.
  • If you see any bacterial and pest infestation, you must act on it immediately to prevent it from spreading. Cut off infected part of the plants and throw away the damaged fruits or vegetables. Do not add them to the compost heap. Regularly check your garden for pests and don’t forget to look under the leaves as well.
  • Heat will dry plants and kill them quickly. So build a greenhouse to protect your plants from the harmful radiations.  Cold weather also hinders the growth of plants.
  • Next, apart from shade and shelter, mulch can protect your plants to a great extent. It also reduces general garden maintenance activity, retains water, decreases evaporation and encourages vigorous growth of plants. Do some research and find out about mulch variations that can be used in all temperature conditions.
  • Drinking water in the morning has many health benefits for humans. Same applies to plants. Watering early in the morning ensures that the roots are hydrated enough to bear the heat of the day. This is the only way to protect plants from sunburn. Sometimes a second watering is also a good idea if once wasn’t sufficient.
  • If you’re late at planting seeds, or you live in a place where it is warm throughout the year, plant the seeds deeper. Warm temperature and direct sunlight can dehydrate the top soil quickly. So by planting seed an extra inch or two deeper will prevent the root systems from drying.

 

 

garden pests

 

Last, you cannot entirely protect your garden from changing weather conditions, pests, and plant diseases. But, as a gardener, you have to experiment with gardening protecting tactics so that you can find out the one that is suitable for your garden.

 

 

Filed Under: Nature-Gardening, Vegetable Garden Tagged With: , ,

Golden Rules of Organic Gardening

May 23, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Organic gardening has been becoming more and more popular and for a good reason. Whether we are aware of it or not, many gardeners are already working on some form of organic backyard vegetable gardening. Organic gardening is the actual practice of growing lawns, vegetables, fruits, shrubs and more without manmade chemicals. It’s also about feeding the soil by tilling compost or manure into the soil.  

 

 

 

gardening, vegetable gardens

 

 

Organic Gardening Rules:  

 

It is getting harder and harder to do organic gardening since there are many toxins that get in the way. However, if you follow these golden rules below you will be able to start a really good organic garden for you and your family:

  • Invest some time and energy to build up your soil with a nice, high amount of organic matter that would be able to support a better quantity of beneficial soil microbes and fungi. Healthy soil will help grow healthy plants.

 

 

organic gardening tips

 

 

  • Ensure you have properly placed plants in a location where they will thrive. Planting plants in location where they don’t get enough sunlight or shade will cause them to die or not thrive. This is one very important part of expert gardening and landscaping that will help make your plants vigorous and healthy.  Healthy plants will be harder to succumb to disease and pests and they will be less stressed by bad weather if planted correctly. 
  • Take care of any disease and pest problem when first noticed.  You will need to take action right away. This will be a lot easier to work with during the early stages of an infestation, so avoid delays when you work on garden maintenance and landscaping.

 


 

  • There are many benefits of organic gardening you can enjoy.  For example, the lack of harmful chemicals in your homegrown food is a major benefit of organic gardening.  Less overall harm to the land around you, preservation of wetland areas and groundwater and more.
  • You can feel a lot better knowing you are actually doing something to change things. We can use compost or composted manure for fertilizer and mulch, not to mention we can use it in a really safe way. Leaves and straw as well as tree bark would make for excellent mulching choices when you need it.  Natural-based and organic fertilizers instead of chemically derived ones will also be a major part of your gardening efforts.
  • You can learn to apply the right techniques to make growing healthy plants an easier job, avoiding diseases and pests in the process. A healthy plant will be much more resistant to stress and more, so make sure you keep it that way.

 

 

organic gardening tips

 

 

  • You can use beneficial enemies for the pest insect species in your garden.  Such as how ladybugs are enemies of nematodes and aphids.  Additionally, as other species combinations that would be a good solution.

Use natural deterrents and insecticides for bug problems.  For example, use insecticidal soap sprays, copper, sulfur, neem oil and more to solve your disease issues. Use the chance to remove any weeds that are too big for weed killer or work by hand.  It will be harder, but it will be worth the efforts.

 

Contributor:  Ella Andrews is a content writer. She has a passion for home maintenance, healthy living and gardening  projects. She is presently focused on writing and enjoying every opportunity to share tips and advice with her readers.  Check out these other  gardening tips too.

 

Filed Under: Nature-Gardening, Vegetable Garden Tagged With: , ,

Tips To Help Save The Planet

April 18, 2016 by Leave a Comment

Do you celebrate Earth Day?  Many people think it’s the big sweeping changes that will make an impact on the environment.  However, it’s really the little things that matter. When millions of people participate, they add up fast.  You can start recycling and upcycling in your backyard vegetable garden.  We have easy tips from landscaping experts, Rubber Mulch, to help you get started.   Every small action is part of the engine of positive environmental change!  Lets get started.  


earth day

 

 

Collect rainwater to help keep the garden green, even during a drought

A rain barrel will collect excess rainwater.  Something that can both protect and enhance your garden. It will help prevent flooding in low lying parts of the garden.  Additionally,  it will allow you to water your plants and flowers, guilt free, and with no impact to your water bill. Even during a drought, you can maintain your garden’s fresh and beautiful look. Tip –  Install a screen on the top of the barrel to keep pests and bugs out!

Bring on the Good Bugs!

There are several varieties of insects that are good for your garden.  You can encourage them to pay your plants and flowers a visit.  For example, ladybugs and lacewing flies love two things brightly colored flowers.  They also like sunflowers, marigolds  and plant destroying aphids. The former attracts the ladybugs and flies and the latter becomes their lunch!

So, how do you encourage the good bugs to visit your garden? Plant colorful flowers. They’ll see them like a botanical drive-thru window.

 

Do you like a little Irish Spring in the shower?

Buy two bars of Irish Spring soap. When you’re in the garden, shave a little of the first bar around your perennial plants and flowers.  Small, furry critters don’t care for it. It’s an inexpensive deterrent that smells a whole lot better than many of the products sold at the garden center.

When you’re done all your gardening efforts for the put it to good use on yourself. Its win-win!

 

Cornbread anyone?

If you’re partial to using corn meal gluten in your kitchen, you might want to use some in your garden. To keep weed  from germinating and growing into full fledged plants, sprinkle some corn meal around your flowers. The gluten will prevent any seed from germinating.  However, avoid it in your vegetable patch or nary a tomato will you grow.

Do you already have some weeds growing? A pinch of salt at the base of weed will kill it naturally.  Also, snails and slugs are slimy but oddly, they don’t care for man made slime!  As a result, spread some petroleum jelly on the edges of your pots and planters.  It will save your plants from becoming an all-a-snail-can-eat buffet.

Reuse milk jugs and plastic bottles

We all have too many of them in the house.  However, most can be recycled.   But you can also put a few of them to good use in the garden. You can keep your early spring seedlings safe from sudden frosts or other harsh weather.  Cut  the bottom from the jug or bottles and placing them over top of the seedling. This will protect them from threats of spring frost or hail. Just don’t forget to remove them when the good weather arrives.  The plants can benefit from the full and healthful effects of sun and rain!

 

Mulch much?

Mulching is so important for your garden! It protects plants from pests and weeds.  And it helps the plants retain moisture and the necessary minerals from the earth. Mulch helps cut down on the time and energy you spend maintaining the garden and plant beds. Take it to another level by using a sustainable and long lasting Rubber Mulch. They are made from recycled rubber tires. You can’t get more friendly to your garden and the earth than that!

 

Epsom salts for the garden?

So, did you know that Epsom salt is a perfect natural fertilizer? They will help keep your garden plants green, your flowers grow in abundance and balance the levels of magnesium in your soil.  An important mineral for your garden’s happiness. And then you can put some in your hot bath and relax those tired muscles after a day of tending to your beautiful garden!

 

Coffee grounds and eggshells are compost gold!

Who knew being addicted to coffee could end up being good for the garden? Coffee grounds that are placed in the earth or the compost, to a depth of 6 to 8 inches, can do a lot of good. The grounds provide phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and copper, all of which your soil needs.  They will release nitrogen into the soil.  Nitrogen is another essential compound for a healthy garden.  Sprinkle some as mulch at the base of your hydrangea plants and your pink flowers will turn blue as the grounds alter the PH levels of the soil!

 

Eggshells are good for your garden too:

1.     Eggshells are composed of 96% calcium carbonate so they can give your compost that hit of calcium it needs. Pepper and tomato plants love calcium!

2.     Crushed eggshells are sharp! Sprinkle some around your plants to deter pests like slugs and snails from munching on your growing garden.

These tips are things that we can all do to help our gardens grow and our earth to sustain itself.

 

RubberMulch.com is the original and environmentally responsible mulch made from 100% recycled rubber used in gardens, playgrounds and sustainable landscaping. Rubber Mulch is weather resistant, durable, and the most cost effective mulch around.  It protects children from falls on the playground. Rubber Mulch helps homeowners increase the curb appeal of their house and create the home and garden they have always dreamed of.

Filed Under: Nature-Gardening, Vegetable Garden Tagged With: , , ,

Composting Leaves for Beginners

July 18, 2014 by
Today, I’m sharing gardening tips on composting leaves for beginners. Fall is a great time to start preparing  garden compost for backyard vegetable gardens.  Having rich soil is essential in for growing flowers and vegetables.  I started composting several years ago, so I could have readily available compost for my veggies.  

I started c0mposting with 2 compost bins that I use for kitchen scraps, yard cuttings, grass etc.  The compost bins weren’t breaking down fast enough for me, so I started composting my neighbor’s leaves.  I’m not sure that I will return to the compost bins after seeing the results of the composted leaves. I love how the leaves break down and how fast they return black gold to me.  The leaves are easier to compost, and they don’t require any work unlike the compost bins.

 

composting leaves for beginners

 

 

Composting leaves is simple, just leave the leaves in lawn bags and let them do their thing.  My neighbor brings me 15 – 20 bags each fall. However, there are other uses for the leaves too.  For example, the top picture is a bag that I use around my garden plants as mulch.  This year I created paths in the garden to keep the weeds down with them. Normally I use straw, but I didn’t purchase any this year so I had to use my leaves.

 

composting leaves for beginners

 

The above bag of leaves is in the mist of breaking down.  You can see where the leaves are decomposing in the bag.  Because I have 5 – 10 bags of black gold for the next year’s garden, the other bags can sit and decompose throughout the year.  So, stop burning those leaves and find a spot for them to decompose.  It’s easy!

Tips for Composting Leaves for Beginners:

1.  Remove large sticks, pine cones etc. from the leaves.
2.  Use inexpensive lawn bags to house them.  I purchase cheap ones from the Dollar Store.
3.  Crumble the leaves as much as you can before placing them in the bag.  Because my neighbor gives me her leaves, I have to open the bags and crumble them myself.  If you have kids let them crumble them.  It gets them involved in gardening. Or, use a weed wacker to break up the leaves.
4.  Wet the crumbled leaves thoroughly, seal the bag and place it in a spot where they won’t be disturbed. I use a stick and punch a few small holes in the bag so it will get water from the rain and snow during the winter months.


The picture below is a bag of leaves that have completely broken down into what gardeners call black gold. Every gardener wishes for black gold. This bag is beautiful and full of worms. It took a few years for the leaves to break down to this state, but it is so worth it. The compost in the bins isn’t close to being this rich.  I must say that I have not given the bins the attention that they require.

Compost bins must be heated up by using a certain amount of greens and browns, such as cuttings from the lawn, leaves, kitchen scrapes, newspaper, etc. It also requires water and turning.  My bags of leaves just require storage space, and nature does its thing.  I hide my bags behind one of my storage buildings.  The longer you leave them, the more they break down.  I love composting tips for beginners that are easy.  I thought you would feel the same.

 

composting leaves for beginners
 

Composted leaves will enrich your soil and help produce beautiful flowers and vegetables.  You can either till it into the garden or place a scoop into the hole before adding your plant. I also add a scoop around the base of my plants.  Simply use a small hand trowel to place the compost around the plant. Most importantly, the compost is organic and it’s free.

So, once the leaves have been raked and bagged it’s time to do fall lawn care.  Fall lawn care should include aerating the soil, fertilizing, over seeding and continuing weed control.  Aerating the soil is important, especially if you intend to overseed your lawn.  Aeration allows water, nutrients, and oxygen to get to the root of your lawn.  As a result, it also allows seeds to touch the soil and receive water when you overseed.

Finally, fertilizing your existing lawn is a step you should take in the fall.  The moisture on the lawn in the morning helps to absorb the fertilizer.  The fertilizer in turn, helps with the roots of the lawn.  Additionally, strong roots will produce a lush, green lawn in the spring.   We hope you found my composting leaves for beginners beneficial.
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