Test your soil
One of the most important things to know about your soil is its pH level. This number indicates whether your soil is acidic or alkaline, and it’s one of the things you’ll need to know when selecting plants that will thrive in your garden. To find out what kind of soil you have, take a sample and send it to a local lab for testing (you can find these labs through Google).
To interpret the results, look at where they fall on this scale:
- Very acidic = less than 5
- Slightly acidic = 6-7
- Neutral = 7-8
- Slightly alkaline = 8-9
- Alkaline = 9-10
Buy only healthy plants
- Research the plant before you buy it.
- Look for signs of disease, infestation and stress—and don’t buy plants with wilted or brown leaves. If you can’t see the roots, ask an employee to check them out for you so that there is no risk of bringing home a diseased plant (some diseases can be spread by soil). You should also find out how often your chosen variety needs to be repotted—this can vary greatly depending on the species and how well it’s been cared for in its previous home.
Learn about pests and diseases in your area
If you’re new to gardening, it’s important to know about the pests and diseases that are common in your area. Different regions have their own unique pests and diseases. For example, if you live in the south where it’s humid year-round and hot most of the time, then root rot is probably an issue for your garden. If you live in a dry region where there isn’t much rain at all during certain times of the year (like summer), powdery mildew will probably be more prevalent than other regions.
If you see signs of these issues, find out how to treat them quickly before they spread further into your garden plants or even inside your house!
Buy the best tools you can afford
You should buy high quality gardening tools for the following reasons:
- They are sturdier and last longer. Cheap tools often break or bend after a few uses, which means you’ll have to spend more money on replacements.
- They do a better job of what they’re made for. For instance, a low-quality shovel can’t dig through hard soil as easily as an expensive one would do.
- They’re safer for you and your plants because they won’t break under pressure or cause injury when used correctly.
Start a compost pile
Composting is a great way to reuse your kitchen scraps, yard trimmings, and other garden waste. By using compost in your soil, you’ll be helping your plants grow healthy and strong.
Start a compost pile by collecting yard debris like leaves, dead flowers and vegetables from the garden (no weeds), shredded newspaper or cardboard boxes (no glossy paper), straw from hay bales, sawdust from lumber mills or sawmills (not treated with chemicals). The best materials for compost piles are called carbon-rich materials because they have a high concentration of carbon in them—carbon makes up about 65% of the dry weight of plant materials such as wood chips; leaves; grass clippings; corn stalks etc. These materials will decompose quickly while providing valuable nutrients to plants after they are turned into finished compost.
Use mulch to conserve water, enrich the soil and help control weeds.
MULCH is a layer of material that is spread or laid over the surface of an area of soil. It can be organic (such as compost) or inorganic (such as gravel, plastic, or rubber chippings). Mulch helps conserve water, enrich the soil and control weeds.
Group plants with similar needs together
Group plants with similar needs together.
Group plants that have the same water, sun and soil needs together.
Group plants that have the same bloom times together.
Group plants that have the same pruning requirements together.
Group plants with similar maintenance requirements together (for example, group annuals with perennials or group annuals with other annuals).
Plant trees and shrubs properly
Plant trees and shrubs properly.
- Plant your tree or shrub in the right place.
- Plant your tree or shrub at the right depth.
- Make sure that you plant your tree or shrub with the right soil.
- Make sure that you water your newly planted tree/shrub regularly until it becomes established in its new location (about one year).
Keep a journal when you first start out. This will help you remember what did well, what didn’t and which types of plants are best suited to your site.
Keep a journal when you first start out. This will help you remember what did well, what didn’t and which types of plants are best suited to your site. Take photos at the end of each season so that you can see how much progress has been made since the beginning of the year. Keep track of the amount of water given and any fertilizer used, as this will give you valuable information on what works best in your soil.
This information can be used for next year’s garden by noting which varieties were successful or not so successful and by noting whether certain techniques worked better than others.
Ask for help if you need it!
If you are a complete beginner, chances are that you have many questions about the process of gardening. Your local gardening club is a great resource for learning more about the topic and getting answers to your questions. You can also research online or ask family members or friends who have experience in gardening. Another useful resource is online gardening forums. Many people post their own experiences and tips there, so it’s a great way to see what others have done with their gardens as well as learn from them!
If you’re looking for specific guidance on how best to grow certain plants or flowers at home, ask at your local garden center for help with information on which types work best depending on where in the world they will be grown (or even within different regions).
A little preparation goes a long way when it comes to gardening.
- Research before starting your garden. If you’re new to gardening, it’s important to do some research on what kind of plants will thrive in your area and how much sunlight the area gets. This will help ensure that your plants grow well and look nice for as long as possible.
- Buy the best tools you can afford. A good set of tools will last longer than cheaper ones, so it’s better to invest in quality from the beginning if possible!
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help when needed—it’s okay! There are lots of websites out there with advice about gardening; use them! Also, consider joining a local gardening club or community center where they might have workshops available at no cost (or even possibly free). These groups may also have equipment available so members can borrow things like shovels or rakes whenever they need them while working their plots together each week.”
