Facts About Gardening

Tomatoes growing in a field.

Thinking of starting your own garden? Your green thumb is in for an interesting time! Here are seven gardening facts you need to know.

A lot of first-time gardeners end up having no crops by harvesting season. If this sounds like you, you’re not alone. Most first-time gardeners don’t know essential gardening facts that will help yield a non-stop harvest. Below are the top seven facts you should know about gardening. 

7 Gardening Facts

1. Weed, Weed, Weed!

Weeds are nasty pests that can take water from your plants. Staying on top of weeds is one of the top facts about gardening you should know. Also, keeping up with weeds will make your life easier as a gardener. 

It’s better to do a little bit of weeding here and there than doing the whole garden at once. Setting aside 10 to 15 minutes twice a week for weeding should do the trick. You can even pick a section to work one day and then another section to work the next weeding day. 

Pulling weeds after rain makes them come out of the ground with ease. This is because the soil is softer and doesn’t provide much resistance. 

To prevent weeds try mulching. They won’t grow through a thick layer of mulch and it will help keep your plants quenched. 

2. Seeds Don’t Have to be Planted at the Same Time

The key to a non-stop harvest is to plant seeds here and there, not all at once. This is known as succession planting. Succession planting is planting one crop after another in the same space.

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You can figure out the best seasons and times to plant crops by looking at their seed packets. Before planting begins, it’s a good idea to make a list of what you want to plant and when. 

Remember that every crop has special planting dates and plan accordingly. 

3. The Real Gardening Facts About Insects

Not all insects found in the garden are bad. Some of them help your plants grow and thrive. Pollinators are the insects you want to see around your flowers and crops. Bees are the biggest pollinators in nature.

Bees sleep in flowers that close at night and buzz around during the day pollinating plants. Without these hard workers over 100,000 plant species would die out.

Another insect that is good for your garden is the North American earthworm. These little guys work by keeping the soil clean. They pull organic materials and turns it into nutrient-filled soil. 

If you see any aphids on your plants this is a bad sign. Aphids are insects that are not welcome in any garden. They eat plants and can end up killing your crops. To kill unwanted insects that can damage your harvest use insecticides. Even some natural oils can be used to kill pests. 

4. Location Is Important

You will want to have a rough idea of the plants you’re putting in the garden. After knowing what you want to plant,  do some research to see how much sunlight the crops require.

After figuring out if your plants love the sun or like the shade, plan your plot accordingly. This will help ensure crops don’t die due to overexposure from the sun or lack of light. 

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The soil quality is also important. The soil should be soft so the plant’s roots can grow easily. This fact can be used for all different types of gardens.

Plant somewhere that doesn’t flood or is too dry. Remember to plant in a spot that gives your plants the conditions they need but doesn’t put them in harm’s way. 

5. Mowing is Important to Maintaining a Beautiful Garden

One of the interesting facts about gardening is your lawn. Your lawn is very important to the ecosystem of your garden. By keeping up with your yard you will help the soil by keeping it moist and cool.

Cool soil means less weed germination. It will also help keep the ground cool from hot days, meaning your plants won’t get too hot.  

These lawn mowers are great for trimming grass and keeping your backyard ecosystem flowing nicely. 

6. Crop Spacing Is Important Too

We talked about how planting times are important for crops, but the spacing is just as important. Proper spacing ensures roots won’t overcrowd and kill crops.

Plants that are too close together compete for things such as nutrients, sunlight, and water. They are also more prone to attracting pests and diseases that will kill your crop. 

The biggest issue with spacing plants closely is smothering. When a plant’s roots are smothered they don’t reach maturity. This means no harvest. 

There are spacing guidelines on seed packets that you should follow. Planning where to place the crops beforehand will help you see if the plot has enough space for the plant to mature. 

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7. The Soil Should Be Ready for Your Crops

Before planting the soil should be loose, soft, and nutrient-filled. This is garden information that you should know every year before planting. 

If you are creating a plot you will need to either cut away sod or lay newspaper out to kill the grass. If you are going the newspaper route, it will take about four months until the plot is useable.

To add nutrients into the soil, add 2 to 3 inches of compost. This can include dead leaves, grass clippings, and manure. Earthworms will help to break these items down into needed nutrients for your crops. 

Working the soil is also important. This looses up the ground and will allow for plants to root easily. You can do this by tilling or by digging. 

If you are unsure if the soil is ready for plants, try testing it. Depending on the results you can take action accordingly to have the best soil for planting. 

Now Is the Time to Start Planting

You now know the top 7 gardening facts. These facts will help you have the best harvest by being educated on soil, insects, and planting. 

For more information on gardening keep browsing the rest of our blog. 

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