Gardening Basics and Know-How - Tips from the Experts for Gardening Hobbyists



Are you a rookie to gardening? Or are you a casual gardener who wants to keep a small with gorgeous blooms or vibrant greens? In any case, you've likely run into a pest problem or soil issue you've never seen before. You might be feeling lost on how to resolve it.

But don't fret! Every gardener experiences this. Even experts and professionals on plant care have their own concerns.

To help you along, we've put this helpful guide together! You'll also find answers to the most frequent questions on gardening. You'll also find top tips every gardener needs to know!

Here, we give you a quick list of pro gardening tips and tricks for rookies and hobbyists. You'll learn about planting your first plant seed. You'll find out how to give daily treatment to your plants. You'll find out how to transfer your seedlings to your plant bed. You'll also learn how to build your soil and pick your herbs.

Whatever your concerns are, we've got your back! This practical guide has all the fundamental know-hows for any budding gardener.

Interested in a formal course? Want to get certified as a gardening expert? Take a look at organizations offering classes in Floristry, like:

American Institute of Floral Designers (www.aifd.org). National Gardening Organization (www.garden.org). American Floral Endowment (www.endowment.org). American Horticultural Society (www.ahsgardening.org).


Conroys Flowers in Mission Viejo

Prepping Your Garden Bed



Before doing anything else, all gardeners need to prepare their garden beds! Other gardening techniques like building soil can get complicated without a good foundation. But no worries, we're here to help!

Sunlight, healthy soil, and water are the standard needs of any garden bed. But if you want to go all out, there are a few steps you need to follow.

Remove weeds, grass, and other vegetation from your desired spot. Wet the soil until it is moist. See to it that it's not soaking wet. Work the soil to about 12 inches deep. Insert compost into your bed. Cover the bed with mulch. Top off with more compost to keep moisture. Preparing your garden bed differs with the type of plants you wish to plant. But these are the basics you can adopt to ensure your bed is healthy! From here, you can get your lawn ready! You'll soon enjoy a garden of the Freshest flower and plant edibles!


Seed and Seed-Starting



So you've prepped your lawn or yard into a nurturing garden bed. Now you're all ready to start planting seeds and growing them to fully flourish! With the appropriate care, you can expect radiant blooms and harvests of herbs and plants.

To accomplish this, here are a few tips from expert gardeners on seed starting! You'll see the best ways to bury a seed into the soil and start them up on their growth process.

Some gardeners say it's alright to let your seed grow wild in any way they want. But experts don't agree.

Years of experience with looking after our own gardens tell us otherwise. We say it's best for beginners to start their gardens in a confined space. It's much better for both you and your plants that you keep a close eye on them at all times. This way, you can adapt to and manage their needs in a more efficient way.

That said, here are a few basic tips for new gardeners planting their first set of seeds into the soil!

Disperse your seeds in the bed and avoid overcrowding at all costs. Store your stockpile of seeds in a dry and cool spot for longer shelf life. Pat down the soil to make direct contact with the seeds. Provide enough airflow and water drainage to defend against pests and plant disease. Water them everyday, and feed them well with a healthy mix of fertilizer and plant food. Take time to let your plants get used to direct light to avoid unwanted wilting.


Mulch


Both Flower beds and vegetable gardens benefit a good deal from mulch. It gives your garden very high levels of moisture retention and soil temperature regulation. It also helps repel weeds better. You could never get these at top quality with any artificial product or formula.

Every gardener needs to know when to use mulch and what amount of it to use. This is because mulch belongs to the most valuable things a garden needs to thrive!

Whether you're using grass clippings, wood chips, pine needles, stone and rocks, or dyed mulch, here are the pros' answers to some FAQs on mulch.

Should I stay clear of any kind of mulch? Avoid grass cuttings from any lawn that's been treated with herbicide in the past three to four weeks. If you have pets, specifically dogs, don't use cocoa hull.

Aged mulch vs. New mulch? As a rule, older mulch is better. It won't drain the soil of its much-needed nitrogen and other nutrients. This is because they've already started decomposing.

When should I apply mulch? Gardening pros say it's best to place the mulch in your garden bed in the early summer. Otherwise, you'll risk harming the roots of any plants you put in after.

How deep should the mulch go? The general rule on how deep mulch should go is a couple of inches from above ground. Experts say this is optimal for your plants. Top tip: Keep the mulch about at least a feet from your house's foundation to protect against pest infestations.


Composting


The method of composting has been around almost as long as gardening has. It's only fair to presume everyone has at least a basic idea of composting or building good compost.

No matter what you know about it, here are a few pointers to catch you up on the basics of composting! We recommend that you allot a dedicated space for your composting. With this, you can put compost in a bin to stock for longer use.

It's also essential to maximize your compost for your garden bed. Start by moistening each layer as you put them in your compost bin and speed up the process.

Now you want your compost to be top-notch. Compost is most ideal when it has a well-balanced composition of brown (dry) and green (wet) components. If not, it can either heat up or smell bad.

So if one of these things takes place, check on the balance of green and brown in your compost. If it isn't proportionate, add a little bit more of whichever compost is less than the other. Make sure the perimeter of your workspace doesn't block water and lets it empty out with ease.