Basic rules for stunning and successful gardening
Early spring is the most exciting time to be a gardener. As spring has sprung from the slightly cooler Rustenburg, we kiss lazy days goodbye and welcome wonderful chores for beautiful homes. As well as working to create spectacular gardens, which don’t just display or grow on their own, but rather require physical work and loads of TLC (tender loving care).
This article, with the help of Prinsie Ali (Department of Agriculture) and Basi Khunou (Farmer/Business owner) gives you the kick start to an attractive and successful garden in Rustenburg, as the sun and rains long to turn all things bright and beautiful.
1. Start small
Biting off more than you can chew is the surest way to get frustrated with gardening. Of course, small is a relative term, but with just a 150 square feet area, a lot more can be planted. A smaller garden is easier to manage than a big one and will prevent you from becoming overwhelmed. Starting on a small plot will encourage fast learning when it comes to the basics of gardening, like controlling unwanted plants, pest and disease control, and watering requirements.
2. Create an “easy-to-maintain” compost heap
Whether you choose to build an elaborate bin and compost on your desired spot, create a simple pile in an out-of-the-way corner at home or position a composter in a sunny spot matters less. What matters the most is making good compost and use it effectively. Dig well and add plenty compost or fertilizer to prepare your garden to ensure that when the roots start spreading, they’ll beautifully do so. This can be dead leaves (good to gather during Autumn), old fruit, vegetables and cut grass.
3. Create a path to perfect gardens
Compost helps in maintaining healthy and rich soil though there are a few things to consider such as; once you have established your garden, avoid walking on the soil as steps compacts the soil, thus making it difficult for roots to grow easily. Rather create paths between rows if your garden is big enough, or make a border line so that you’ll know where not to cross. Moreover, don’t work on wet soil, otherwise, when it has dried up, you’ll wind up with big clumps of hard packed soil. Plants like you and I like being left to enjoy nature, “tins disturb the soil way and turning the soil with a shovel disturbs the complex structure and health of both the soil and the plants, so we need to be careful of the decisions we take to care for our gardens” says Basi Khunou; farmer.
4. Don’t skip that watering can
Most people frequently water their plants but for brief periods of time. This isn’t beneficial as we think it is, simply because the water can’t reach the roots surface, hence our plants dry up and die even when you “water” them. A better way to water plants is to deep soak for longer periods of time for roots to be able to grow deep into the soil. Watering early in the morning or late in the afternoon also ensures good circulation of water into the branches and roots.
5. Bonding time in the garden
Starting small and then going native reduces time spent in the garden, but cutting back on fertilizers and pruning when necessary is most significant as it helps plants to produce tender, succulent growth, which is what parasites prefer most. Minimizing maintenance is efficient because you won’t have to spent money and most of your time on gardening, though regular visits are as important. Spending just 10 minutes daily just wandering around your garden with a cup of tea early in the morning will create an invaluable bond with every little thing during its growth. The nice thing about this is that you’ll get the chance to stop and see the progress there is, whether or not your plants need serious attention, for instance you could notice, stop, and pull a few unwanted plants.
Dealing with such small things each day, you won’t be so overwhelmed by time summer rocks in. You may also discover that attending your garden daily but briefly, you’ll develop strong desire for plants if you never really took it seriously. Really great gardens have been seen grow in the so called ‘unhealthy soil’, but just if it is managed well. If you want your garden to stay in good conditions from season to season, take good care of it seasonally and understand how different seasons impacts on different plants.
For the love of nature, please visit our gallery page to view how green plants become when Mother Nature flips from winter to spring.
Article: Tshireletso Malapile
For more help on gardening ideas as well as landscaping planning, look at the following businesses:
Waterfall Landscaping and Nursery