Gardening can be frustrating if you do not have the correct tools. However, if you do have the proper tools, it can be a fruitful and wonderful experience out in the fresh air and sunshine. One of my cousins actually told me that gardening is free therapy! You can go here to read some of the benefits of gardening.
1. Good soil is essential for gardening.
Gardening without the proper soil is very challenging. Overall, the darker your soil is, the more nutrition it has. If you have planted in your garden in previous years without much success, you may need better soil. You can add compost and worm castings to your soil to help you grow more food.
2. Sunlight is essential for gardening.
While there are a few plants that like partial shade (such as dill, spinach, and lettuce), most plants need several hours of sunlight every day. If your garden is shaded by a tree or bush, you may need to trim the tree or bush. You can also add raised beds or a container garden in a sunny spot to grow vegetables and plants that need more sun.
3. Quality seeds are essential for gardening.
Please do not order your seeds from Amazon! You never know what you will get. The best seeds that I have personally used are from MIGardener, a small family-owned business in Michigan. They have outstanding planting and harvesting instructions on each seed packet.
If you purchase poor quality seeds, the germination rates will be lower. This means that you may plant 10 seeds, and only three or four of them will sprout.
4. Quality fertilizer is an essential for gardening.
Not all fertilizers are the same. If you have chickens, rabbits, horses, or cows, you can use their manure as fertilizer. There are also ways to make your own.
What I have used with excellent results is Trifecta fertilizer from MIGardener. It is a slow release fertilizer that needs to be applied just once or twice a season, depending on the type of plant. You can also use it on trees and houseplants! Here is their guide.
5. Skin soothers are essential for gardening.
After you have been out in the garden for an hour or two, you will want to wash your skin with a gentle pH balanced soap, apply a first-aid spray, and use aloe vera gel to moisturize, condition, and soothe This will work for insect bites as well as for sunburn.
6. Pest control is essential for successful gardening.
For pest control, you can plant marigolds, basil, and dill in your garden. You can also plant mint, but please plant it in pots or else it will take over your entire garden! You can also use Neem oil. While I have not personally used it, I have heard of others using it with great success.
Please do not use toxic pest control methods in your garden. Whatever you spray on your plants is what you will be eating later.
7. Healthy joints are an essential for successful gardening.
Creaky joints and an achy back make gardening much more challenging. For joint and muscle health, I use this supplement daily, and it is clinically proven to give results in ten days or less. It supports a healthy range of motion, enhances joint comfort, promotes healthy cartilage, decreases stiffness in joints and promotes fast recovery from exercise. It has helped me significantly, and I rarely ever have back pain.
After a day of working in the garden, unwind with your favorite book and a cup of delicious herbal tea to reward yourself for a good day’s work.
If you enjoyed this blog post, you may also enjoy these:
7 Reasons to Have a Container Garden
How to Repel Mosquitoes
7 Benefits of Sunshine
What are your gardening essentials? Please share in the comments below. 🙂
Trackbacks/Pingbacks