7 Things You Need to Know to Grow Better Plants
We’ve all seen them….
That house that you pass in the neighborhood that looks like it belongs on the cover of Southern Living Magazine because everything about it screams perfect. Their house is painted just the right colors, their porch is decorated like Joanna Gaines herself did it, and their flowerbeds look too good to be true. You just kind of stand there and think “how come they can do that but I don’t seem to be able to?” While we can’t help much with picking out house colors, we can give you tips on how to create that jaw-dropping, neighbor-stopping landscape that lands you the title of “best yard”.
While you do have to get your hands dirty a little in order to achieve the picture perfect curb appeal, the real work comes with the planning.
Here’s all the tips you need to think through in order to make sure you set your landscape up for success.
Start With the Soil
Great gardens, vegetables and flowers, start from the ground up. If you don’t have the right soil, you’re already a step behind as soon as you plant the first seed. It’s important to make sure that you have the right soil for the type of garden you want to grow. For example, a good general rule for garden soil mix is one-third topsoil, one-third composted manure, and one-third sand.
The Fall is a great time to test the PH of your soil, giving you time to adjust it if necessary.
Location, location, location
Make sure that your specific location is right for what you want to plant. It’s important to know what zone you’re in when it comes to planting. You can easily check this here, at the USDA website.
You’ll also want to track the sunlight at the location you’re wanting to plant. Take pictures of the amount of sunlight in the morning, early afternoon, and evening. Vegetables and full-sun plants need about 6 hours of daily sun, partail-sun plants need 3 to 6 hours and shade plants need 2 to 3 hours of sunlight.
You can download a FREE PDF here or click on the infographic to the right to have a cheatsheet for sunlight times! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Use the Right Fertilizer
Testing your soil is one of the most important steps. The test results will give you an idea of what nutrients your soil may be lacking so you can make sure that you get a fertilizer that will add those nutrients you’re missing.
Here’s what you want to be aware of when it comes to fertilizer: On most fertilizers you’ll see a set of three numbers. Those numbers represent the percentages of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (in that order) in the fertilizer product. This is why testing your soil is so important, that way you’ll know what element you need your fertilizer to provide for you.
Here’s a breakdown of what each element does: Nitrogen (N) encourages green, leafy growth. Phosphorus (P) is important for root development. Potassium (K) helps to maintain plant and grass hardiness.
Don’t Underestimate the Power of Mulch
Mulch is essential in keeping weeds at bay and protecting your plants’ roots. It also acts as a shield for your soil that helps keep it moist and prevent it from washing away. You can choose from many different types of mulch such as shredded wood bark and pine needles, rubber and cocoa bean hulls, or compost, which experts say is the best option.
If you want more information on composting, you can check out this great article from South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Time your Planting
It’s important to know your area and one of the best resources you can use is your local cooperative or extension office. You can either call and ask or look online to see when the last predicted frost date is. This will help you know when you can safely plant your seed outdoors.
Find your local office and information here.
Flowerbeds are For Flowers Only
It’s important to make sure that you keep the grass out of your planting area. Add a border to keep grass from invading because once it does, it’s TOUGH to get rid of. Be sure that your border extends at least 4 inches into the ground to be sure that the grass can’t invade your plants.
Know Your Timeline
Knowing the lifecycle of your plants is essential in making sure you plant them exactly when you need to. For example, if you want a blooming garden come springtime, you’ll want to plant a couple of fast growing plants from seed. Some great options for fast growing plants include: annual sweet alyssum, pot marigold, violas, petunias, poppies, and sunflowers. Most of these flowers are frost tolerant which means they’re perfect for planting right as the gardening season is starting up.
