FIVE GARDENING TIPS FOR BEGINNERS

Amna Shafiq
3 min readApr 22, 2021

Persuing gardening does not necessarily require a green thumb .Following basic gardening tips and tricks can lead you directly to become a pro gardener in no time . Here are top five tips you need to apply to keep the plants healthy and growing .

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

1.LOCATION MATTERS :

Choose the right spot for your plants . Key factors in determining that are considering the amount of sunlight , water ,air and soil quality required for each plant you want to grow . Numerous flowers and vegetables require full sun for at least 6 to 8 hours on daily basis ,before planting observe carefully the spaces in the yard which receive ample sunlight . For information regarding this check for plant tags or simply ask the staff for help from where you get the supplies .

2. TEST YOUR SOIL :

In order to understand the requirements of your plants first determine the quality of your soil . It can best be done by using simple soil testing kits , you get on amazon .It helps not only in maintaining the acidity or alkalinity of the soil but also point you in the right direction to choose your plants .

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

The kit measures the nutrients content of the soil as well leaving absolutely nothing for you to worry about .

3. KNOW WHAT TO PLANT :

As beginners it is important to understand that you cannot go on planting whatever amuses you without considering the external factors .Temperature, humidity, condition of the soil , sunlight and air quality matters a lot when it comes to planting

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some easy to grow plants for beginners are :

Vegetables : lettuce , peppers and cucumbers .

Perennials : pansies , Russian sage and daylilies

Annual plants : marigolds and sunflowers

4 . GARDENING JOURNAL :

Dates and time are pivotal when it comes to successful gardening . To make life easy maintain a journal, tabulating all the necessary information . You can keep a record of your plants , the dates and time you water the plants , the number and requirements of each plant you keep . If you are old school a hand written journal will be the best fit for you . The younger people tend to use digital garden trackers .

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Here are a few garden trackers that can help your plants survive

GARDENIZE https://www.gardenize.com/

GARDEN ANSWERS http://www.gardenanswers.com/

5 . MULCH PROTECTION

Photo by Maddy Baker on Unsplash

Optimize your plant growth by keeping out the nasty weeds out of your garden . This can be done by spreading a few inches of mulch over the soil . Mulch has an added advantage because you might not have to water the soil more frequently . Consider the nature of your plants before selecting any mulch , for vegetables go for a mulch that takes a few months in decomposing .Other organic mulches can also be used .

You are now ready to start planting your own garden ,so what are you waiting for .Happy planting .

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Amna Shafiq

Based in Pakistan , I am a freelance writer and a student .