If you’ve suddenly developed an interest in gardening, you should know that, in order to plant, you’ll have to prepare the soil. A healthy soil that has been prepared properly will bear healthier plants, and will also require less fertilizer.
To have a garden, you should determine whether your house’s soil is healthy or not. Usually, people would try planting stuff first before even considering investing in a great number of plants or seeds. With that said, before planting anything, you’ll have to do some preparations first.
You can also hire a professional soil testing company to get your soil tested to get measurements on the level of certain nutrients such as Magnesium, Phosphorus, Calcium, pH, potassium, and even nitrogen. There are also some testing kits you can purchase to run tests by yourself, but they are not as accurate.
Fertilizers and Organic Compost
As mentioned in this article, you should rely more on organic matter instead of fertilizer, to maintain your soil in good shape. Fertilizers are a great alternative to get you more suitable for gardening by increasing the nutrients in it, but they will hinder your soil’s health if you abuse too much. On the other hand, organic matter will take more time but will give your soil whatever it may need to grow healthy plants.
You can purchase organic compost in almost any gardening store. If you want to, you can make it yourself at home. Organic matter is very likely to absorb and store nutrients that are usually available thanks to plants. Another thing to consider is that microorganisms on the soil will also benefit from compost.
If you decide to use fertilizer instead, you should try to look for organic dry fertilizers. They may work slower than your standard liquid fertilizer, but they are healthier and last for longer periods of time. You can also make your own fertilizer if you are interested.
A Lawn Tiller
A lawn tiller, also known as a rototiller, is a gardening tool that is almost absolutely necessary to prepare the soil for gardening. It’s also a great investment for lawn maintenance. Of course, choosing a rototiller can be hard. If you don’t know what things to consider before purchasing one, we are here to help.
If you read this article and still have some doubts, you can visit https://home.howstuffworks.com/lawn-garden/professional-landscaping/lawn-tiller2.htm.
Something you should consider is that, if you are only using it for a one-time occasion, you can always rent one. It’s the best thing you can do.
For example, if you are aiming to prepare the soil for grass seeding, and you are certain that you’ll not use it for more than that, renting is the best option. Of course, if you are preparing a garden, and anticipate that you’ll be using it often, purchasing one is a great investment.
The things you should take in mind before purchasing involves your garden’s size, the type of soil, and whether it’s rocky or not. If you are aiming to prepare a small garden, a mini-tiller may be more than enough. If the space of the garden is compact and hard to deal with, or have too many nuisances, like rocks, you might want to get a stronger model.
A mini tiller won’t be enough in a harsh soil, and you’ll probably get it damaged. On the other hand, if it’s a simple soil, without too many nuisances, it’ll be good enough. Just be prepared to do a few more rounds in case the tiller doesn’t get the job done in one go.
Of course, a more powerful tiller will be more than enough in this case. And you’ll probably use it a single time, in contrast to a smaller model.
Your budget is also something to consider, too. For example, a mini-rototiller can go from $250 to $350, while a medium-sized one will cost from $500 o $800. Large models can be quite expensive, going from $850 to $2,000.
If you are having problems deciding for a tiller, you can always check online reviews, like this one: https://ryansbestreviews.com/rototillers/.
Other Gardening Tools.
There are other useful gardening tools you should have if you are thinking of building a garden all by yourself.
Shovels are a good example. There’s a wide variety of shovels. The round point shovel is the standard one, used for digging and moving soil. The square point shovel is used for moving materials, and the drain spade is a similar version of the square point shovel, but way smaller, great for working in compact spaces and moving plants, and is usually purchased to build fences due to its length.
A garden trowel and a transplanter are also a must. The garden trowel will help you dig in small spaces with more precision, and the transplanter helps the same purpose but is more used to move plants around.
There are also some tools that you may need depending on the types of plants you decide to go for. For example, the bulb planter is great to dig precise holes specifically made for bulbs.
Your garden’s maintenance is also important, so leaf rakes and gardening hoes may be required. Of course, there are too many tools to be covered in this article, so you should check this garden tools buying guide.
Deciding Which Plants to Buy
The first thing you have to do before even considering buying plants is measuring your garden. If you do, you’ll be able to decide for pots, plant size, and other types of furniture you might want to add to the garden.
When it comes to plants and flowers, you should do your research. There are lots of factors to consider, and too many plants to choose from. I recommend you to take a look at some plants and flowers that may interest you, and go for them after doing thorough research. Some plants are good for shady areas, others require sun. Some will not require as much water, while others will.
That’s why research is so necessary. Since every garden is different depending on its owner, it’ll depend on him or her to give it a personal touch. Here’s an article to help you have a good start.
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