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5 Tips to Beginning Gardening Early
If you live in a cooler climate like the northern half of the United States then you’re probably itching every spring to get out and plant your garden. Even if you live where the weather turns warmer earlier in the year, you probably still wish you had a way of starting your garden just a few weeks sooner. Well, now you can.
Here are 5 tips that will get you started on that garden before the weather outside turns warm. These tips all involve beginning your plants inside. Follow these instructions and you’ll not only have a garden earlier but you’ll also have healthier plants.
Tip #1: Give the Gifts of Life.
Don’t forget to provide your plants with plenty of water, sunlight, and good soil. These are the three things all plants need whether they are inside or out.
So be sure to provide what your seedlings and young plants need most: water, sunlight, and good soil.
Tip #2: Let There be Light.
Your seedlings will need lots of light to grow and be thick and healthy.
Not enough light will result in thin, wispy plants. Even if you think the seedlings get plenty of natural sunlight, remember that seedlings require a great deal of light – about 14 hours a day.
Don’t be afraid to use artificial light and when you do, use bulbs that are made just for growing plants. Also, fluorescent lights are best because they don’t generate so much heat that your seedlings will dry out.
Place the lights about a foot above the plants.
Tip #3: Keep it Clean.
Don’t make the mistake of using a soil that has fungi known as Damping-Off Disease in it. This disease is particularly disastrous to plants grown inside.
Be sure to place your seedlings in a soil that has been sterilized. When you buy the package of soil, it should be clearly labeled that the soil has been sterilized. If not, don’t buy it or use it.
Tip #4: Don’t be all Wet.
It’s very important not to let the soil become too soggy or too dry.
You need to keep a close eye on the soil and water it when necessary but you don’t want to over-water it.
Often it’s best to water your plants from the bottom. That way you allow the soil to soak up the water like a sponge.
It’s also a good idea to cover the soil with plastic wrap. This will allow the soil to stay warm and moist. Just make sure you remove the wrap when the seedlings sprout or you’ll suffocate the new plants.
Tip #5: Timing is Everything.
It’s important that you don’t plant the seedlings too soon. If the plants outgrow the pots or flats they’re in then they won’t survive for long.
Your goal should be to transplant the young plants just as they’re old enough to survive the process. That would be about four to six weeks after first planting the seeds.
It’s a good idea to get your garden started early by planting seeds indoors first. To do that effectively you need to plant the seeds at the correct time. Then you need to keep the plant in good soil and provide it with the proper light and water.
Tom Tubergen is the senior editor for http://www.thedistinctivehome.com, an online weekly magazine for decorating, gardening, and home improvement.
Source: www.ezinearticles.com