Any gardener knows that there are many things you have to think about before you dig your first hole. By learning from experts, you can feel more confident that your efforts will be rewarded by beautiful flowers or delicious crops. Consider the tips here before you do anything else in your garden.

For planting spring bulbs in the winter, decide where you want them to go and dig individual planting holes at the correct spacing. Place some small four inch plastic pots inside the holes with the rims slightly exposed and fill with soil. When spring comes, planting the bulbs is a breeze. Just remove the pots and place the bulbs in the empty hole. Fill the hole with the soil that was in the pot.

Use groundcover perennials in sunny areas. Groundcover perennials can be used as an alternative to grass where there is minimal foot traffic, or in an area where grass is difficult to maintain, such as on a slope. They are also handy in between larger perennials, as they help to suppress weeds and keep the soil moist and cool. Good choices for groundcover perennials are creeping thyme, ajuga, various sedums, alyssum and armeria.

Check the nutrients in the soil before you plant your garden. An inexpensive soil report can be used to adjust soil nutrients to optimum levels, which will ensure your garden thrives. Ask about this service at a local university or the county Cooperative Extension office to improve the soil and insure fruitful crops.

Plant a new and different edible each week. Eating tomatoes or corn every day can get old real quick, but if a variety is planted, this problem will never happen. The garden can offer a wide variety of different edible plants and if they come to maturity at the same time the variety will make the garden more enjoyable and more fun.

Make sure your pot is the right size for your plant. If the pot is too small, the plant’s roots may not have enough room to grow. The roots will become “root bound”, stop growing, and begin to suffocate. The size of the root system can determine the size of your plant and yield.

Before starting a garden, it is important that you have a plan. Without one, your garden may not come out the way you want it to. Some things to plan out include where to put the garden in your yard, what you want to grow, and whether to start from seed or plants.

When planting tomato seedlings, be sure to plant them all the way up to the first set of leaves. This allows the plant to grow a larger and deeper root system. The more roots your plant sprouts, the more tomatoes the plant will be capable of supporting and the more flavorful they will be.

So, these tips have likely guided you in the right direction towards starting your garden. Take them to heart and do not be afraid to dig even deeper, so to speak, into the information out there about gardening. Soon, you will be able to exercise your green thumb and grow beautiful plants.…