Gardening Glossary

When plants get too large for their spot or pot, divide or separate them into several smaller plants. Division is an easy and cost-effective way to propagate plants. Water the plant well before dividing and make sure that each piece has a root system, to allow new divisions to grow. The best time to divide plants is when they are dormant; so divide spring- and summer-blooming ones int he autumn, and fall-blooming plants in spring. Houseplants should be divided in spring before they put out new growth. For tubers and bulbs, divide them before planting in the spring.

Cultivation is manually working the soil by digging and turning. It is important to cultivate soils to prepare even beds for seedlings and to remove weeds. However, it can damage soil structure, plant roots, and communities of beneficial soil organisms. Do not work soils if they are too wet or too dry because you will do more damage than good. Also avoid working around wet plants to prevent spreading disease. Cultivation techniques include mulching and double-digging.

Seedlings killed by fungus are said to have “damped off.” Damping off is caused by a wide range of fungi including Botrytis, Pythium, and many others. It is usually the result of using unsterilized seedling soil, or by soil that has been kept too moist, creating a perfect habitat for many fungi and moulds. Planting seeds in sterilized starting soil is a simple way to avoid damping off, but some organic homemade recipes exist for spraying seedlings with garlic solution, chamomile tea, and so on. By far the safest method is to use sterilized soil and to monitor watering carefully....

Containers that hold all the essential ingredients that plants need to survive are ideal for gardeners that have little or no garden space. Plant your container garden on a well-lit windowsill, the porch, or balcony. Containers can also create variety and interest in your outdoor garden.

Planting certain species of plants together create a wealth of beneficial effects for your garden, including: – hiding a crop from pests– producing odors that confuse or repel pests– tricking and trapping pests away from other plants– providing breeding and nesting habitat for beneficial insects There are hundreds of companion planting combinations for a wide number of problems, both verified by scientific research and by your fellow gardener’s bountiful crop.