Tired of looking at your plain green lawn? Why not turn part of it into a garden? Transforming part of your lawn into a garden is not hard. It is not that expensive, either. The garden might even help you save money on food purchases. More importantly, you’ll have a pleasing and rewarding hobby. After all, maintaining a garden is far better off than mowing, fertilizing, and watering your demanding green grass.

First of all, you must determine if the soil is safe and free from contaminants before cutting out the part of the lawn for your planned garden. Gather a few samples of it and let it be tested in a soil lab. By this test, you will know the quality of the soil and if it has nutrient insufficiency. If the soil is positive for pollutants, you can still establish a safe garden by building raised beds and bringing in clean topsoil or compost.

Second, make sure your garden gets plenty of sunlight. Pay attention to your yard during the day and take note of areas that get most of the sunlight. You must also think about the access of water to your garden.

If you plan to grow food, you must consider getting rid of the grass using organic methods. Since grass is persistent, it will take time to outcompete them. Here are the lists of organic removal strategies: Continue reading →

Starting a garden isn’t that hard. You just have to get started and learn as you go along. The home garden experts today were newbies once. You don’t get there by merely planning. Take action. Get a shovel, dig out the dirt and start planting a few plants. Learning soil cultivating methods, like mulching or composting, can also help because in the long run, your garden will depend on the quality of your soil.

The healthier your soil is, the healthier your plants will be. Healthy organic soil has a huge difference in the success of growing food. It also promotes a web of live organisms, including fungi, bacteria, nematodes as well as slugs and worms that play crucial roles in your plants’ life. Most of the composts in the commercial ads are low in microbial life and sterilized. Soil life is complex so you have to be careful on how to make it healthy. You must be aware about using pesticides because it kills your soil; hindering your garden’s full potential. Here are some natural organic methods to make your garden soil more productive:

Manure – it is the method mostly used in urban areas. It’s low cost or free and varies in quality. All manures of livestock are beneficial for plants and soil organisms. They are also rich in microbial life. Continue reading →