Gardening Tips. Enthusiastic Green Thumb

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2 Gardening Tips for the Enthusiastic Green Thumb Discover simple and easy natural ways to get the most out of your garden, enjoy the fruits of your labor, smell the flowers and experience the beauty and satisfaction of success By The Wise Gardening Lady WiseGardening.com Page 2 of 22

3 LEGAL DISCLAIMER This booklet is protected by international copyright law and may not be copied, reproduced, given away, or used to create derivative works without the publisher s express permission. The publisher The Wise Gardening Lady at wisegardening.com retains full copyrights to this booklet. The author has made every reasonable effort to be as accurate and complete as possible in the creation of this booklet and to ensure that the information provided is free from errors; however, the author/publisher/reseller assumes no responsibility for errors, omissions, or contrary interpretation of the subject matter herein and does not warrant or represent at any time that the contents within are accurate due to the rapidly changing nature of the Internet. Any perceived slights of specific persons, peoples, or organizations are unintentional. The purpose of this booklet is to educate and there are no guarantees of income, sales or results implied. The publisher/author/reseller can therefore not be held accountable for any poor results you may attain when implementing the techniques or when following any guidelines set out for you in this report. COMPENSATION DISCLOSURE: Unless otherwise expressly stated, you should assume that the links contained in this report may be affiliate links and either the author/publisher/reseller will earn commission if you click on them and buy the product / service mentioned in this booklet. However the author/publisher/reseller disclaim any liability that may result from your involvement with any such websites/products. You should perform due diligence before buying mentioned products or services This constitutes the entire license agreement. Any disputes or terms not discussed in this agreement are at the sole discretion of the publisher. Page 3 of 22

4 Breakdown of Contents INTRODUCTION Getting the Most Out of Your Garden.. 5 TIP #1 - Just a Sprinkle of Cinnamon in Your Garden... 7 TIP #2 - Epsom Salts and Gardeners... 9 TIP #3 - Save Your Seeds TIP #4 - Your Precious Used Coffee Grounds TIP #5 - Pairing Up Your Plants TIP #6-4 Stunning Ways to Grow Flowers Summary Acquaponics 4 You Page 4 of 22

5 INTRODUCTION Getting the Most Out of Your Garden This short booklet serves to introduce the beginner gardener and especially the hesitant gardener, to a few of the simple natural tips and hacks to become an organic or as close to an organic gardener as possible. I know the title says this is for the enthusiastic green thumb, but I also like to say that your fingers don t have colors, so anyone and everyone can become an enthusiastic gardener. If you want to pursue a healthy lifestyle, the cheapest and best way to do so is to grow your own food. It does not have to be burdensome; neither do you need a huge garden space to do it. On my website WiseGardening.com I have many articles on gardening on your balcony and even on your rooftop. This means that you will get into container gardening. You can grow almost everything in pots. You can also grow lots of different plants in a small space. Getting the most out of your garden is about making the most of the space you have. You can plant your herbs in containers on your windowsills. You can also grow many different kinds of plants in a small space. It just calls for careful planning. Page 5 of 22

6 I also provide many tips on how to grow plants in healthy soil using mixes of compost, organic fertilizer and mulching. It is important to know your plants and research the required growing conditions, especially how much water a particular plant may need. Too much water or insufficient water will determine how your plants thrive. In this booklet I cover some of the simple ways to treat many of the pests and problems that can bother your plants. I like to say, when you have a problem in your garden, run to your kitchen cupboards. You will find products there to treat your plants. So enjoy the material I ve compiled for you in this booklet, and remember to head over to WiseGardening.com for lots more useful information and guidance on gardening. Happy gardening! The Wise Gardening Lady Page 6 of 22

7 TIP #1 Just a Sprinkle of Cinnamon in Your Garden Why would you want to do that? Well, if you want a simple and harmless way to treat your seedlings that develop damping off or root rot, that s what you can do. It will also make your garden smell nice. You can either sprinkle the cinnamon before the problem develops, or as soon as you see the white stuff forming at the base of the plant. This can be caused by over-crowing, too many tiny plants in one pot, or over-wetting the plants. Having your plants at the wrong temperature could also cause the problem. One day you can have nice healthy looking seedlings growing and sending out tiny shoots, and the next Page 7 of 22

8 time you check, they are beginning to start bending over and wilting away. When you check them you will see the grayish, whitish looking fluffy mold growing on the stems of the plants. You can lose a large percentage of your seedlings or even a whole tray due to damping off. Take a look at this short video on how to sprinkle your plants with cinnamon. Video: Use cinnamon to combat damping off disease Useful guidelines to remember: Sterilize pots before you re-use them. Do not re-use old soil mix. Put new seeds or plants in new soil mix. Make sure the container has adequate drainage poles. Disinfect your garden tools from time to time. Many gardeners use commercial products to spray on their sick plants, but if you are growing organic and want a more natural way to treat them, then try using cinnamon. The anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties in cinnamon help inhibit the growth of certain bacteria and fungi. Page 8 of 22

9 TIP #2 Epsom Salts and Gardeners What! Why would you want to do this? Well, if you want to have an organic garden, you need to know about using Epsom Salts. Epsom Salts is hydrated magnesium sulphate. It is a naturally occurring mineral which was first found in the well waters of Epsom, England. The magnesium and sulphur in Epsom Salts are two very important minerals for the soil and your plants. Magnesium is an essential element for germinating seeds and sulphur is essential for plant growth and longevity. When water is added to Epsom Salts it is quickly and easily absorbed by the soil and plants. Here are six wonderful ways you can benefit from using Epsom Salts in your garden: Page 9 of 22

10 1. It is an effective slug deterrent. 2. It helps plants produce lovely flowers especially roses. 3. It is an excellent fertilizer especially for tomatoes. 4. It makes your grass greener, so use it on your lawns. 5. It helps prevent leaf curling. 6. It improves the yield your plants produce. Another great reason to use Epsom Salts is that it is harmless to you and your entire garden and lawn area, and it is very cheap to purchase. Every gardener should be using Epsom Salts in their garden. Watch the video below to see how easy it is to mix and use to spray your plants and garden area. Video: How to use Epsom Salt in the Garden Page 10 of 22

11 TIP #3 Save Your Seeds For beginner gardeners, it is important to be aware of what money you are spending in your garden and start to keep records. You should know what money you are spending on pots, fertilizer, potting soil, tools and seeds. Once your garden is beginning to look like a garden you can be proud of, and you are super enthusiastic and can t stay out of your garden, it is time to become more efficient and look at ways to save yourself time, work and money. This is particularly important for those of you who may have established gardens. You need to keep records so that you know what your garden is costing you, if you are breaking even, and Page 11 of 22

12 whether or not you are making a profit from selling some of your produce. A great way to start is by collecting the seeds from your flowers and your vegetables. If you buy heirloom seeds to plant in your garden, you should collect the seeds. Once you begin to get organized, things will flow so much better and you ll be able to enjoy your garden that much more. The article below written by Lori Elliott, from Our Heritage Of Health website, gives some great tips on how to collect the seeds from your harvest, and how to take care of them so that you will have them for next year s planting. "Saving the seeds from your own garden plants is a simple and easy way to make your frugal, old-fashioned garden even more frugal. Whether you ve been gardening for years or whether this is your very first year gardening, with a little bit of planning you can easily save seeds from your garden harvest to use again for next year s planting. For most types of vegetables, saving seeds is a very easy process that requires little hands-on time and just a bit of organization and planning. Here are a few simple guidelines to make sure that your seeds are stored in a way that will keep them viable for planting next spring. First Things First Before you try to save any seeds from your garden, you first want to make sure that your seeds are the type that can be saved for Page 12 of 22

13 the next year. For the best seed-saving results, make sure your seeds are: - Heirloom and open-pollinated (not from hybrid plants) - Annuals - Not cross-pollinated - Fully ripe and from healthy plants Seeds from hybrid plants will be unpredictable if you try to plant them in your garden the next year, but heirloom seeds will reproduce true to type as long as they weren t planted close enough to other varieties that they might have cross-pollinated." Page 13 of 22

14 TIP #4 Your Precious Used Coffee Grounds I just came across this interesting information and decided to share it with you. Some wonderful reasons why you should add used coffee grounds to your garden. In fact, when you do this there are about 7 wonderful benefits you can achieve. What is in coffee grounds? For starters coffee is acid and it contains phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and copper, all of which are wonderful for your soil. So, adding the coffee grounds adds a nutrient boost to your plant soil and your compost. It can also be used as mulch spread to keep down the weeds in your garden. Page 14 of 22

15 The interesting article below is found on Your House & Garden Blog and lists 7 wonderful benefits of using coffee grounds in your garden. Here are 7 ways you can use coffee grounds in your garden. You may be amazed at how versatile this item is! 1. Composting - Add coffee grounds to your composting bin. They re a very valuable source of nitrogen. 2. Pest Control - A barrier of coffee grounds around the plants may protect them from slugs and snails. 3. Cat Repellent - Put coffee grounds in the soil to keep cats away from digging in your garden. 4. Acid-Loving Plants - Place coffee grounds around the soil of your acid-loving plants, such as rhododendrons, fothergillas, gardenias, roses, holly and so on. Coffee grounds also increase acidity and nutrients in the soil. 5. Easy Fertilizer - Add 2 cups of coffee grounds to a 5 gallon bucket of water and allow it to steep overnight. Mixing these two ingredients is one of the simplest ways to make your own homemade fertilizer. 6. Mulch - Using coffee grounds as mulch can help to control weeds and keep your vegetable plants more hydrated during the heat of the day. 7. Boost Carrot & Radish Harvest You can double your harvest of carrot and radish, by mixing your carrot and radish seeds liberally with coffee grounds. Page 15 of 22

16 TIP #5 Pairing Up Your Plants While chatting with a friend recently about gardening, she mentioned all the problems she was having with many of the leaves on her plants having holes in them and lots of other problems. She wants to grow organic so she s not using pesticides to spray. I told her about some things she could mix to spray, that she probably has in her kitchen already, and she became very interested. I went on to mention companion planting, and at this point she admitted to knowing about it. However, her knowledge only extended to Marigolds. I told her that she is on the right track but there are many more plants to use for companion planting. I m sure she is not the only person who thinks the only companion plant is Marigolds. Page 16 of 22

17 The article below is taken from the website Rodale s Organic Life. It sets out many plants to put together, or pair up, to work as companion plants to protect and greatly enhance each other. Organic gardeners know that a diverse mix of plants makes for a healthy and beautiful garden. Many believe that certain plant combinations have extraordinary (even mysterious) powers to help each other grow. Scientific study of the process, called companion planting, has confirmed that some combinations have real benefits unique to those combinations. And practical experience has demonstrated to many gardeners how to mate certain plants for their mutual benefit. Companions help each other grow tall plants, for example, provide shade for sun-sensitive shorter plants. And the technique uses garden space efficiently. Vining plants cover the ground; upright plants grow up, allowing for two plants in the same patch. Companions also prevent pest problems. Plants like onions repel pests and other plants can lure pests away from more delicate plants. Or one plant may attract the predators of another plant s pests." Page 17 of 22

18 TIP #6 4 Stunning Ways to Grow Flowers Take a look at these awesome flowers displayed in different ways and showing off their beauty to the maximum. The first display is the hanging basket. Hanging Baskets are very effective and are easy to set up and move around. Just set them up and hang them to beautify that empty space. Use on a patio or outside a garage area. They will definitely bring that space to life with amazing colors. You can mix at least three different colors or types of plants for a very beautiful arrangement, or use one color and have a very full basket for a great look. Page 18 of 22

19 A large hanging basket with all white or purple flowers can be very dramatic. I m sure you will love them and will even consider starting a project of your own. The video below shows how to set up a hanging basket. Video: How to set up hanging baskets Growing your own flowers can be economical and hugely rewarding. You can grow flowers for their beauty, color, size and fragrance. The choice is entirely yours. Then you have the agonizing decision to make, to cut them and display in a vase, or leave them to beautify outside for all to enjoy. That will be the big decision. Another great way to display your flowers is in window boxes. Not only do they add beauty, they also enhance the exterior appearance. Plus they are very easy to set up and maintain. Again, the choice of flowers will determine the overall effect and look. You can certainly mix different types of plants and mix flowers by height and colors. The video below shows many different flowers growing in window boxes. You should get lots of ideas to get started with yours. Video: Window Boxes Improve Your Home's Curb Appeal Add some humor to your garden creations. There is no limit. Dress up whatever you can use to fix up and grow your flowers. Give something old a new life. Don t throw it away recycle. Page 19 of 22

20 Put a smile on your face whenever you go into the garden. It ll make you happy and bring back memories. Make it a great place to entertain your friends. Have fun. How creative can you get? Surprise yourself, friends and family. There is no limit to the range of creations you can come up with to decorate your garden or balcony with beautiful flowers in amazing containers. Challenge yourself. You will find it to be so rewarding. Next we have the landscaped garden area. Here you can sit outside and enjoy your garden. A beautiful front garden truly enhances your home and definitely adds curb appeal. You can either have your garden at the front or at the back, depending on the layout and space around your home. It s wonderful to entertain your friends in your garden filled with beautiful flowers, ornamental grasses and plants. The video below gives some ideas about landscaped garden designs. Video: Some ideas for landscaped garden designs Page 20 of 22

21 Summary In this booklet I ve shared a number of powerful and effective solutions to help you improve your gardening skills and get better results. I hope you found the content to be informative and useful. I also hope that you got to visit WiseGardening and are now even more eager to get started on a gardening project of your own, or get more involved with gardening in general. To help you move further along the gardening path, here s a wonderful ebook I came across that shows you gardening techniques for growing vegetables in a natural habitat the same way Mother Nature has been doing it for millions of years. If you have limited time and space, but love gardening and growing things, or you are happy to get your hands dirty and are interested in quick results with minimum effort, this is the ideal solution for you. The 80-page, step-by-step manual is completely illustrated and includes over 60 minutes of video. There s also an audio book version that comes with the package. You will find everything you need to become an expert at growing things you can eat. And you may come to think of yourself as definitely having a green thumb. Take a look at the details on the next page. Page 21 of 22

22 Aquaponics 4 You Imagine cultivating a garden free of weeds, pests, fertilizer, manure or compost... and still be able to nurture healthy, robust plants that thrive in abundance. This ebook reveals exactly how to grow up to TEN times the amount of organic produce in the same area of ground. Click here to grab your copy! Page 22 of 22