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20 April 2017

Tips For Successful Gardens Using Starter Plugs For Plants

By Richard Allen


People who enjoy flowers, and garden fresh fruits and vegetables, often think they don't have the skills necessary to start and maintain a nice garden. Inexperienced gardeners may not know how to cultivate a plant from a seed, and buying established ones can get expensive. There is an alternative to these two scenarios however. You might consider purchasing starter plugs for plants instead. These are tiny, but have already sprouted and have an established root system.

These baby plantings have established root systems and have sprouted stems and leaves. You don't have to store them away, covered in plastic wrap, like seedlings. If you can dig a hole, you can plant a plug. You need to wait until any threat of a cold snap has passed however. They won't survive a hard freeze.

If you have potted your plant and will be placing it on a window sill, balcony, or patio, you will want to turn it frequently so it gets exposure to the sun on all sides. Not only will the plant fill out more evenly, it will help ensure that the stems don't over reach in an attempt to get to the sun.

If you expect a healthy garden with plenty of blooms and strong color, you will need to feed it. You can find all kinds of food options at your local home improvement store or nursery. There are pellet and liquid foods as well as sticks you insert into the soil. You can buy organic if you prefer it. You can also purchase pellets that release nutrients into the soil periodically so you don't have to remember to feed your garden every other week.

When you put each plug in the soil, you need to give it sufficient space to grow. It may seem like there is a lot of room between when you first set them out, but they will soon become overcrowded if they are set too closely together. You will probably be surprised at how quickly your garden fills in and how healthy it looks because each plant has room to spread out and mature as it should.

Putting a tiny plant in a place where it will have direct sunlight for most of the day usually isn't a good idea. These plantings need a chance to get used to the sun and heat. Starting them off in pots set in shaded areas of the lawn or patio is a good idea. You can gradually increase the amount of time they spend in the sun until they are acclimated.

If this is your first real experience with gardening, you shouldn't expect every plant to make it. Some will not thrive and will have to be replaced. Some gardening experts suggest keeping records of what you planted, where you planted it, and what you fed it. That way next year you will have a record of what worked and what didn't.

Gardening should be fun and rewarding. You don't have to be a master gardener with a yard full of exotic blooms to be proud and content with the color and beauty you created yourself.




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