How do you grow an amazing garden that’s the envy of all your neighbors? By being an amazing gardener, of course. If your gardening skills could use a little improvement, or even if you’re a great gardener who’s always looking for new ideas, tips and tricks to improve your gardening skills, here are some smart tips for you.

A great tip to having a fantastic garden is to be realistic. When shopping the glossy packages of seeds are very appealing, yet many of them only grow in specific climates. Be realistic to what grows in the area and do not plant items that do not grow well. It is so disappointing to plant a garden and have almost no fruits and vegetables come from it.

 

Don’t assume that insects are to blame for all plants ailments. There are many things that can affect the health of a plant. The PH of the water you are using, the location of the plant (under shade vs direct sun), the amount of soil in the pot and several other reasons can be a determining factor.

Use seedlings to run relay planting. Using seedlings can allow you to get a jump start on the growing season and improve yields to the harvest by extending time. If growing lettuce and a squash harvest is needed for summer, then after the lettuce has been harvested you can plant seedlings to get a jump start on another crop and a higher yield for the garden.

Used tea and coffee grounds make good soil enrichers. Both coffee and tea grounds are great additions when you need to raise the acidity of your soil. If your soil is pH balanced, adding the tea and coffee is good, as flowers such as rhododendrons and azaleas, and fruits such as blueberry, appreciate soil that is on the acidic side. You can work the grounds into the soil before you plant your garden, or sprinkle a little around existing plants once a week or so.

If your tomato plants have long branches that are not flowering or producing fruit, go ahead and pinch them off. It won’t hurt the plant, but will actually help. Pruning back the branches that are not producing fruit, allows the plant to focus its energy and nutrients on producing larger and more flavorful fruit.

To be sure a tree doesn’t become a problem with age, think of what size it will become before you plant it. The perfect place for a sapling may not be a great place for a tree several years down the road. You should be especially careful not to plant a tree too closely to your house, as the roots can cause damage.

For the best results, use these tips wisely but generously. Having a truly breathtaking garden is something every gardener dreams of, and it’s not as difficult a task as it seems either. Learning tricks like the above and paying attention to your garden’s individual needs are what you need to do if your ultimate goal is a garden that turns heads and brings a flutter to every plant-lover’s heart.