5 Gardening Hacks the Pros Know & Use

 

Photograph by uubu art

Ever wonder how gardening professionals manage to make creating and maintaining a garden look so easy? Well, secret's out: they have some helpers behind the scenes. Gardens take a lot of work, but with the right planning, tools, resources,  and practice, anyone can have a green thumb.

Here are 5 hacks to take your garden to the next level.

1. Mycorrhizal fungi: Huh? What on earth is that?! Mycorrhizal fungi help plants to succeed by increasing the amount of water and nutrients available to the plant's roots.
2. Soil testing: Unfortunately, soils are not created equally. A soil testing kit can provide novice and expert gardeners with important information about depleted or excess minerals, as well as information about the acidity (pH) level of the soil. Look for kits that test the "NPK" meaning: Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium.
3. Composting: Vitamins for your garden, from your yard or kitchen. It's easy and free! If you're worried about food scraps attracting animals, look into purchasing a tumbler composter.
4. Green Manure or Nitrogen Fixers: Green manure isn't manure, but rather plants which help to benefit the condition of the soil. 
5. Companion planting: Did you like sitting next to your friends at the lunch table when you were in school? Well, plants like sitting next to their friends too!