Organic horticulture can either be a nice, calming hobby, or a considerable annoyance. With these tips, you should become a very successful organic gardener.

TIP! When mowing your lawn do not cut it as short as possible. If you leave more height to your grass, the roots will grow deeper into the soil, making the lawn stronger and more resistant to drying out.

You will need to properly lay sod. Before laying sod, you have to make sure the soil is accurately prepared. Do some weeding if necessary, then break the soil until it is no longer packed. Next, you want to make the soil compacted by applying light but firm pressure. Make sure the soil creates a flat surface. Be sure the soil is thoroughly moist. Lay the sod in straight rows, ensuring the seams meet perfectly. Even out the surface of the sod by firming it down flat, filling any available gaps with a handful of dirt. Sod must be watered every day for about two weeks, and then it will have rooted and be completely ready to be walked on.

TIP! For areas with high alkaline, mix coffee grounds into the soil. Coffee grounds contain plenty of acid to get the soil back to a good balance.

The first thing you can do to avoid pests is to start with healthy soil in your garden. If you are producing healthy plants, they will be stronger and better able to resist bugs and diseases. Healthy, rich soil with fewer chemicals will increase the yield of your plants, and reduce accumulated salts.

TIP! Before you start planting your garden, plan it! A thoughtful plan can remind you of previous plantings and what you will see appearing from the soil in the months of spring and summer. This can also help prevent you from losing smaller plants or smaller groups of plants within a larger garden area.

It is a good idea to pre-soak your seeds in a dark environment overnight. Put some seeds (a small amount) in a container that isn’t too large for the plant you’ll be growing. Fill that container with water, almost to the top. This lets water soak into the seeds, giving them an extra boost of hydration when they start growing. The seeds will be better able to survive and grow up.

TIP! To save your knees from the wear and tear of gardening, invest in some knee pads if your garden includes a lot of low-growth plants. You will spend a lot of time on your knees while gardening, which can result in knee pain.

You must protect tender, deciduous shrubs. Fragile shrubs, that are planted in pots, should be covered to protect them during the cold season. Tie these canes at the top, and place a blanket over it. Doing this is a lot more effective than wrapping up the plant with plastic because it lets air circulate, which could avoid any rotting.

TIP! Spray old aftershave, perfume, or scented products around the grass of your garden to prevent your dog from entering it. Your dog will find more interesting scents to explore elsewhere and leave your garden alone.

Aerate and dry your plants each day. Excess moisture on a plant will invite unwanted parasites or diseases to the plant. Fungi commonly afflict a number of plants. It is possible to get rid of fungi after it appears with anti-fungal sprays, but it’s better to spray at-risk areas before fungi appear.

TIP! In order to bring in good insects to your garden, you need to plant heather. Heather is desirable to bees; when heather emerges in early spring, it can be a source of nectar.

Look for evergreen variants that produce berries. These help to give your garden nice looking color, even during winter when most vegetation is colorless. A few of the most vivid plants in winter are American Holly, Winterberry, Snowberry and Cranberrybush.

TIP! A mixture of aspirin and water can protect your plants from common diseases. Dissolve one and one-half aspirins into two gallons of cold water, and use it to fortify your plants.

As you can see, there is a lot more to organic horticulture than most people think. Getting your organic garden to produce rich results requires much effort and patience, but you will find the end results quite worth it. The next time you are working in your garden, use the advice from this article to grow things without the use of harsh chemicals.