Troubleshooting Common Gardening Issues

There are many proven benefits to cultivating a green thumb. Improved well being, exercise, connection to nature and being able to grow your food are just some of them. So, if you’re lucky enough to live in a home that has a garden area, you should get out there and get planting and weeding. But from time to time issues pop up in the garden. Most are solvable with some basic troubleshooting, maybe even consulting with the local tree expert. So today we’re going to explore some common gardening issues and how you can fix them!

Not Enough Time to Water

We all lead busy lives. Work, school, uni, getting the kids from A to B – the list goes on. Sometimes you may find you don’t have ample time to water the garden, meaning that your plants get neglected and run the risk of dying. An irrigation system can be an easy way of solving this common issue. A sprinkler system ran on a timer will ensure that your grass, greenery and shrubs get the essential hydration they need to thrive and grow.

Smelly and Wet Compost

Composting is a great way to both reduce your carbon footprint and fertilise your garden. The fewer food scraps going to landfill means less methane in the atmosphere, and compost is a brilliant way to feed your garden. Yet sometimes your compost pile, bin or tub can become wet, slimy and smelly. This isn’t pleasant to experience, but there is a solution. The trick to a perfect compost system is balancing the amount of nitrogen and carbon in the mix. Vegetable scraps, lawn clippings and prunings are all nitrogen-rich materials. Shred an equal amount of newspaper and mix it in evenly with your compost. This will both dry it out and reduce the smell.

Pests Galore!

Most gardens will attract pests that want to devour your hard work. From aphids, ants, caterpillars and even mice and rats – you may find them all in your garden. Now, no garden in the world exists without a population of insects, it’s just not possible. But there are a few things you can do to keep them away. Give your plants some room – squeezing them next to each other means prime breeding grounds for insects. Water in the morning to keep your plants healthy and more able to resist predators. Finally, you can resort to pesticides – but use these sparingly. You may wish to opt for an environmentally friendly pesticide. Some hardware stores sell sprays consisting of natural pest-repelling components.

The Birds Attack

Growing fruit and vegetables is a great way to reduce your grocery bill and feel great about yourself. But what about when the birds come and attack, and feast upon your edible garden? Some simple solutions are to cover your edible plants with netting or to install a scarecrow or other form of bird-scaring device.

Weeds Choking Your Garden

Any garden will attract weeds, this is a basic fact of gardening. To counter this common problem you need to make weed removal a part of your gardening routine. Get the gloves on once a week or fortnight, kneel and remove the cheeky blighters from your garden beds.

A Green Thumb Conclusion

There are simple solutions to most gardening problems. If you have no time to water and your plants are suffering, as a result, make sure to install an irrigation system. Smelly and slimy compost can be fixed by adding shredded newspaper. Pests can be repelled in several ways which we’ve detailed above. Birds can be deterred by netting or bird-scaring installations. And finally, you will need to weed regularly to keep the invasive plants away.

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