If you’ve recently taken up gardening, or want to try your hand at it, you’re in the right place!
To give you helping hand, we’ve put together our top gardening tips for beginners.
From making sure you have the right tools to choosing the right plants, read our essential beginners’ gardening guide before you get started!
Gardening tips for beginners
Get the right tools
Before you can do any gardening, you need to make sure you have the right equipment! Here’s a quick round-up of the essentials that any gardener must have:
- Pruning scissors
- Tools for digging and raking (i.e. a spade, a trowel and a garden fork)
- Tools for watering (i.e. a garden hose and a watering can)
- Tools for weeding (i.e. a forked trowel and a gardening knife
- Plant supports & garden tape
Secure your plants to help them grow straight
Once you’ve potted your plants or trees and they’ve started to sprout, you’ll need a sturdy fastener to help them grow straight. Green plastic ties with a wire core are very common but they can cause damage to the plant stem, causing it to snap in two.
We’d recommend using VELCRO® Brand Garden tape– they’re much less harsh than wire ties as they offer a soft barrier for the stem while it grows.
They’re also self-gripping so there are no awkward knots and a soft lining ensure the tie does not cut into the stem. The ties are fully adjustable as your foliage grows and they’ll be a secret weapon to stop plants flopping around or growing in the wrong direction.
You can even use them as a plaster for any splits or cuts your plant stems receive along the way. And they’re gentle enough to pull the plant together carefully while it heals itself.
Pick the right plants for your garden
There’s nothing worse than planting a new plant, only for it to die. Avoid this by checking what type of soil you have (sandy or clay-like) and planting plants that thrive in that type of soil. If you’re not sure which plants are suitable for your soil type, have a peak into your neighbours’ gardens to see what they’ve planted.
Water plants correctly
A good gardening tip is to be careful when watering plants. The trick is to provide them with enough water without the soil becoming waterlogged.
Water your plants slowly so that the water soaks down into the soil (it should feel damp about 2-3 inches below the surface). And when you’ve finished using your watering can, store it using a VELCRO® Brand EASY HANG™ Strap to make sure you always have it within easy reach!
