What do you need in order to start a garden? That’s a question I hear on a daily basis at the greenhouse. Fortunately, with the help of a few gardening and wild animal control tips for beginners, just about anyone can develop a green thumb and create a beautiful, bountiful garden that is the envy of your friends and neighbors.
Whether your goal is to undertake gardening as a relaxing hobby or to supplement your diet with healthy fruits and vegetables, all it takes is a little bit of know-how and a willingness to get your hands (or gardening gloves) dirty! It’s also important to know how to keep away critters that can destroy the fruits (and vegetables!) of your labor, which I’ll cover a little later in this post.
Planning Is Essential
When I teach my greenhouse visitors about gardening basics for beginners, I always begin by stressing the importance of effective planning. First of all, it is necessary to choose a site that receives a minimum of six hours of sunlight per day, and that also offers sufficient drainage. It’s a good idea to start small and expand as your expertise evolves. Embarking on a huge garden project can be a bit overwhelming if you’re a novice, and focusing on just a few plants makes it easier to master the fundamentals. You can consult with a local greenhouse to determine which plants grow best in your area.
Be sure to use dry soil, and rake the soil surface level to prepare it for planting. The soil should be at least six inches deep. Follow the directions on the seed packages of your plants and vegetables of choice for additional planting instructions.
The Importance of Animal Repellents
No gardening tips for beginners would be complete without a discussion of animal repellents. Depending on where you live, you may have to deal with deer, skunks, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits and many other critters that can destroy the fruits (pun intended!) of your labor in an amazingly short amount of time.
A mistake that many novice gardeners make is relying on homemade remedies passed down by relatives or told to you by well-meaning but misinformed friends. These methods rarely work and the time they often take to create can be better used for tending to your garden.
Animal Repellents that Really Work
I’ve learned from experience that Havahart® products work best when it comes to repelling nuisance animals effectively and humanely. A particular favorite of mine is Havahart® Deer Off® II.
This product is a dual-action repellent that targets an animal’s highly developed sense of taste and smell. The putrescent egg ingredient smells like rotting flesh to an animal, making it think that predators are lurking nearby, and the capsaicin provides a strong burning sensation, much like biting into a red-hot jalapeno pepper!
The product is easy to apply, and one application can last a few months. If you’re environmentally conscious like me, you’ll also appreciate that Havahart® Deer Off® is made from all-natural ingredients, so you won’t have to worry about harming the environment.
Follow the Above Gardening Tips for Beginners and You’ll Be an Expert in No Time
Gardening for beginners can be a challenge, but once you experience the joy of seeing those plants, fruits and vegetables sprout, you’ll be glad you took the plunge. Enjoy many years of happy gardening, and don’t forget to keep those pesky critters away!
