8 Things Pro Gardeners Always Notice About Your Garden
Improving your garden is a process of trial and error. Sometimes when you’re in a chaotic situation, it’s nice to call a professional and get some sage advice or words of encouragement. Here, four experts discuss garden details they often notice that aren’t obvious to the untrained eye. They gave us 8 things professional gardeners will always notice in your garden.
The Spacing of Your Plants
The distance between trees can seem like a mystery. Starter plants take time to grow. At first it may seem like you’ve placed them too far apart. However, Nesvacil says it’s important to give them more space.
“The most noticeable aspect of the distance is the distance between the trees,” Nesvacil said. “Ultimately, these plants are living organisms. They seek their own resources to continue to survive. So if you put a group of plants in a very limited space, they will compete for those resources in that very small area.” “
The Size of Your Plants in Relation to Your House
In both the front and backyard, consider the size ratio of the tree to the house to achieve a balanced look.
“It’s important to have plants that are the right size for your home,” Mayer says. “If you have a two-story house, tall trees and shrubs are a good choice. If you have a one-story home, tree trimming and low planting will be more attractive.”
Whether You Paid Attention to Lighting
In both the front and backyard, consider the size ratio of the tree to the house to achieve a balanced look.
“It’s important to have plants that are the right size for your home,” Mayer says. “If you have a two-story house, tall trees and shrubs are a good choice. If you have a one-story home, tree trimming and low planting will be more attractive.”
The Unique Varieties You Chose
Regular seeds are usually a safe bet, but adding unique flowers and vegetables to your garden bed will immediately attract the attention of experienced farmers like Millsap.
“When you grow something for a living, you stop growing because of the pleasure of it,” she said. “You really try to research and narrow down the most resistant tomato varieties for production purposes. For example, I get excited when I notice that my friends are trying different varieties of tomatoes.”
The amount of mulch you use
There can be too much of a good thing. This is especially true for coatings. When Nesvacil sees an area that has too much mulch, he calls it a “mulch mountain,” which he often sees growing at the base of trees. “Mulch is helpful for suppressing weeds and maintaining moisture at the base,” he says. “But people tend to put mulch on top and stack it up to 3 to 4 inches high.
Mulch that is too thick can be harmful to plants because it can reduce oxygen levels in the plant’s soil and suffocate the roots.
How Well You Weed
Professional gardeners, pay attention to the soil in your garden. They’ll notice right away if you manage to get rid of unwanted weeds, but not just because they think weeds are unsightly. This is because they know the impact weeds can have on the health of your garden.
“If weeds start to take over, they can definitely starve the plants you want to grow of nutrients, especially if they are invasive species,” says Nesvacil.
Trim quality
Hedge trimming can become a second full-time job. However, what professional gardeners pay most attention to is not whether you keep up with your pruning, but how well you prune. Improper pruning “can be caused by a dull saw, cutting too close to the trunk, or cutting off most of the branches leaving just the trunk,” Mayer says. The timing of pruning is also important, as it should be done before the plant begins to produce new growth in late winter or early spring.
Your Love or Level of Commitment to Gardening
If your garden is a labor of love, your hard work will not be in vain. At the very least, professional gardeners will notice how much time and effort you put into maintaining your work.
“You can tell with some gardens that the owner has a passion for them,” says Burns. “You can see them working there regularly, or see the results of what they do.”
On the other hand, Burns also says he notices when people don’t take the time to care for their gardens.
“Sometimes people start with some great plant material and then it starts to die,” he said. “And they didn’t take the time to find out why he died, or they neglected to do so. Sometimes people want to get into gardening and it’s something they could do, but they don’t have the time and unfortunately they let him do it.” ” Go.”