How To Revive a Struggling Garden
In a series of guest posts, San Francisco's Academy of Art University will lend its landscape architecture knowledge to Garden Design. Its first post is a handy one—tips on how to help revive a struggling garden.Disappointment abounds when a budding garden goes bad. Unfortunately, it can happen to even the most experienced gardeners. There could be several reasons as to why your gorgeous blooms look gaunt and it’s important to figure out what the cause is prior to performing a risky resuscitation. Here are some common causes of garden failure with tips and advice on how to revive your struggling back yard treasures.
Problem 1: Too Much, Not Enough
Watering and sunlight are the two essential things necessary to have a happy and health garden. However, balance is imperative. If your plants are withering or crispy, they need less sunlight and more water. If your plants are not growing and the tips of the leaves are white or yellow, they need more sunlight and less water. Planting season-appropriate plants will help with balance the resources that the plant will need.
Problem 2: Famine
The nutrients that are present in the soil are what your plant will use to grow. If there are no essential minerals to be absorbed, due to over-gardening or unfertilized soil, then the tips of your plants might curl or be misshapen and your produce or flower may not grow to maturity. The best way to fix this problem is to end your plant famine and mulch in fertilized soil around your plant. With gentle watering, your back yard treasures have a decent hope of survival.
Problem 3: Unwanted Visitors
Pest and animals can be a major deterrent for growth within a garden. This problem might be the most obvious-because of the holes present in your plants, or in the ground — however, can be the most tricky to deal with. Traps, netting or plant friendly chemicals may help keep unwanted pests away. A “catch crop” of pest attracting vegetation can also help distract ravenous little beast from your main garden.
Content provided by the School of Landscape Architecture, Academy of Art University. If you love these tips and have an eye for design, start your career in landscape architecture at one of the top design schools today!
