Gardening is for everyone, so don’t let your inexperience hold you back from dabbling in this fun and rewarding activity this spring. Whether you’ve tried and failed at gardening in the past, or you’ve never attempted to grow a plant in your life, it’s not too late to pick up the hobby and cultivate your green thumb! In today’s post, Gutter Helmet®, one of the leading gutter protection systems on the market, shares four simple tips for beginning gardeners.
1. Liberate the Roots of Your Potted Plants
Have you ever had a potted plant that grew like crazy for awhile before suddenly taking a turn for the worse? It was likely because of overcrowded roots. Your plant’s roots will grow as much as they can until they become limited by the confines of the pot, at which point they’ll start to tightly coil around themselves. This prevents the plant from absorbing the water and nutrients it needs to survive.
Simply take your plant out of its pot and use your fingers to gently direct the roots outward. If the roots are really tightly knotted, you can even use a knife to make a few vertical cuts through the coil.
2. Prune Your Roses
It seems counterintuitive, but cutting away excess branches actually helps your flowers bloom more vibrantly. If your rose bush has too many leaves, the flowers might retain excess moisture and develop dark spots. Pruning helps the flowers absorb the sunlight they need to remain open, healthy and beautiful.
3. Rein In Your Aggressive Plants
As a novice gardener, it is exciting to see a plant growing quickly and vigorously, but beware—too much growth in one plant can interfere with the health of its less aggressive neighbors. We recommend planting over-zealous plants in a plastic container with the bottom cut out. This helps the roots grow down into the soil rather than spreading out across the planting area and infringing on other plants’ growing space.
4. Invest in Rain Gutter Covers
What do gutters have to do with gardens, you may be asking? More than you realize! In the spring, strong wind and storms can cause leaves, pine needles, pollen and other debris to accumulate in your gutters, clogging your system. When this happens, rain is prevented from flowing into your downspout and instead pours over your gutter, damaging your siding and drenching your landscape below.
This excess precipitation can flood your garden. While rain is healthy, sheets of water pouring over from your clogged gutter can drown your plants. To prevent this, we recommend installing our gutter protection system, Gutter Helmet. These innovative rain gutter covers prevent clogs from forming in your gutters, ensuring that precipitation can flow smoothly through your system as designed.
To learn more about how Gutter Helmet can protect your home and your landscape from water damage, give us a call today at (800) 824-3772.