Having trouble deciding what to grow in your first garden? You might be a beginner at gardening, but you can still have a successful garden and be proud of your accomplishments. Read this article to learn which plants are suitable for beginner gardeners. From Marigolds to Aloe Vera, these plants can provide you with a diverse array of benefits. You will also learn about the best way to grow them so that you can enjoy a rewarding hobby while doing it.
Aloe Vera
A mature Aloe Vera plant will produce tall flower spikes with tubular blossoms. The plant requires optimal conditions for blooming, which include adequate light, water, and the proper temperature range. It will only produce flowers if the climate is warm. Aloe Vera can be grown as a container plant, but the procedure is not as simple as it looks. To propagate aloe plants, you must first remove the parent plant. Then, cut the pups from the parent plant and separate them. Once they have grown a little, plant them separately, and wait a few weeks for the pups to grow.
Aloe Vera is a hardy plant, which is perfect for beginners. It grows best in a climate between 55 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, or 13 and 27 degrees Celsius. It can be grown outdoors from May to September, but it should be moved indoors during cold nights. It should receive a regular feeding, such as a balanced houseplant fertilizer, once a month. It should also be repotted every year when its roots become crowded.
The plant requires a constant supply of water, but it does not require a lot of water. However, it can be damaged by long periods of drought. Watering your Aloe Vera plant regularly will help it recover. A good time to plant it is in late winter or early spring, as cooler temperatures will encourage it to flower. If you plan on planting your Aloe Vera plant indoors, remember that its soil isn’t ideal.
Care for an Aloe Vera plant depends on the soil you choose. A terra cotta pot allows the soil to dry completely between watering. A plastic or glazed pot may hold more moisture than a terra cotta pot does. Also, it is important to ensure that your Aloe Vera plant has good drainage. Otherwise, it may rot or wilt.
Sunflowers
Sunflowers grow well in containers, and they’re one of the easiest plants for beginners to grow. Sunflowers are a good choice for a sunny location because they take about 12 weeks to bloom. Before planting your sunflower seedlings, you should cover the soil with a thin layer of organic mulch. Mulch helps keep weeds out and helps retain moisture. Sunflower seeds grow best in deep soil, so be sure to water well and add organic matter to the soil.
There are several different sunflower species, and you’ll find a sunflower that will suit your space and personality. Standard varieties range from 6 to 10 feet tall, while giant varieties can grow up to 20 feet high. There are also dwarf varieties, which grow only two or three feet tall. If you’re a beginner gardener, you might choose a dwarf variety to grow in a container. Don’t worry if you’re unsure of how tall sunflowers will grow, as you can use canes to support the plants. Don’t tie the string too tight, but just enough to hold them upright.
You’ll find that sunflowers grow well in containers. Sunflowers are a versatile plant, as they can be planted in containers or staked. When planted in containers, stakes are a good way to keep them upright. Make sure to place them at least 3 feet apart. If you’re growing sunflowers for their cut flowers, plant them in a lattice of stakes. Then, use twine to tie the stakes together to create a lattice.
A beginner gardener can start growing sunflowers when the last expected frost date comes. While some types of sunflowers are vulnerable to light frost, they do well in warm soil. The seeds will germinate in soil temperatures of up to 46 degrees Fahrenheit. Some varieties grow best if planted six inches apart, while others do better with closer spacing. You can plant sunflower seeds in successions until mid-summer.
Marigolds
Marigolds are a simple flower that takes off quickly from seed. They are easy to grow indoors during the colder months and can be sown directly into the soil when the weather warms up. Marigolds are also hardy and can be grown in most areas with adequate sun. Marigolds are the perfect plant for new gardeners because they don’t need much care and bloom for up to 50 days. Beginner gardeners can find them at a variety of vendors on PlantScout.
‘Durango’ and ‘French’ series are popular choices among new gardeners. ‘French Vanilla’ marigolds have small, dense flowers, and are often a little bushier and smaller than the latter. ‘Naughty Marietta’ features yellow flowers with a maroon blotch. Marigolds in this series can grow anywhere from one to two feet in height.
After emergence, marigold seedlings should be planted in pots at least six inches apart. If planting them in a flower bed, make sure to plant them one to three feet apart, but space them so that they get full sun during the day. Once the seeds sprout, use a trowel to dig a hole six inches deep. Add one to two inches of fertilizer. After planting, cover the hole lightly with soil to prevent soil compaction and crowding.
Marigolds are an excellent companion plant. Their ability to kill nematodes helps plants nearby. Marigolds are especially helpful in vegetable gardens, since they reduce the number of harmful nematodes. Marigolds produce a natural pesticide that helps protect nearby plants. They are also useful for a companion garden. They can be grown for a longer period of time, and they can be left in the ground after the growing season.
Onion plants
For newbie gardeners, it’s better to buy some sets of seedlings and grow them from seed. Onions grow best in loose, crumbly soil, free of large stones and debris. For best results, plant the seedlings in a sunny spot and water them when they get dry. They prefer well-drained soil, so you can add organic nitrogen-rich fertilizer to the soil while planting.
Onion plants are easy to grow from seed and come in a variety of colors. Some varieties are sold as bare-root bundles. These plants are easy to grow and are available at gardening stores. If you’re a beginner gardener, you might want to choose a variety that has a shorter growing time. For example, a 3/4-inch-long bulb will be fine for you if you’re just starting out. Onion plants with longer necks and larger bulbs will go to seed.
For those new to gardening, you can choose between two types of onion plants: a set and an individual plant. Onion sets are smaller, immature onions that are similar to grocery store onions. These plants are inexpensive and easy to grow, and can be found at garden stores or even big-box stores. They grow quickly and are easy to transplant from seed. However, their selection is limited: most stores only sell one or two varieties. Some of them don’t even label them, which makes it difficult to determine the day length of the bulb.
Long-day varieties are best for northern tiers of the U.S. and Canada because they produce bulbs when days are 14 hours long. If you’re growing these in the southern tier, you can plant intermediate-day varieties. These varieties, known as day-neutral varieties, form their bulbs when days are 12 to 14 hours long. Intermediate-day varieties, on the other hand, are perfect for gardening in the mid-section of the U.S.
Spider plant
If you’re new to gardening, you might want to consider growing the spider plant. It looks great indoors and outdoors. Its long, curled leaves look wonderful when placed in a hanging basket or on a table. The plant also produces baby plants, which are very decorative. Spider plants should be placed in a pot with proper drainage and should not be left sitting in water. If you have trouble growing plants, you may want to invest in a plant stand.
Although spider plants do not produce showy flowers, you can encourage them to bloom by giving them more light. A little bit of light and rotation will help your plant bloom more frequently. Once the plant has finished flowering, you can harvest the seed pods and plant them in a larger pot. You can then use the seeds as starter plants or to give them as gifts to friends. Beginners can also start raising spider plants by following the care guide.
The soil should be well-drained and ideally, the plant should dry between waterings. Waterings should not exceed two weeks, but more often in the spring and summer. In winter, they can survive longer without watering. In general, spider plants should not be fertilized more than once a month. Once the plant has grown to its full size, the amount of water that they need will decrease.
You can choose any type of spider plant as a good starter plant, whether you want to learn how to grow plants or get your hands dirty. You may be surprised to find that spider plants require minimal care. They’re resistant to most pests and diseases and are suitable for beginners. However, you should be aware that some of them can be difficult to remove. A good tip is to clip off the brown tips of the leaves and repot it.
