Gardening Problems For The Beginner

Okay, so you've just moved into your new house and the garden is looking a little the worse for wear. It needs some work but you're far from being green fingered and other than knowing how to use a lawnmower, you're lost as to what you should do first.

Luckily, gardening problems like this are not too hard to solve. You just need a little confidence, and that comes with practice.

You don't need too much in the way of knowledge to tidy up your garden and make it look presentable. The most common gardening problems can be kept in check with some regular attention.

Sprucing Up Your Lawn

Mowing the lawn is easy enough, but how do you get rid of those unsightly weeds that are poking their way through the grass?

Weeds are the cause of many gardening problems, but it's not always necessary to use powerful weed killer to get rid of them. Incidentally, weed killer isn't advisable if you or your neighbours have pets, or if you have children.

Keeping your lawn mowed on a regular basis - every two weeks or so - should be enough to keep the weeds from growing. It will take time to stop them growing back but after a few weeks you'll start to notice a difference. Larger weeds can be cut out with a sharp knife. Make sure you remove all the roots to prevent regrowth.

Beds And Borders

As a novice gardener it can be difficult to identify weeds from genuine plants. These gardening problems can be solved in several ways. You can either ask a knowledgeable friend or relative to identify them for you, so you'll know what to remove, or you could simply decide to clear all the beds and borders and start afresh.

Some plants only last for a season, so remove any dead foliage or leaves you can see to instantly revitalise a tired looking border.

One of the most common gardening problems is finding the time to keep on top of everything so that it always looks nice. The best solution to this is to do a little bit every single day, weather permitting, so you never get too far behind with the weeding.

It's much easier to cut the lawn when it only needs a few centimetres trimmed off it, than waiting until you can't get a lawnmower over it and having to use a trimmer instead.

Most common gardening problems can be solved with common sense and just a little knowledge. In time you'll be well on the way to becoming an expert gardener.