Even though there is not any kind of large risk or danger involved in gardening, it is still important to be as safe as possible and thus avoid some possible safety issues.
photo credit: jilly40uk

When you work in a larger scale garden, it is especially important to be careful while gardening. The plants you grow in your garden and your location will also affect the type of safety practices that you should keep in mind while gardening.

Making Your Garden Safe

Staying safe while gardening is easiest when you are dealing with an indoor garden where all the plants grow in pots. The only real danger that you need to beware of are the chemicals that are present in the herbicides and fertilizers that you use on your plants.

There are many more diverse issues to keep in mind in order to enjoy outdoor gardening safely.

For example, you will need to beware of certain insects and animals that may be attracted to your garden. In some areas, spiders and snakes can become a problem for a gardener.

If you do not organize your tools while working in your garden, this can create a safety hazard. This is because tools that are strewn about the garden may be difficult to see and thus easy to step or trip on.

You will also want to keep an eye on any fertilizers or other chemical substances that you are using to make sure that no children get into them.
photo credit: simononly

Wearing gloves and using kneeling pads can also be beneficial when you are pulling out tough roots that can injure your bare hands or when dealing with thorny plants.

Gardening safety can also be maintained by using kneeling pads because some gardens have sharp stones or pebbles that can injure your knees and legs.

Other ways of keeping gardening safety high is to be careful when pruning or cutting larger plants. Some plant matter might fly out and injure your eyes or any other part of you.

Using motorized tools can also pose as a threat to gardening safety because these might have sharp moving parts that you need to keep a look out for.

The best way to stay safe while gardening is to prevent as many potential problems as you can. One way to do this is to keep all of your gardening tools well maintained.

Just being aware of what possible dangers are involved with gardening will help you to be safer while enjoying your hobby. Dangers often arise from a lazy attitude towards safety.

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photo credit: briannaorg

Growing vegetables in containers – whether inside the house, in a greenhouse or just on the porch – has many advantages.

• Soil maintenance is easier.
• Pest control is simpler.
• There are more options for adjusting light and temperature levels.

One might think that planting in a container is limited to just a select few vegetables, but they would be mistaken. Of course, vegetables that need a large amount of space to flourish would not be the best choice.

However, other vegetables such as tomatoes, carrots, and peppers thrive under more controlled circumstances.

When deciding what size container to use it is important to consider how large the plant will grow to be. Using soil that is weed free and fertilized will help ensure your success, although some prefer to use synthetic, soil-like media.

For some plants, mixtures containing peat moss, perlite, and wood chips are the best choices.

Preparing the soil beforehand, or using a synthetic medium, gives another benefit: easier water control.

Adequate drainage balanced against good moisture retention is important for healthy container-grown plants. Breaking up clay particles is easy by mixing in commercial soil prep. Put some marbles at the bottom of a container to ensure good drainage at the bottom and to keep holes from getting plugged by soil.

The key to growing a healthy plant is by carefully watching its water intake. If a plant is placed near a window, the soil can dry out quickly. Over hydrating can cause root rot, and forgetting if they have even watered the plants that day so it is best to keep a soil tester on hand to ensure proper moisture levels.

In most cases, soil straight from the outdoors isn’t a good choice for containers. Very clay-like soil outdoors can be compensated for somewhat by natural features that drain the water away. In a container, the strong ability of clay to retain water is exaggerated. Very sandy soil will need to be built up. If that much effort is required to adjust outdoor soil, it’s easier just to buy professionally prepared media.

A good long day of sunlight is what most vegetables usually thrive under.

• Tomatoes, for example, do best in windows that face south, and they handle the heat well.
• More delicate vegetables, such as lettuce, need to be places where there is less direct sunlight and more shade.
• If you need a little more or less sun, all you have to do is pick up the pot and go!

The need for pest control is vital in container gardening.

Many think that as long as their plants are not outside, that they are safe; However, this is not the truth. Insects can get in through small cracks, screen doors, or even in the soil itself. For that reason it is important to use insecticide soap, or other commercial mixtures. This keeps the plants, the crops, and you safe.
photo credit: OakleyOriginals

Vegetable gardening in containers requires some effort. But the rewards are great. Having fresh vegetables on hand provides a tasty and healthy component to a good diet.

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