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Growing plants at home can be a great way to spruce up your space and provide healthy and readily available foodstuffs. While gardening has its benefits, it can be challenging– even for veteran gardeners– and problems with pests, withering leaves and poor production can leave gardeners pulling out their hair. Luckily, there's a wealth of advice online to help gardeners improve their green thumbs. Check out these tips that prove that you don't need a college degree in horticulture to grow beautiful plants, just hard work and a little creativity.

Design

Try out these tips for better garden planning and layouts.

1. Try out virtual garden. You can mess around with the layout of your garden to your heart's content without having to lift more than a finger or two with this online program.
2. Consider square foot gardening. It's hard to do this kind of gardening wrong and it makes planting and maintaining your plants pretty easy.
3. Leave space. It's hard to picture just how big a plant will get when it's full grown, but not leaving enough space when you plant seedlings could lead to problems down the road.
4. Think small. Unless you've got a lot of free time on your hands, keeping up with a huge garden will be a hassle. Start small and work your way up as you get the hang of things. You don't want your garden to become a burden.
5. Look at other gardens. If you have a garden in mind that you absolutely love, there's no reason why you can't create a similar version in your own backyard.
6. Make it easy to navigate. You're going to have a tough time picking flowers and plants if you don't plan for walkways and stone paths. If you can't afford to invest in stone, use the grass from your lawn mower to pave a pathway.
7. Lay out plants in pots before digging. This way, you'll be able to see what looks right before you plant as well as easily measure how far apart your plants should be.
8. Make the most of your space. A garden doesn't have to be acres wide to be beautiful. If you've only got a small space, use what you've got and work with the landscape. Go vertical, use native plants and create a space that works for where it is, not where you want it to be.

Planting

Before you put your plants in the ground, read through these hacks to get the most from your garden.

9. Pay attention to growing seasons and characteristics. Some plants will come back year after year, others need to be replanted. Some like to grow on stakes or frames, while others prefer to lay on the ground. Learn everything you can about the plants you've chosen before planting so you can make smart decisions about when and where to plant.
10. Plant in succession. Once some plants, like lettuce and other leafy greens, carrots and beets, are done, they are done. You'll want to plant more than one batch of these, so make sure you'll be ready with seedlings, and don't plant all of your seeds at once.
11. Mix it up. If you only have a small space to garden, you can get the most out of it by planting early maturing plants in between those that will mature later in the season. That way you'll have room for all your plants and get to enjoy the best of every season.
12. Rotate your vegetables To make sure you don't expose your veggies to diseases in the soil, rotate your crops every year. Your plants will be healthier and you'll get a better yield.
13. Watch the light. A spot might seem sunny during one part of the day, but a few hours later could be in shade. Carefully observe the light in your outdoor space before planting to ensure you'll plant the right plants for the conditions.
14. Divide up digging and planting. It can be much easier when planting things in the garden to dig or poke all of your holes first, then plant. That way, you won't muss a plant that's already in the ground when you're digging a hole for the one that will be next door.
15. Plant during the coolest hours of the day. Not only will this keep you from dripping with sweat, it will make your plants happy as well. Try to do your plantings in the evening or on a cloudy day for best results.
16. Choose high quality plants and seeds. If you skip on your plants, you're not likely to get high quality results, whether you're planting a vegetable garden, flowers or trees. Examine plants before you buy to make sure they're high quality and hearty.
17. Be kind to the roots. When you're planting anything, from veggies to trees, damage to the roots can result in an unhappy and unhealthy plant. In some cases, you might even want to cut off the bottom of the container the plant arrived in to ensure that you get as much soil as possible and avoid hurting the root system.

Watering

Like humans, plants need water to survive and thrive. These tips will help you ensure you're giving them what they need when it comes to water.

18. Use water from boiled or steamed veggies. Instead of tossing out the water when you're done, save it, let it cool and water your plants with it. The nutrients leached from the veggies during cooking will do wonders for your plants.
19. Protect your plants from hose damage with clay pots. A steel rod and two terra cotta pots can combine to make a cloche that will keep your house from smashing your plants while you're watering.
20. Water infrequently but deeply. Most gardens won't need to be watered everyday unless there is a heat wave. When you water your plants, give them a deep and thorough soaking. In most cases, this will suffice for several days.
21. Water in the morning or early evening. This is not only better for the plants but conserves water as well. If you water during the hottest parts of the day, much of the water will simply evaporate. Watering early or late gives the soil and plants the most time to absorb the water.
22. Use a soaker or drip hose. The more slowly you water your plants, the more water will absorb into the soil. Watering too quickly will result in the water simply running off and being wasted.
23. Collect rainwater. This is a free and green way to get water for your garden.
24. Use urine. It might sound gross but plants watered with urine often produce much more (up to four times as much) than those given plain water.
25. Make an olla out of a milk jug. Ollas are traditionally made of terra cotta but a milk jug will work in a pinch. Follow this plan to make one for your garden.
26. Create your own self-watering container. This will save you time and water and your plants will virtually take care of themselves. Try out this plan to build your own.

Fertilizing and Soil Care

Prep your soil for the best plants by trying out some of these fertilization hacks.

27. Use leftover tea and coffee grounds in the garden. They add acid to the soil, perfect for plants like blueberries and rhododendrons. Try a layer of about one quarter of an inch each month.
28. Create a compost bin. Even those living in urban areas can find room for a small compost bin. This organic material will be rich and the perfect addition to potted or planted gardens.
29. Test your soil. You can't know if your soil needs to be fertilized and with what unless you know where it stands to begin with. Find a local lab that will test it to discover its inner makeup.
30. Know your acidity. Many plants grow better in slightly acidic soil. Test yours to see if you need to add some fertilizer to change its pH.
31. Grow plants directly on the compost pile. Plants like melons and cucumbers do better in this especially rich soil and might sprout up there anyway if you toss out old seeds.
32. Embrace side-dressing. This means putting fertilizer along the perimeter of the plants after you've collected your first harvest or they've finished flowering. Sometimes these extra nutrients can motivate them to flower again and produce more fruit.
33. Consider wood ash. If you've got a fireplace, bring the ashes out to the garden. So long as the wood hasn't been chemically treated, it will give your soil a boost. Just don't add too much or you could change the soil's pH.
34. Mulch it. Using mulch in the garden will increase yields, conserve moisture and keep weeds from poking up.

Pests

Bugs, bunnies, rot and fungi can do a great amount of damage to your garden. Help keep infestations and attacks under control with these tips.

35. Fight slugs with beer. All it takes is some beer to keep your garden slug free. Pour some into a jar and put it in a hole in the soil so the rim is even with the top of the soil. The slugs can't resist a good drink and will fall into the jar and be unable to get back out.
36. Give aphids the boot the natural way. First, knock as many of the pests off of the plant as you can with a blast from the hose. If you've still got some hanging around, mix soap and water and apply it to the plant with a spray bottle. Or, wrap a piece of tape around your hand sticky side out, and use it to pat down the plant.
37. Control fungus with chamomile tea. Newly sprouted plants can easily fall prey to fungi. Protect yours by placing a small amount of tea in the soil around the base of seedlings once a week.
38. Construct nesting boxes near your garden. Birds eat a lot of the pests that can trouble gardens. Bring them into your space by creating homes for them in your garden.
39. Order up some ladybugs. These cute little beetles love to feast on aphids and will happily take up residence in a garden infested with them.
40. Put up fences. They may not look pretty, but small garden fences will help keep rabbits and other animals from chowing down on your veggies.
41. Use pest repelling plants. Certain types of herbs and veggies turn insects away en masse. Plant these in your garden to reduce the amount of pests that would consider a good place for a meal.
42. Spray plants with hot pepper. It might not stop your plants from being attacked the first time, but animals will be reluctant to return to the tongue scorching plants a second time.
43. Use a soapy water spray. It sounds simple, but it can help rid your plants of some of the worst pests.
44. Hang shiny objects in the garden to scare off pests. Old CDs, pie plates and juice cans might not look appealing in your garden, but they'll help drive away pest birds and animals.

Weeds

These tips will help you keep only the plants you want to grow in your garden growing there.

45. Use natural materials to block out weeds. Things like grass clippings, sawdust, straw, and leaves can help get rid of problematic weeds in well-established gardens.
46. Try newspaper. Some suggest that soaking newspaper and then covering it with mulch provides an extra layer of protection from weeds.
47. Use a ground cover. This way, you'll get to see a plant you want and it will make it hard for the weeds to grow by blocking out the sun.
48. Create a vinegar spray. Spray this on the weeds on a hot day, and watch them wither away. Just make sure not to get it on your other plants!
49. Apply boiling water to weeds. You'll want to be very careful with this hack, as you can burn yourself and the plants you actually put in the garden. Done right, it will kill the weeds and their seeds so they won't come back.
50. Take on weeds in chunks. If you have to pull weeds by hand, do it bit by bit. Doing it all at once can feel overwhelming.
51. Get the soil wet. It's much easier to pull weeds out, roots and all when the soil is nice and wet than when it's dry.
52. Don't wait. Get to weeds early before they have a chance to put down deep roots or spread their seeds.
53. Be careful about composting. Unless your compost pile is adequately warm, it's not going to kill the seeds of the weeds and you'll just be spreading them back into your garden later.
54. Weed early or late in the day. Otherwise, it will be too hot and you can become quickly overheated and dehydrated.

Recycled Materials

Learn to reuse and recycle when it comes to your garden with these hacks.

55. Use a window and some old wood to make a mini-greenhouse. Those who live in areas with a short summer growing season might want to get fresh veggies for a little bit more of the year. By using a window and placing it on top of a box of wood, you can create a green and functional place for plants to grow.
56. Sprout plants in plastic bottles. If you just can't resist the allure of plastic water bottles, this hack will make you feel less guilty about it. By using a small cup and the top half of a bottle, you can create an environment perfect for sprouting plants.
57. Turn your two liter bottles upside down. When inverted and planted with herbs, these plastic bottles make great solutions for small spaces.
58. Make your air conditioner a water source. With some PVC pipe and a little ingenuity, you can turn all the water your AC wastes into water for your garden. No air conditioning? Try the set up with rainwater as well.
59. Turn old tires into garden beds. Tires don't last forever, and if yours have seen better days, why not re-purpose them when it comes time to buy new? With a little dirt and some plants they can be great small space planting containers.
60. Create a pathway with found or reclaimed rocks. Flat stones and those taken from demolition projects are ideal for creating beautiful and functional paths that don't require waste.
61. Reuse old plastic to cover gardens. The kind of plastic that is wrapped around mattresses and furniture is ideal for tenting gardens and creating a little greenhouse.
62. Use old milk jugs and soda bottles to water. They're free and they do just as good of a job as store bought watering cans.
63. Plant container gardens in coffee cans. Or if you're not a coffee drinker, everything from old boots to wooden barrels can make for a great, green planter.

Small Space

Try out a few of these great ideas for making a garden work in a small space.

64. Grow potatoes up, not out. Using a four square foot box, you can stack layer upon layer of potatoes in your garden in a very small space.
65. Use a shoe organizer. Not only is it innovative, it allows you to go vertical and fit more plants into a smaller space. It works well with herbs and small veggies.
66. Make an earth box. If your outdoor space is dirt-free, consider making one of these self-contained systems to turn your urban outdoor space into a green one.
67. Try gutter gardening. By affixing some gutters to the side of your building, you can get plenty of space to grow a wide variety of plants.
68. Use small varieties of plants. A behemoth of a plant isn't going to fit on small patio. Seek out scaled down varieties of your favorite plants for the best results.
69. Move tall plants to the north and short ones to the south. It will ensure all plants get the light and water they need to prosper.
70. Learn to winter your plants. If you want to keep perennials for next year, bring them into a cool garage or insulate them outside with straw or leaves.
71. Use your railings. Flower boxes that go on your railings can let you make use of otherwise wasted space.
72. Put it in a container. While some plants really don't like growing in containers, most can be successfully potted and grown in a small space, allowing you to grow just about anything on your patio.

Cosmetic Fixes

Keep your garden and yourself looking good with these helpful hacks.

73. Use vinegar and rubbing alcohol to clean up salt stains on pots. If your potted plants have salt stains on the outside and you're not fond of the look, you can clean them up with a mixture of one part white vinegar, one part rubbing alcohol and one part water in a spray bottle. Remember not to do this to a pot with a plant in it, however, as the plant won't appreciate the bath. Better yet, it works on other surfaces as well.
74. Keep your nails clean while working in the garden. If you can't bear to wear gardening gloves, run your nails across a bar of soap so that your nails are sealed off by it. When you're done in the garden simply rinse the soap off.
75. Use stones as plant markers. A cheap and natural way to label your garden plants is to take a waterproof marker and write the names of plants on attractive stones.
76. Make your own stepping stones. Using concrete and a mold, you can quickly create your own stepping stones for the garden.
77. Build a birdbath. An old sink or a bowl mounted on a post can make the perfect place for birds to bathe.
78. Fill in areas with wildflowers. These are often inexpensive and can make even unruly parts of your yard look beautiful.
79. Deadhead your flowers. This will help your garden look neat and nice and will encourage them to rebloom.
80. Add a few seasonal plants. Some plants are at their prime in summer, others in fall. Replace a few of your perennials when you feel the seasons changing.
81. Repaint old terra cotta pots to match. This is a quick and easy fix that will make your outdoor spaces look prettier and more unified.

Garden Tools

These tips will ensure your garden tools are at hand, in good repair and ready to use.

82. Break-proof your string trimmer. Before installing the plastic string on your trimmer, coat is with spray vegetable oil. It will keep it from breaking or jamming while you're trimming the edges of your garden.
83. Turn your tools into rulers. By using a measuring tape and a permanent marker, you can turn the handle of your shovel or other tool into a handy measuring tool. That way, you can make sure your plants are spaced correctly without having to get any additional tools.
84. Keep twine on hand in the garden with a clay pot dispenser. Simply guide the end of the twine through the drainage hole in the pot, turn it upside down and viola, you've got a perfect place to store your twine.
85. Use a mailbox or newspaper box to store tools. They are easily attached to a post can can help keep your tools right where you need them most.
86. Get organized. Your life will be a lot easier when you can find the tools you need when you need them. Set up a storage space to organize all of your gardening essentials.
87. Sharpen shovels and hoes at the end of the season. For this, you will need a field and some spray oil. It's a lot of work up front but pays off in the life of your tools.
88. Keep tools clean. This will make them easier to store and will help them last longer.
89. Hang garden tools to keep them from falling over. Falls can result in tools denting or breaking, so keep them in good shape by hanging them up.
90. Ensure you have the basics. No one wants to have to run to the hardware store in the middle of a project. Get the basic gardening tools in one fell swoop so you'll always be prepared.

Harvesting

Get the most from the hard work you put into your garden with these tips.

91. Use your car to dry herbs. Need your herbs dried quickly? Place them on a sheet of newspaper in your car seat, roll up the windows and leave it in the sun and your herbs will be ready in a jiffy. As a bonus, your car will smell great too.
92. Handle harvested plants and veggies with care. Being rough, even a little, could bruise them making them undesirable to eat and more susceptible to decay.
93. Cut flowers in the evening and the morning. This will result in better looking, longer lasting blooms.
94. Pick beans when they are thin. They will have the best flavor then. For more variety, harvest immature beans.
95. When you can see the tops of your carrots, pick them. They should be ripe when they begin poking out of the ground and ready to eat (after washing, of course.) If you can't wait, baby carrots taste good too.
96. Cut and store flowers properly. This means cutting at a 45-degree angle and keeping them in lukewarm water until you're ready to display them indoors.
97. Wait until corn silk begins to brown before harvesting. At this time, the corn should be at its most flavorful. Don't wait too long, as corn is only at its peak for a few weeks.
98. Watermelons are ripe when the bottom turns from light green to yellow. It's hard to know when a melon is ripe but this trick can help you get watermelons at their best.
99. Pick peas early. If they're left even a couple of days too long they'll go from sweet to starchy.
100. Don't pick peppers or tomatoes until they've fully ripened. They'll be much more flavorful and healthy if you wait it out.
101. Always cut flowers above a node. The node is a place where a new flower could potentially sprout so avoid cutting it to keep your flowers blooming.

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