Ladybugs

• Ladybugs may be a bug, but they are not a pest. Ladybugs will help to keep your garden free of aphids, mealybugs and spider mites. You can attract this natural insect controller by adding marigolds, roses, cucumbers or tomatoes to your garden.
  
  

Homemade Drip Irrigation

• A drip irrigation system is an efficient way to water many types of gardens, but you don't need to make a huge investment. For smaller gardens, simply poke some holes in a standard garden hose and snake it through your garden so that it soaks your plants.
  
  

Stone Mulching

• Stone mulching is an effective way to increase your soil's ability to retain moisture. Small stones used as mulch also serve to collect heat during the day and then release it during the night. This is an efficient method for extending growing seasons for vegetable rows and fruit vines.
  
  

Mesh Fence Windbreak

• A simple mesh fence can become a very effective windbreak. The effects of strong wind or the contribution of wind to the chill factor can contribute to problems with certain types of plants. A good tip for using a windbreak is to make sure you've got it accurately placed before you even start planting.
  
  

Transplanting

• The process of transplanting requires that you pay special attention to keeping the roots undamaged. A good way to ensure this is to give the roots a light misting of water and then wrap them in a dampened piece of burlap. You should also keep the roots exposed to sun and wind as little as possible during the transplanting process.
  
  

Weeding

• An effective addition to controlling the problem of weeds in your garden is to till the soil twice. The first tilling will result in buried weed seeds coming to the surface of the soil. A shallower tilling two weeks later can efficiently slice through the weeds while avoiding the problem of exposing new seeds.
  
  

Easier Seeding

• Gardening can be tough on the back muscles of even those in good physical shape. One way to cut back on this problem can be instituted during the seeding phase. Cut off an appropriate length of garden hose and slide the seeds down the chute into the hole.
  
  

Protecting Young Plants

• The best time to set out young plants in your garden is on a cloudy day or, if that's not possible, the late afternoon of a sunny day. This timing will prevent the leaves from scorching. Make sure that the plants are adequately watered until the roots have become established.
  
  

Organic Nitrogen Sources

• Nitrogen is one of the most important nutrients for plants of all kinds to thrive in a garden. Fertilizer will provide a reasonable amount of nitrogen, but you can also achieve the same results through organic sources. Good sources of nitrogen include manure, soybean meal, blood meal and grass clippings.
  
  

Preventing Viral and Fungus Diseases

• Gardening tools like shears can assist in the spread of viruses and fungal diseases when you go from one plant to another. Disinfecting your tools will help reduce this potential. Disinfection is as easy as dipping the tools into a bucket of undiluted bleach as you move from one plant to another.