You should make sure you protect your garden with a fence or raised bed. This way you can be sure no animals can ruin it. Deer can also be a huge problem with gardens. Make sure the deer can't tear into your garden by putting a fence in that is high enough.

Gardening is a fun, healthy and rewarding activity. However, without the right knowledge, it can become difficult, stressful and frustrating. Everyone from newbies to experienced growers can learn valuable information from tips and tricks. This set of tips will really help you see an improvement in your garden and possibly teach you something you didn't know before.

Don't assume that insects are to blame for all plants ailments. There are many things that can affect the health of a plant. The PH of the water you are using, the location of the plant (under shade vs direct sun), the amount of soil in the pot and several other reasons can be a determining factor.

To get rid of weeds and household junk at the same time, use shredded junk mail as a fertilizer. Take the shredded pieces of mail, wet them, crops and lay them in your garden. This will prevent weeds from growing on the places where they are laid, and will also help your plants to fight off diseases.

While Mother Nature will eventually do the work needed to create compost from a backyard pile, even if it is not actively tended, you can give her a helping hand by adding compost starter to the mix. Compost starters, available from the garden centers, add microorganisms to the soil that help speed up the decay process.

An excellent way to store the goodies from a homegrown garden is to freeze them in small batches. Using small sealable plastic bags and cutting small amounts of fresh vegetables every few days will help store the extras from the garden. Just bag and toss in the freezer and the packets can be added at any time to soups and pastas year round.

To make the most of the water you use, be sure to water your plants first thing in the morning. Doing this makes your water less likely to evaporate, and allows foliage to dry quickly. This reduces the risk of many common diseases, and will help your plants grow to be strong and healthy.

The use of natural plants can make a garden without any work. Many plants will self seed and grow a perpetual crop without any work at all. Butternut squash, pumpkins, and cilantro will grow and self seed growing new crops year after year with almost no work and become a permanent garden feature. Grow them in areas such as the compost pile or along fences for maximum results.

Pay attention to zones when choosing plants for your garden. Most plants will come with the zone marked. This is also true of seeds. Make sure the zone corresponds to your growing zone. Though plants may grow outside of their usual zone, they are less likely to be hardy plants.

Soak seeds overnight, preferably in a cool, dark place. Drop your seeds into a small jar that is filled with cold water. This will keep your seeds hydrated and give you a little head start with your growing. The young plants will survive better, and get a boost toward maturity.

Attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden. Certain plants are highly attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds due to their nectar. Hummingbirds tend to favor any flower that is shaped like a trumpet, especially if it is pink, red or purple. Examples of these are honeysuckle, fuchsia and monarda. Butterflies like flat, daisy-like flowers, such as chrysanthemums, asters and coneflowers. Choose a sunny position, as both butterflies and hummingbirds appreciate the warmth.

Use mulch to add nutrients to your soil. Mulch is a much better way to amend your soil than fertilizers because it comes from natural ingredients in your garden. Commercial fertilizers may contain undesirable chemicals. In addition, mulch is free. All you need to do is compost your clippings and yard waste in a compost bin. Before long, you will have enough mulch for your entire garden.

Divide up your perennials while they still look healthy. It's best to divide a perennial at the end of the growing season during which it hits its peak. As the plant starts to overgrow, the center of the plant will start to have dying stalks and weaker flowers. Allowing perennials to grow too long may also lead to them overtaking neighboring plants.

Make sure your garden will get sun before planting the seeds. Plants love the sun and will grow better when exposed to it. If it is not too much trouble, consider moving your garden to another area to get the maximum amount of sunshine. This way your plants will grow bigger.

If you want your starts to thrive, take the time to look underneath the ground. When buying tomato seedlings, avoid the ones with a bad root system or green starts. As time goes by, the starts will begin to fall off, but you shouldn't transplant your seedlings until this happens.

A great tip when starting your own organic garden is to always space your seeds in the mix as evenly as you can. If you do this, it will ensure that every single one of your seeds has an equal amount of room to grow in the most optimum way.