Rules for watering
Water is crucial to help garden plants thrive, especially in summer. However, poor watering can be detrimental to their growth. So our gardening experts urge you to always follow these ten "golden rules" when watering your garden.
1. Maintain a good level of soil moisture: Most plants depend on regular moisture. However, plants are lazy. If you water them too regularly, they may develop shallow roots and will not seek moisture deep in the soil. It is therefore advisable to deprive some plants of water before the next watering, especially at the beginning of the crop, in order to encourage deep rooting.
2. Water less often, but thoroughly: Watering quickly, even if repeated regularly, does not really help the plants... because the water does not penetrate deeply enough. It is therefore recommended to water only once or twice a week, but deeply. How do you know if you're on the right track? Dig a small hole in the soil and see if it is evenly moist to at least 15 cm deep. If it is not, you will need to water again.
3. Water late at night or early in the morning: On hot days, it is imperative to water in the early morning or late evening. If you water your garden during the day, much of the water will evaporate due to the heat and you will need to water much more often. Help your plants get enough water before the next day's heat.
4. Keep leaves dry: Wet leaves get sick. Be aware that pests can develop on foliage, so avoid proliferation by not keeping leaves wet overnight. In addition, wet leaves that are left in the sun will develop light burn marks (the concentrated radiation effect of the water droplets).
5. Make sure the water reaches the roots: When you water in a hurry, you often only cover the top part of the soil... and the water does not reach the roots in sufficient quantity. To avoid this, water at the base of each plant instead of watering indiscriminately with a general sprinkling. It is at the foot of the plant that the water is directly useful to nourish the roots. Your best friend will be the watering can.
Avoid overwatering: Too much of anything is bad, and this also applies to watering. Too much water drives oxygen out of the soil and prevents the roots from getting enough oxygen, and they eventually die. Root asphyxiation is not the only negative consequence of overwatering, but this excessive moisture creates an ideal environment for fungi to grow and develop. These fungi will eventually spread through the plant's roots and lead to its certain death.
Use clay-rich soil: Soil is essential in the garden, it is the support of all life, but it is sometimes neglected. If you want to save water, opt for quality soil rich in clay. With better expansion properties, this type of soil holds nutrients well and retains water in greater quantities and more evenly.
Low Light Plant
Medium-Light Plant
High-Light Plant
Lighting for Indoor Plants and outdoor plants
Light is probably the most essential factor for healthy indoor plant growth. The energy derived from photosynthesis depends on the amount of intercepted light by leaves.
Indoor plants can be classified according to their light needs and tolerances — high, medium, or low. Select indoor plants according to the availability of natural light in your home. Otherwise, you will need to supplement light with artificial lighting.
The three important aspects of indoor light are intensity, duration, and quality. Each one has a different impact on the plant.
- Low light
- Medium-bright light
- High light
Low light :
A low-light plant would be suitable for a north window or a fairly dark corner.
Low-light plants require little to no direct light. In their native growing environments, these plants are “understory plants” meaning they grow underneath the branches of larger plants.
Low lighting is not sufficient for starting seeds indoors.
In environments with less light, plants grow more slowly and use less water. Avoid over watering by feeling the soil.
Some Low Light plants is:
Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema)
Cast iron plant (Aspidistra)
Ponytail palm (Beaucarnea recurvata)
Parlor palm (Chamaedorea)
Dumb cane (Dieffenbachia)
Dracaena
English ivy (Hedera helix)
Sentry or kentia palm (Howeia)
Homalomena
Pothos (Epipremnum)
Philodendron
Lady palm (Rhapis excelsa)
Snake plant (Dracaena trifasciata; formerly Sansevieria trifasciata)
Peace lily (Spathiphyllum)
Arrowhead plant (Syngonium)
Zee zee plant (Zamioculcas)
Medium-bright light
A medium-light plant would be suitable for east-facing windows or located near a west-facing window, but out of direct light.
You would need artificial lighting for starting seeds in medium light.
Like the low light plants, these plants will not dry out as quickly. Avoid overwatering by feeling the soil.
Some Medium-bright light plants is:
Amaryllis (Hippeastrum)
Elephant ear (Alocasia)
Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria)
Asparagus fern (Asparagus)
Ferns
Rubber plant (Ficus elastica)
Fiddleleaf fig and weeping fig (Ficus)
Begonias (Begonia)
Spider plant (Chlorophytum)
Grape ivy (Cissus)
Aucuba leaf (Aucuba Japonica)
Croton (Codiaeum)
Jade plant (Crassula)
Flame violet (Episcia)
Schefflera (Schefflera)
Wax plant, Hindu rope plant (Hoya)
Peperomia (Peperomia)
Monstera (Monstera deliciosa)
High light
A high-light plant would be suitable for brightly lit locations such as south- or southwest-facing windows.
You may be able to start seeds without artificial lighting, but seeds that need more time indoors, such as tomatoes and peppers, may become leggy without extra light.
High-light areas can be warm, making plants dry out faster. Check these plants more frequently and water when soil is dry.
Some Medium-bright light plants is:
Cacti and succulents
Citrus such as calamondin orange, kumquat, Meyer lemon
Hibiscus
Culinary herbs such as basil (Ocimum), thyme (Thymus), lavender (Lavandula)
Ti plant (Cordyline)
Orchid cactus (Epiphyllum),
Gardenia (Gardenia)
Jasmine (Jasminum)
Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe)
Geraniums (Pelargonium)
Poinsettia (Poinsettia)
Non-hardy azalea (Rhododendron)
Orchids
Caladium
Methods of Plant Propagation
Propagation is simply multiplication or production of plants, which you can do by using your own plants!
Methods of Plant Propagation:
- Seed propagation
- Cutting
- Layering
- Division
- Grafting
- Budding
- Tissue culture
Seed propagate: Seed propagate means to multiply or to breed naturally. Seed propagation is not a technique whose primary goal is to produce more seeds, although this will happen if efforts are successful. The aim of seed propagation is usually to produce more plants. There are other methods of plant breeding such as the use of plant cuttings or root cuttings, but the use of seeds tends to be the most common.
Cutting: This is cutting the vegetative part of the plant (leaf, stem, and root) and then planting it again to regenerate the whole plant. The three types of cutting are named after the plant part being detached or cut:
- Stem cutting
- Leaf cutting
- Root cutting
Division: This is a suitable technique for perennials (plants that live for more than two years). It involves dividing the plant by digging and moving it to an already prepared site. This helps the plant to rejuvenate and reduce water and nutrient competition.
Layering: In this technique, the attached and bent branch of the plant is covered with soil and allowed to root. After the emergence and development of roots that specific part of the plant is cut and allowed to grow as a new plant. This is called ‘layering’.
Grafting: This involves cutting a twig of one plant and joining it with the stem of another plant in such a manner that they form a unit and function as one plant. It is a bit of a complex process but allows you to bring the desired character to your plant. However, be sure to sterilize your hands and tools to make sure you don’t transfer any infections during the process.
Budding: In this method, a cut is made in the rootstock and a single bud with little or no wood is inserted into it in such a way that they unite and grow as a new plant.
Tissue Culture: Tissue culture is used to develop thousands of genetically identical plants from one single parent plant known as somaclones, and this process is known as micropropagation. The method offers an advantage over other methods as it can be used to develop disease free plants from disease-rode plants by using their meristems as explants.
Temperature for plant
Most plants tolerate normal temperature fluctuations. In general, foliage plants grow best between 70 degrees and 80 degrees F. during the day and between 60 degrees to 68 degrees F. at night. Most flowering plants prefer the same daytime temperature range, but grow best when nighttime temperatures range from 55 degrees to 60 degrees F. Lower nighttime temperatures help the plant: recover from moisture loss, intensify flower color and prolong flower life. Excessively low or high temperatures may cause: plant stress, inhibit growth, or promote a spindly appearance and foliage damage or drop. Cool nighttime temperatures are actually more desirable for plant growth than high temperatures. A good rule of thumb is to keep nighttime temperatures 10 to 15 degrees lower than daytime temperatures.
Another means of raising humidity is to group plants close together. Misting the foliage of plants is not generally recommended because of the increased potential for spreading diseases. If a mist is used, it should be applied early in the day so that leaves will dry before the onset of cooler nighttime temperatures.
Plants prepare their food by the process of photosynthesis. In this process, plants use sunlight, carbon dioxide & water. Therefore, photosynthesis covers 95% of the plant’s food requirement. Plants require oxygen for respiration, just like we do.
All the above nutrients can be provided to plants by applying following fertilizers:
Organic fertilizers: All organic fertilizers release nutrients slowly & steadily over a period. Organic fertilizers are required to be provided in bulk i.e. larger quantities for an insured continuous supply of nutrients. They increase the humus content of the soil, keeping the soil moist & overall improving health & quality of the soil.
Cow dung manure: It is most commonly available organic fertilizer in India. Well, rotten cow-dung manure should be used instead of fresh cow-dung. Ideal cow-dung manure is black, moist powdered form.
Bio-Compost: Compost is obtained from the process of home or farm level composting. It’s either done in composter or compost pit. Compost is made from household green waste & farmyard brown waste.
Leaf Mould: It is a form of compost exclusively made by the fungal & bacterial breakdown of dry leaves. Leaf mould is good quality humus. It is used as rooting medium for stem cutting & pot mixture for orchids & ferns.
Vermicompost: It is manure obtained from the disintegration of organic waste by earthworms. Vermicompost is moist, dark, consistent manure with a slow & steady supply of nutrients.
Chemical fertilizers: These are available in granular or powdered or liquid form. Chemical fertilizers are strong & concentrated, therefore they are provided to plants in lesser quantity.
Houseplant leaves collect dust, especially if they are placed near a window or entryway. Your plants will be covered with dust regularly if you live in a dirty environment.Feel the plant’s leaves with your fingers every 5-8 days to see whether it needs to be cleaned. If you want to increase the photosynthetic rate – basically the plant’s ability to feed itself, it’s a must!
Using A Spray Bottle: Giving plants like aloe and crown of thorns a shower bath using a spray bottle is the simplest way to clean them. Keep an eye on the water pressure because it can wash the growing media out of the pot.Cleaning the plant’s leaves in the morning and then leaving them in direct morning sunlight for 3-4 hours is a good idea.
Remove Dust Using A Feather Duster : A feather duster can be used to remove dirt from your houseplant. This should be done every 3-4 days
Dunk The Plant In Water
Wipe The Dust Off The Leaves
If Your Plants Are Too Dirty, Use A Mild Soapy Mix
Prune Yellow And Brown Leaves
Clean Your Pots
Keep The Soil Clean
Whether you’ll be spending a long weekend at the beach or a full month abroad, we’re sharing our top tips and tricks for keeping your houseplants happy and healthy while you’re away.
Water your plants before you leave: Plants can live for a few days without water if it’s not too hot. So watering them right before you leave can be enough if you’ll just be gone for a long weekend.
Keep your plants cool: Move outdoor potted plants into the shade and move indoor plants away from your sunniest windows.
Trim your plants: Apparently flowering plants want more water, so trimming flowers and buds off with make them a bit more water efficient while you’re gone. It’s hard to say how much water this saves though.
Use a wick system: You can rig a simple version of this up at home. Find a wick—twisted up yearn or a strip of cloth will work—and bury it about 2-3 inches into your plant’s well-watered soil. Then put the other end into a bowl or bottle of water. Be sure it goes all the way to the bottom of the water source so it can soak it all up.
Set up a drip system: Water your plants really well. Then fill a plastic bottle (your average disposable water bottle will do) to the brim with water and turn it upside down inside your plant.
