Growing plants at home
Growing plants at home and what you should take into consideration
Growing plants at home is both fun and rewarding. With this quick and easy guide, you can be sure to avoid the mistakes that those that have come before you have made. These are some of the things you should take into consideration when growing plants:
- When to water your plants
- Sunlight
- Using the right Soil
- Fertilizers
Growing plants: when to water
When growing plants it is important to learn to recognise when you need to water them. Over-watering is a real problem and a mistake that many that are new to the art of growing plants make. It depends on the type of plants you are growing and you should always look up the specific requirements for your plants. But as a general rule, you want the soil to be moist but not soaking. Make sure your pots have drainage holes at the bottom to avoid a condition called root rot. Pour slowly until you see water trickles out of the drainage holes. When you stick your finger in the soil and it feels dry it is time to water your plants.
Growing plants: sunlight
Growing plants requires sunlight. Plants use the energy from sunlight to produce the nutrients they need. The majority of house plants need to be in indirect light rather than direct light. Make sure that you know how much light your plants require and find a place for them accordingly. If plants get too much light flowers can shrivel and die quickly, leaves might dry, droop and fade in colour. If plants do not get enough light flowers might not bloom, plant growth is slower and weaker and leaves will eventually turn yellow.
Growing plants: using the right soil
Growing plants is a lot easier when you choose the right soil. The soil is where your plants live and soil quality can make all the difference. After all, it protects the plant's roots, keeps your plants upright, provides nutrition, water, and air. It is important that you choose the right soil for the plants you are growing. Some plants might require a lower or a higher pH value. You can also use additives to improve the quality of your soil or change the pH value. Read more about soil additives here.
Growing plants: Fertilizers
Plants do not just need to be watered, they also need to be fed. Fertilizing your plants is important if you want to keep them alive and thriving. Especially when you keep your plants in pots, nutrient deficiency is common as the plants will eventually take out all the nutrients from the soil. This could leave the soil devoid of any magnesium. Without sufficient amounts of magnesium, the leaves will appear discoloured and the plant won't be able to power the process of photosynthesis. That's why your plants need to eat, but over fertilizing can also be damaging to the ecosystem and can deplete the soil in the long run. BAC’s organic fertilizers are an excellent choice. If you have any questions about plant food and fertilizers you can get in touch with BAC’s knowledge centre here to speak to one of our specialists.
