In some respect, plants are a lot like people. They all need water to survive, and they all have different personalities. Some plants may really need the heat for them to be able to thrive and grow into strong, stable creatures, while others will prefer it to be a lot cooler and or even wet most of the time.
As difficult as it can be to figure out what everything needs and when, it can also be a very fun experience that starts as a hobby and turns into a full-time career, transforming gardens into stunning sanctuaries.
As long as you have the right information to go through, whether that be from books or online, there should be no reason you can’t learn absolutely everything you need to know.
Although plants come in all different shapes and sizes, they all require the same basics. – Here’s what they need.
Sun
Plants are incredible beings that suck all the energy from the sun and use that with the power of photosynthesis to convert that energy into their own cells. Pretty much every plant will need the sun, but fruit and vegetables need a lot more of it coming at them directly for a certain time of the day.
If you have a garden that tends to be in the shade all the time, do your research to find out what plants thrive more in shadier conditions.
Water
All plants need water, but there is a very fine line between how much you give them. Too little and they will dry up and die from dehydration. Too much and they will droop down and die from drowning. In most places with the standard plants, you may need to give everything a light watering once a day, or every other day.
Bear in mind that the seasons will make a difference too – if you have extremely hot, dry summers, your plants will require more water. If it rains a lot, you may have to shelter everything so they don’t get over watered.
Nutrients
If plants don’t get the right sort of nutrients in their food, they won’t be able to grow into strong and healthy organisms. Remember that the nutrients the plants get – you will also be indulging on when you eat them – hence why you want to do things the organic way. Plants need nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. These can either be found from the soil, or you will need to add them yourself.
Soil
Plants need something to grow in, and although you can grow them in water, most plants will need soil that can hold all the water and nutrients in them like a sponge. You can [amazon_textlink asin=’B000ZEHBNA’ text=’test different’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’mygardening411-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’bf244ff7-8818-11e7-9921-fd8140d6b256′] soils by seeing whether they have a good pH reading or not. Ideally, you want your soil to be light and fluffy so your plants have enough room to breathe in.
If the soil in your garden isn’t worthy, you can buy all you need from garden stores. Consider buying compost as well if you’re not able to make your own because this is a magic bonus that will keep your plants very happy.
Location
Gardens come in all sorts of forms, so it’s down to you to figure out how you plan on using it. Having said that, you don’t need to have a garden to garden – doing it from the inside gives you even more precision to make the environment perfect for your plants. You have total control over the light they get, the water they get, the nutrients they get, and even protect them from tough winds and insects!
If you do stick to the good outdoors, try and pick a spot that has everything you need. You can either grow them directly in the soil or in a container or pot first, until they’re big enough to play in the big boy’s playground.
Go away invaders
One of the most annoying points to gardening is when you have planted something, and it’s growing so well and looking stunning amongst your other plants, only to wake up one morning and see holes in the leaves, disease eating away at your roots, or weeds suffocating their space. Unfortunately, weeds will never be gone forever, so it’s just about regularly removing them every time they grow back.
Bugs and diseases however, will most likely attack a plant when it is weak and stressed, so as long as you look after it correctly, there is no reason it should be harmed. You can also fence off the area if you’re worried about hungry little animals coming to take a bite.
