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HOW TO KEEP YOUR PLANTS ALIVE PART #1
BY GLADYS JEURINK
Last week George was sharing with a
friend that he was honored by the Campus Master Gardener program for 20
years in the Master Gardener program and she said, “I just do not have a
green thumb. All my plants turn black.” I
thought about this all week and came to the conclusion that most
people say this because they do not pay attention to their plants and
watch them like those who do have a green thumb. But what do you need to
watch for? Or what do you need to know about the plant so you know if it
growing ok?
One of the things you need to know about
your plants to keep them alive is “How much water does it need. Gladys
said in an article, 10 years ago, “A major cause of houseplant death can
be blamed on water. Too much
and roots rot making them unable to send moisture to the leaves who
droop first and then die.
Too little and the roots cannot pick up moisture.
The symptoms in both cases are the same.”
Since different plants need different amounts of water, we need
to know as much as possible about the plant such as:
1.
What
climate did they come from?
2.
Are the
leaves adapted for saving water or those that breathe out water vapor?
3.
Is the
plant sensitive to hard water, for example
BROMELIADS
4.
Do you
have a tropical plant that will react if you use cold water?
5.
Many
plants must have resting periods so will use less water and tend to get
root rot during that rest period. In their natural habitat when is the
rest period?
6.
Do you
water from above or below? If you water from below, the fertilizer salts
will also move up and concentrate in the top so you need to water from
above to take it back down.
Do you let water stand in the saucers?
This is a good way to get root rot if you do.
7.
Do you
sprinkle from above and leave drops on the leaves? If in the sun,
blotches or gray spots can appear from the calcium in the water.
8.
Do you
water often with just a little water? If so the roots will stay in the
damp part and never go down deep to develop well.
9.
Do you
always water in the same spot? If so the roots may grow only on one side
of your pot. If you forget to water and the soil has pulled back from
the side of the pot, you will need to dunk the pot and all in a bucket
or old dishpan until bubbles don’t appear anymore. Then let it drain.
To keep your
plants alive you also need to know about feeding (nutrients).
Feeding has just as many questions as there are plants, as all
are so different. We are all
acquainted with the lawn fertilizers and know they have 3 basic
nutrients listed-N (nitrogen), P (phosphorous) and K (potassium). But
what about our garden plants and houseplants? Are all 3 of these
nutrients needed? Again you need to know your plant!!! Is the plant for
foliage? Is the plant for blooms? What does kind of fertilizer does the
plant really need? Is it a desert plant? Is it a bog plant? Does it like
full sun or shade? Is it a fast grower or a slow grower?
Many potting soils already have
fertilizer in them. If you
add more you will burn the roots. There are fertilizers you can buy
containing all the trace elements. A number of houseplants have their
own specialized food formulas such as
ORCHIDS, BROMELIADS, and
AFRICAN VIOLETS. Some
fertilizers are labeled “for flowering plants” while other say “for
foliage plants” In general foliage plants like high nitrogen fertilizers
while flowering plants like high phosphorous fertilizers.
Phosphorous is good and needed for flowering and production of
fruit.
During long day and high light months
(summer) the plants will be active and need goodly amounts of food.
(When in doubt,
Next week in part #2 we will have other
things you need to know about your plants such as LIGHT, TEMPERATURE,
and Copyright 2017 |