Sep 19th, 2009
Learn About Plant Care
Commonly found in homes across the world, plants are one of the small pleasures people seek out for their homes or office. With an endless supply of types available for purchase, there is a variety for everyone. Unlike many things, adding the living touch of a plant to your home or office can be very inexpensive, with little to no cost to keep. As water, fertilizer and sunlight are the only requirements for a plant’s survival, it comes as no surprise that many people have attempted to grow plants.
Because so many have killed plants they have attempted to tend, many people are convinced they have black thumbs. This common problem originates from a lack of knowledge of what a plant requires in order to thrive. With some small adjustments to how you care for your plants should alter that black thumb into a green one.
The first step in caring for plants is to know how much you need to water your plant. Over and under watering plants is the primary cause of fatalities in plants. This is something that is very simple to correct. All you need to do is find a resource on your plant, and learn how they are watered. Some plants prefer to always remain damp. In this case, you should water your plant frequently, but in low amounts. Some plants like to be drenched in water and then have their soil dry out. There are some varieties of plants that only like to be watered once a month! By changing how you water your plant, you should be able to extend the plant’s lifespan by a wide margin.
The second most common cause of death in plants is too much or too little sunlight. Sunlight is needed by plants in order to photosynthesize. Photosynthesis, combined with the nutrients of water and soil, is how a plant survives. If you provide a plant with too much sun, the leaves will be burnt. Burnt leaves are unable to photosynthesize properly, which results in their death. Starvation occurs when a plant is not given enough sun.
Once you have addressed water and sunlight, the next aspect that you should look at is your plant’s soil. Without proper soil, your plant cannot survive. By fertilizing the dirt, you can make sure the roots of your plant has access to all things required to keep your plant living and well.
If you are still having problems keeping your plants alive, you should look for other reasons that your plant is dying. Check the type of water that you are using to feed your plants. While bottled water, for example, is good for people, it is not necessarily good for plants. Bottled water tends to lack the mineral content of tap or rain water. Another common cause of plant death is the presence of pets or children. Pets and children can damage the leaves, which can result in plant fatality.
Even if you have always believed you have a black thumb, it is not impossible to learn how to keep plants alive!
