We do not inherit the EARTH from our parents,
We borrow it from our children

- Antoine De Saint-Exupery


Gardening Tips

All outdoor plants require at least 5-6 hrs of direct sunlight a day to stay healthy, retain their colour, fruit and flower for you. According to what plant it is, place plant in appropriate position where plenty of sun is available.

  • While watering keep a few tips in mind

Check soil for moisture, if moist watering is not required. If you do expect a hot day ahead then you could give it a bit of a sprinkle.
Make sure soil is never soggy for long periods and it dries in-between watering frequencies, or else the plant roots cannot breath and they can rot.
Plants like cactus need to be watered once in a week and placed in full sun.
Best time to water is in the morning before the harsh sun gets out, as the plant can to ready to photosynthesise
If plants have plastic trays beneath them make sure there is no standing water in the tray. Once watered make sure the tray is emptied of standing water and placed back. Standing water can cause mosquitoes to breed and results in over watering of the plants.
Make sure to throughly clean plants twice a week to keep them dust free. Dust interferes with the breathing of the plants and if not cleaned plants look dull and tend to wilt.

  • Re-potting

All potted plants need to be re-potted at least once a year but thats not a thumb rule. Some slow growing plants may take longer, hence pay a little attention to your plant. Some signs to look out for
Roots are visibly sticking out from the bottom of the pot as well as the surface.
Soil surface looks depleted of soil.
There is no space for you to apply any additional fertilizer.
The plant may look wilted and sickly

  • In that case you must

Remove plant from pot and trim roots. Be careful while doing this as some plant can take shock and not recover.
Ideally you must place the plant in a larger pot (approx 2-4 inches larger) or the ground. If you are unable to do this then do a less drastic prune and re-pot the plant back in same pot, making sure you have added a good amount of fertilizer.
After re-potting, water plant throughly and keep in the shade for two days till it settles and then introduce it back in its desired location.

  • Fertilizing

All plants need to be fertilized once a month as a rule
Make sure you give them a balanced diet of NPK-Nitrogen,Phosphorous and Potassium
Any well-decomposed organic fertilizer is recommended
Create a ring around the plant. Dig about 2-3 inches in and sprinkle some fertilizer. Cover in back with soil and then water.
For leaf shine and brightness a spray of any organic liquid or soluble fertilizer will be good once a week.

  • Trimming and Pruning

Pruning is advised according to plant growth habit. While pruning keep the folling points in mind
Is it flowering time of the plant in question. If it is then wait until it finishes flowering and then continue to prune
How much to prune will depend on how much you expect it to grow within a certain period. For example if you decide to drastically prune your bougainvillea, it will be another 6 -10 months before you see in in a lush bushy flowering state.
Pruning must be done systematically. Trimming the young wild out of shape branches before you tackle the older more established ones. In This way you give the plants a better from as it grows to increase its overall aesthetic appeal.
Make sure you cutters have sharp blades or else they could damage the plant and because of its open wound get susceptible for fungal and rust diseases

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