It’s a lot easier to shove a plant into the ground than it is to keep it happy and content. You can see happy plants when you walk by them; they have a strong posture, and they give off a healthy color. You will ultimately get more out of a healthy and happy plant, both in terms of your enjoyment as well as its life span. Read this article to learn some keys for keeping your plants satisfied and happy.
Do not expose your new plants to sun shock. That is to say, don’t bring them home from the nursery, shove them into some potting soil, soak them with water, and put them outside on your patio for a long July afternoon, particularly if July is a summer month in your hemisphere. The sun will fry your new plant and may end up killing it, even if you dumped in a whole bunch of water. Instead, put your new plant on a shelf inside, just next to a window. Slowly expose it to more and more sun over time. Eventually, if it is the sort of plant that enjoys full sun for most of the day, then you can put it outside. You just don’t want to do that when you first plant it. Moving a plant from one pot to another is difficult enough on the plant.
Water your plants deeply. This does not mean that you should pour a gallon of water on each geranium. Instead, monitor the dirt in your plant’s pot as you water it. The moisture should spread throughout the soil, pushing its way to the roots. Stick a finger into the dirt gently, far away from the plant but still within the pot. You should be able to sense water down to your first knuckle soon after pouring. It’s all right if you added a little bit too much; that’s what the drainage holes on the bottom of the container are for. They will keep excess water from collecting around the roots and rotting them.
Mulching is a technique that will extend the lives of all your plants. Use an organic substance, such as cedar, to provide a lining for your beds and around your plants. The purpose of mulch is to keep the water in the soil from evaporating as quickly, and to keep weeds from growing up around the plants with as much rapidity. It settles the soil beneath it, making it less likely to vary in temperature with the rising and setting of the sun. Think of it as serving, for plants, like the insulation in your home works for you and your family’s comfort.
Make sure that the holes you dig for your plants are just right. In terms of depth, your leaves should appear just above the ground, and all of the roots should be well below ground.
Happy plants make for happy people. If you follow these steps, you will be well on your way toward being a happy gardener.