Plant Care 101

Plants are dear to us, and we hate to see them starve.

At least, we certainly hope that the majority of you out there do!

Do you get enough iron? How about proteins? Vitamins and other nutrients? Well, these very same questions can be posed to your plants. After all, your back yard and garden companions are living beings like you and us, who need nourishment and sustenance to survive just like us.

To be able to grow, develop, and produce at their best, plants must have specific elements or compounds called plant essential nutrients.

So, if you're one of the millions of gardeners who are not feeding essential nutrients to your plants, listen up. A plant that lacks an essential nutrient cannot complete its life cycle—the seed may not germinate; the plant may not be able to develop roots, stems, leaves, or flowers properly; or it may not be able to produce seeds to create new plants. Often the plant itself will die.

However, having too much of a nutrient can harm and even kill plants. For example, having too much nitrogen can cause a plant to grow more leaves but less or no fruit. Too much manganese can make the leaves turn yellow and eventually die. And excess boron can kill a plant.

The plants will be healthier and more productive if you give them what they need—no more and no less.

The good news? You don’t have to be a rocket scientist, an expert farmer, or even a gardener to learn everything about what the plants need and how you can grant their wishes. After all, you have your very savior - US. Scroll up right away!

Given below are sixteen essential nutrients, grouped according to the relative amount of each, that a plant needs:

• Primary nutrients, also known as macronutrients, are those usually required in the largest amounts. They are carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and potassium. Plants require a large quantity of these nutrients for growth and proper functioning.
• Secondary nutrients are those usually needed in moderate amounts compared to the primary essential nutrients. The secondary nutrients are calcium, magnesium, and sulfur.
• Micro or trace nutrients are required in tiny amounts compared to primary or secondary nutrients. Micronutrients are boron, chlorine, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, and zinc.

Each essential nutrient affects specific functions of plant growth and development. Plant growth is limited by the nutrient that is in the shortest supply.

Determining available nutrient levels in the soil

It is hard to tell whether the soil has a nutrient problem just by looking at the plants. The symptoms vary by nutrient and plant species. Common symptoms include:

• Little or no growth
• Dead tissue at the leaf tips, on the leaf edges, or within the leaves
• Yellow or dead leaves on one part of the plant only
• Overall leaf yellowing, yellow streaks, or white between the leaf veins

So, how exactly do you feed nutrients to plants? Of course, not with a spoon. But, all you need is a few products from IFFCO Urban Gardens and then your plant babies will be happily healthy. There's no better way to ensure vigorous, productive, and healthy plants!

Green Diet:

Green Diet is a gentle spray of nourishment which is applied to the foliage of the plant weekly. It is an ideal assortment of all necessary macro and micronutrients that act as instant food for the plant and provides them an all-round development with a boosted metabolism. It ensures lush, healthy, and green plants. Green Diet is an effective way to compensate for soil deficiencies, and is essentially the one stop solution to all your plant nourishment needs

Sea Secret:

Sea Secret is a natural biostimulant made of seaweed extract and is a rich source of plant growth regulators. It naturally provides essential plant nutrients, minerals, vitamins, enzymes, amino acids, organic acids, polysaccharides, plant hormones (auxins, cytokinins, and gibberellins); betaine, mannitol, etc. When you apply 'Sea Secret' it stimulates plant metabolism, increases root-shoot vigor; results in lush foliage growth which leads to more flowering and fruiting. It also increases plant tolerance to external stress like heat, drought and salinity.

Magic Soil:

Magic Soil is a premium potting mix, rich in bioavailable macro and micro nutrients such as Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium, etc. The product ensures the healthier vegetative and reproductive growth of the plant throughout the growing period by enhancing the proper nutrient uptake of the plant while providing the right aeration and moisture.

Nutri Rich:

Nutri-Rich is premium vermicompost manufactured at a state-of-the-art facility with patented processes. This turns pure cow dung into Vermicompost ensuring a standardized product with global quality standards. It is an active biological mixture of bacteria, and enzymes and is also rich in bioavailable plant nutrients such as concentrated nitrates, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, calcium, etc. Nutri-Rich is fortified with seaweed extracts which improve soil and plant health, protect plants from stress, and aid in nutrient uptake of the plant.

Nutrients - A Necessity!

What would gardening be without the use and mastery of nutrients? Pretty bleak, if you ask us!

Whether you’re dealing with plant sickness, pests, or simply want the best blooms or fruits on the block, get acquainted with all the different amendments and natural nutrient solutions from IFFCO Urban Gardens for those awesome results.

In fact, using them is completely necessary, an absolute requirement in a good number of instances. There’s no better way to have the healthiest and most beautiful plants, are we right?

Happy gardening!