Tools & Techniques for Healthy Plants
29 May 2023
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Potting plants, providing nutrients, giving enough sunlight and water are just some of the basic requirements of plant care which may not necessarily ensure overall health of the plant. It is of utmost importance to take proper care of your garden for the plants’ quality and longevity. To make sure your plants remain healthy and flourish, you need to adopt certain techniques and include few tools. In this article, we are going to discuss such techniques and tools that will make your garden thrive. So, let's dive right in!
Plant maintenance
Plant maintenance is generally overlooked. When plants are properly looked after they not only beautify the space surrounding them but ensuring regular pruning and trimming can also protect them from diseases and pests which contributes to overall growth. We all have heard about pruning and trimming and many times the two words are used interchangeably, however, both have different meanings. While pruning refers to removal of dead or infected parts of plants, trimming means cutting plants to avoid overgrowth.
We need to keep on monitoring plants for any damaged parts. If there are any damaged or infected parts then they need to be plucked immediately so as to avoid the spread of infection. It should be noted that while the parts can be plucked by hands, it is always advisable to use proper tools like secateurs and pruning scissors. Also, make sure to use a sharp tool to make clean cuts, this way plants heal quickly.
Protect Against Rodents
Rodents are a nightmare for every gardener, especially in cities. They not only cause damage by tunneling through the garden but spread disease and destroy fruits, vegetables, seeds, plants and even pots. If you are a pet lover then getting a cat home is the easiest way out to solve the rodent problem. You can also keep the rodents away by planting a mint plant (it has a menthol-like smell which rodents dislike), or using a mouse trap, and storing pet food securely.
Protect Against Pests
It is a known fact that pests can wreak havoc on your garden and plants. However, we can protect our plants from pests if we take precautionary measures right from the beginning.
You should regularly clean up plant debris to avoid chances of diseases or providing a hiding place to pests. Besides you can use IFFCO Urban Gardens Doctor Series for more effective measures to ensure the protection of your plants.
IFFCO Urban Gardens Doctor Series includes Doctor Earth, Doctor Green and Doctor Neem+. These three products protect plants against various diseases and pests.
Doctor Earth
It keeps the plant clear off any soil-borne diseases including wilt, white mold, and root rot. It enriches soil with antifungal, anti-bacterial and anti-nematode microbes, leading to a healthy and more productive soil and roots. It can be used for indoor/outdoor plants, flowers, kitchen garden, trees, lawns, etc.
Doctor Green
It protects plants from fungus and bacteria that attack leaves and stems, such as powdery mildew, leaf/fruit spot, mosaic virus etc.
Doctor Neem+
It provides protection from pests like mealybugs, aphids, mites etc. It boasts of triple action of neem, pongamia, and lemongrass in a single product.
Using these 3 products weekly will strengthen your plant’s immunity against any potential pest or infectious attack and keep them healthy. Because after all, prevention is always better than cure!
Stake Plants
Some plants like tomato, bell peppers, hot peppers, cucumber, lilies, peonies, dahlias, sedums and sweet peas etc. require staking for their proper growth while plants such as perennials do not need a stake.
Staking a plant refers to tying the plant to an upright stick fixed into the ground. This provides support and strength to plants. Also, a stake helps plants continue pushing upward and keeps them from bending or breaking. Potted plants are staked in a different manner. Here, a stake is inserted in the pot before putting a plant into it.
Keep Away Weeds
It is pertinent to keep weeds at bay from your garden. Weeds are plant killers that suck up the nutrients and compete with plants for water, sunlight as well space. Weeds often have deep and fleshy roots so it’s important to pull them out carefully including the roots, flowers or fruits with the help of either a hand-held weed or a weeding fork.
Keep Moisture in Check
From lifting the aesthetics of a home to providing a range of health benefits, indoor plants have indeed become a rage. It might sound easy to keep a few indoor plants as they are comparatively easy to care for but it is not! New plant parents are often confused when it comes to watering these beauties at home.
If you keep giving the same amount of water to your plant daily/weekly then it can affect your plant negatively. Watering a plant largely depends on various factors including the time of the year, the amount of sunlight and the type of plants. So how much is too much and when you should actually water your plants can easily be found out with the help of a moisture meter.
This device measures and tells the percentage of moisture in the soil. Generally speaking, the scale of the meter ranges between 5 to 40%. If the meter shows a reading between 0-15% then it is considered normal but anything above 15% indicates more moisture than required. You can insert the meter into the potting mix and know if your plant wants to be watered.
Toolkit
Your gardening bag is required to have certain tools that make it easier to work with soil and plants in your garden. Besides the above discussed tools, gardening enthusiasts should include hand trowel and soil scoop in their toolkit.
A hand trowel is a mini shovel used for digging and transplanting seedlings among other uses. It is advisable to buy one with stainless steel blades. Soil scoop is used for scooping out soil, compost or grass clippings, and for forming trenches.
We hope these techniques will come handy to make your plants healthy and protect them against diseases and pests. Follow the above tips and use the advised tools to boost overall health of your garden and let it burst with vitality. Stay tuned for more information on urban gardening!
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