There is always a special kind of fulfillment that comes with gardening. It must have something to do with the magic of delicately nurturing and watching small plants gradually grow into mature ones, besides the chance for grownups to play with dirt. Food gardening has actually become one of the most favorite forms of gardening in many households in the recent past.
Gardening also comes with considerable health benefits. For instance, it promotes wellness through engagement in activities which promote healthy habits. As a matter of fact, most gardeners are likely to consume more vegetables and fruits as compared to those who don’t practice gardening. The physical activities involved in gardening also come as a form of outdoor exercise which is likely to relieve stress and significantly improve one’s mental health.
Having a beautiful garden in your backyard is also likely to add a lot of natural beauty to the surroundings and hence creating a calming and relaxing atmosphere in your home. You actually don’t need acres of space for you to practice gardening. All you need is a reasonable space in your backyard and a few tips on what your plants need in order to grow up healthy. While at it, you will find the experience quite relaxing and fun.
What Do Garden Plants Need In Order To Grow Healthy and Strong?
Like any living organisms, plants need good care and nurturing to remain healthy. Plants essentially have their own personalities and do require various quantities of different things such as sunlight, water and soil type. Some of the plants thrive in cooler and moister conditions while others love it in hot and sunny environments. Still some thrive in both types of conditions. However, there are irreducible basic ingredients that all plants need in order to survive. These are:
The sun happens to be the primary source of energy on earth. Plants are known to harness the energy from the sun, in a process called photosynthesis, and converting it into their tissues. Almost all types of plants need sunlight in order to grow. Most plants growing on land, including fruits and vegetables require a sufficient amount of direct sunlight during the day. It is therefore important to know which type of plants can fit in your garden, if it happens to be a bit shadier with less sunlight penetration.
All plants need various quantities of water in order to survive. This helps them to maintain their turgidity and prevents them from wilting and dying off during the hot summer weather. In a number of climatic areas, it might be necessary to regularly water your garden in order to supply sufficient water to the plants. This needs planning about the source of your water prior to beginning your gardening venture.
Though we have water plants, most garden plants only grow in soil. The soil will normally contain the water and all the necessary nutrients needed that are necessary for healthy growth. You can have your garden soil tested in order to find out whether it has the right pH to support growth of the type of plants that you intend to grow.
If the soil is found to be unfit for the kind of plants that you are thinking of growing, then you might need to supplement it with the right fertilizers. The garden soil can also be tested for heavy metal such as lead if you suspect that it might be contaminated. If you are intending to do your gardening in containers, you will have to buy potting containers that are suitable for the kind of plants that you intend to grow.
- Right combination of nutrients
Just like animals, plants need the right nourishment if they are to grow healthy and robust. Apart from absorbing some minerals from the soil, plants also manufacture their own food, through photosynthesis, by the help of the sun. It is these nutrients that human beings and other animals derive from the plants when they feed on them (plants). Plants need elements such as phosphorus (P), Nitrogen (N) and potassium (K). If the soils lack some of these essential nutrients, they can be added manually.
Apart from the above essentials, your garden plants will generally need tender care in terms of nurturing through practical processes such as, weeding, mulching, and pruning for them to grow and form the kind of beautiful garden that you have always dream of.