Nutritional Guide: 5 Must-Have Super Foods for Healthy Plants
Here are the nutritional supplements you need to know about for the all-round development of your plants
Just like people, plants too need proper nutrients in the right amounts to be healthy and look gorgeous. That is why it is important to understand each plant’s needs before feeding it. By learning how to provide the right foods, you will slowly begin to enjoy their lush, green vegetative growth, vibrant flowers and even sweet, succulent fruits. These supplements are must-haves to not only provide the right nutrition for growth, but also to protect your plants against unwanted pests and diseases. This upgrade can make your garden the talk of the town. Read on and find out how.
Every plant requires NPK in varying proportions, depending on its growth. For example, carrots or ginger require more phosphorous, while indoor foliage plants like money plants require more nitrogen. All these must be available in the soil such that they can be easily absorbed by the plants.
Look for garden design professionals on Houzz
Look for garden design professionals on Houzz
Here are the five must-have superheroes for plants:
1. Plant food: cow-dung manure
Being an organic fertiliser, it releases nutrients slowly and steadily over a period of time. It increases the organic content of the soil, keeping the soil moist, and it is extremely rich in beneficial bacteria which convert soil nutrients into easily accessible forms for plants.
How to use:
1. Plant food: cow-dung manure
Being an organic fertiliser, it releases nutrients slowly and steadily over a period of time. It increases the organic content of the soil, keeping the soil moist, and it is extremely rich in beneficial bacteria which convert soil nutrients into easily accessible forms for plants.
How to use:
- Gently loosen the soil around plant using a trowel or any other digging tool.
- Apply the cow manure by sprinkling near the root zone of the plants.
- Water the plants after applying the manure to mix it properly with the soil.
2. Soil food: compost
When plants look healthy, robust and green, it is a reflection of the soil. Compost energises the soil food web, which is made up of microscopic bacteria and fungi, along with earthworms, insects, such as crickets, and many other life forms. Compost and organic fertilisers can work together. The organic matter in compost sponges up the fertiliser nutrients until they are needed by plants. Compost also provides many nutrients that plants need in small amounts, such as boron.
How to use:
When plants look healthy, robust and green, it is a reflection of the soil. Compost energises the soil food web, which is made up of microscopic bacteria and fungi, along with earthworms, insects, such as crickets, and many other life forms. Compost and organic fertilisers can work together. The organic matter in compost sponges up the fertiliser nutrients until they are needed by plants. Compost also provides many nutrients that plants need in small amounts, such as boron.
How to use:
- Regularly amend (that is, improve) the soil with compost by sprinkling it on top of the soil around established plants (this is called top-dressing) and watch as the soil gradually becomes wonderfully dark and crumbly. Soil often treated in this way requires much less fertiliser compared to soil that has not yet benefited from regular helpings of compost.
3. Flower booster: bone meal
Bone meal is another great soil enhancer, made up of powdered animal bones. The process involved boiling or steaming the bones and then grinding them into a fine powder. At home, you can even powder up the bones of poultry or sea food after your meals and use that in the garden. Bone meal is used to increase phosphorus in the garden and is easy for plants to take up. Phosphorus is essential for plants in order for them to flower. With phosphorus fed to your blooming plants, such as roses, you will enjoy bigger and healthier blooms and bulbs.
How to use:
Bone meal is another great soil enhancer, made up of powdered animal bones. The process involved boiling or steaming the bones and then grinding them into a fine powder. At home, you can even powder up the bones of poultry or sea food after your meals and use that in the garden. Bone meal is used to increase phosphorus in the garden and is easy for plants to take up. Phosphorus is essential for plants in order for them to flower. With phosphorus fed to your blooming plants, such as roses, you will enjoy bigger and healthier blooms and bulbs.
How to use:
- For new plants or while re-potting old plants, mix about 1-2 tablespoons (depending on the size of the pot) bone meal into the soil that will go into the new pot. Mix well and then re-pot.
- For using in existing plant pots, make a small depression in the soil around the plant and add in bone meal. Mix well and water gently.
4. Plant supercharger:
seaweed extract
Seaweed extract is an organic source of plant food that contains more than 70 micronutrients (nutrients that plants require in very small quantities), which help in taking up the nutrients from the soil and also in fighting off pests. When used on plants, it promotes foliage and blooms, enlarges chloroplasts, and optimises cell processes.
Seaweed tea recipe:
seaweed extract
Seaweed extract is an organic source of plant food that contains more than 70 micronutrients (nutrients that plants require in very small quantities), which help in taking up the nutrients from the soil and also in fighting off pests. When used on plants, it promotes foliage and blooms, enlarges chloroplasts, and optimises cell processes.
Seaweed tea recipe:
- 2 millilitres seaweed extract and 1 litre water. Mix well and spray on the entire plant.
5. Plant bodyguard: neem oil
Neem oil is pressed out of the seeds obtained from neem (Azadirachta indica) trees. Neem oil can be used as an organic insecticide. While it does not harm birds or beneficial insects and other creatures, such as bees, butterflies, ladybirds and earthworms, it deters pests such as caterpillars, powdery mildew and mealybugs enough to not damage the plants.
Neem oil tea recipe:
Neem oil is pressed out of the seeds obtained from neem (Azadirachta indica) trees. Neem oil can be used as an organic insecticide. While it does not harm birds or beneficial insects and other creatures, such as bees, butterflies, ladybirds and earthworms, it deters pests such as caterpillars, powdery mildew and mealybugs enough to not damage the plants.
Neem oil tea recipe:
- 2 millilitres neem oil, 1 millilitre liquid soap and 1 litre water. Mix well and spray in a fine mist on both surfaces of the leaves. The soap helps the neem oil mix evenly with the water.
- Make sure to spray on foliage in the morning or evening when beneficial bugs are dormant and not feeding or pollinating, and spray on the underside of the leaves as well. Do this once a week to keep plant pests at bay.
Read more:
5 Plants Best Suited for Indian Homes
6 Most Common Houseplant Problems & How to Treat Them
Tell us:
What nutrients do you use in your garden? Write to us in the Comments section. Join the conversation!
5 Plants Best Suited for Indian Homes
6 Most Common Houseplant Problems & How to Treat Them
Tell us:
What nutrients do you use in your garden? Write to us in the Comments section. Join the conversation!
All plants need sunshine and six primary elements: carbon, hydrogen and oxygen (which come from the air and water) and nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (which come from the soil). The timely availability of these provides plants with all that they need, the building blocks to grow as well as the defences to fight off pests and diseases:
Nitrogen (N) makes plants grow tall and leaf bountifully; it’s what makes your grass green.
Phosphorus (P) is critical for root growth, helps plants set fruit and flower buds, and makes seeds bigger.
Potassium (K) improves the plant’s overall strength and disease resistance, and helps regulate its metabolism.