Tomorrow is May 1st! We all know the saying “April Showers Bring May Flowers”. With self-isolation restrictions reaching just under two months, people are running out of activities to keep them busy. My roommates have been keeping busy with planting flowers and collecting plants to take care of! Every room in my house looks like a green house and our planter boxes outside have never seen more flower seeds! So, if you need a hobby to keep you busy these next few months, I suggest thinking about becoming a gardener and/or plant parent.
The first thing you need to do is research which flowers, plants, vegetables grow best in the location you plan on planting and in the climate you live in. Nothing is worse than buying beautiful plants and flowers that are not going to grow where you live. You also need to research if your plant/flowers are going to need sun or not. One last thing to research is how often your flowers and plants are going to need water – some can go a few days without water while others need watered every day on schedule. Now, let’s get into some easy plant care tips!
Feel the soil to know how often to water your plants.
For potted plants, you may be unsure of how often to water them. A trick to know is to see if the first inch of so of soil is dry or not. If the soil is dry, this is an indication that the plant needs to be watered. Another indication that your plant might need a little more water than usual is if there are shriveled up leaves that are either dry or discolored.
It’s better to underwater your plants than it is to overwater them.
This is something I did not know before having plants. It is easier for a plant to recover from not having enough water than having too much. To save the overwatered plant, you should probably repot the plant and remove any unhealthy or damaged roots and overwatered soil before switching pots.
Keep your plants put.
Pick a spot for your plant and try to keep it in that same area. Plants thrive once they are used to their surroundings and finding a spot with the right amount of light. Temperature is also important – fluctuating temperatures will shock your plants and therefore lead to the plant not being able to develop and maybe even die.
Prune your plants.
Getting rid of the old-growth on your plants will help your plants grow again. Think of it as trimming the dead ends of your hair. So, don’t forget to give your plants haircuts!
Try to pick pots with drainage holes.
Having a way for your pots to drain is vital for your plant and the soil. Proper drainage will allow the roots to receive air, rather than sitting in water and suffocating the roots. “But Samantha, the cute pot from Hobby Lobby doesn’t have a hole in it and it looks so cute in my house.” Easy fix! drill a hole or two in the bottom of the pot yourself before planting!
Dust your plants!
This is so important. Plants that collect too much dust on their leaves cannot get the sunlight they may need to survive – especially green plants and plants with big leaves. Once every other month, get a damp cloth and lightly wipe down the leaves of your plants on both sides.
Flowers! Starting a flower garden is one of the most rewarding things you can do. Everyone benefits from gardens because you learn a lot and more times than not you have a pretty section of flowers that you grew by yourself. If you are new to planting flowers, it is best to start with some flowers that are easy to grow: cosmos, geraniums, marigolds, sunflowers, and zinnias.
Seedlings should never be allowed to dry out, so you need to water these daily – you can taper off as the plants get larger. After that, how much you need to water depends on your soil, humidity, and rainfall. Once a week is normal for most places. To minimize evaporation, you should water in the early morning. To learn more about how to take care of a flower garden, you can read this article from Better Homes & Gardens!
Flowers can really boost people’s moods! This is important during this crazy pandemic. Could you imagine taking a book outside and reading in your flower garden?! I know I sure could!
If you are having a hard time being positive while in the workplace, try adding a couple of plants! Even if you do not get direct sunlight, there are a couple plants that grow without sunlight! A few plants that grow well without sunlight are Dacaena, Parlor Palms, Snake Plants, Calatheas, Spide Plants, Peace Lilies, Etc.
If you need more tips on gardening, please check out this website to learn all there is about gardening! Now, go start your garden and become a plant parent!
Talk to you later!
Samantha
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