Benefits of gardening, say hi to your new healthy hobby!

Benefits of gardening, say hi to your new healthy hobby!

Did you ever search on Google about gardening? Well, gardening is one of the world’s most popular pleasures. The benefit of gardening is not, however, solely about cultivating vegetables and flowers. Gardening as a hobby provides a number of physical and mental health benefits.

So why do we need gardening as a hobby, and what are the benefits of gardening? Well, read on, and you won’t be disappointed!

Benefits of gardening

Why do people pursue hobbies, especially in today’s fast-paced society? The solution is relatively straightforward. People need a break, and hobbies help them to unwind and have fun.

Hobbies are an excellent way to give oneself a well-deserved and enjoyable break. Life nowadays is hectic and stressful. When you need some relaxation or self-care for your mental and emotional well-being, it’s a good idea to start looking into hobbies.

Because of the growing concern about climate change, pollution, and many more issues, gardening became a way of life and leisure but has now become a need. But what many of us don’t realize is that this lovely and rewarding sport offers a plethora of hidden advantages that go well beyond simply being a fun hobby! Here are some unexpected and unnoticed gardening benefits that make our life more appealing and pleasurable!

Surprising Health Benefits of Gardening – For Blood Pressure Levels, As an Excercise, and Many More

Well, we are not here for advertising gardening just as a hobby. It has some amazing health benefits that can help mankind with not only unwinding and having fun but also with curing some of the most common illnesses like high blood pressure, etc. The following section in this post will tell you about the physical, social, and mental health benefits.

Read on to learn about some of the most surprising health benefits of gardening and we hope that you’d pick up gardening as a hobby till you reach the end of this article.

Benefits of Gardening in Physical Activity

Picking up a physical activity for maintaining fitness is a tough task these days. And here comes the savior! Gardening can help you maintain your physical health. Surprising isn’t it? Let’s see!

Gardening is an excellent kind of exercise.

Gardening entails a variety of activities such as pruning, digging, watering plants, bending, and so on. As a result, it’s also an excellent fitness routine. And what is the most effective stress buster than exercising? According to research, a few hours of moderate gardening are equivalent to 1 hour at the gym! Gardening is low-intensity, so we tend to do it for far longer than a typical gym session, and the calories start to build up.

So, go ahead and burn some calories while reaping the benefits of gardening.

Gardening is an excellent kind of exercise.

Gardening helps in improving brain nerve growth factors. 

Studies across the world suggest that gardening plays a very important role in improving brain nerve growth factors like vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Platelet-Derived Growth Factor. It is also said by various university research scholars that gardening activities at home will increase the levels of Serotonin.

Gardening helps in improving brain nerve growth factors. 

Gardening can regulate your blood pressure levels.

Did you ever see some older people gardening? You will notice relaxed and peaceful faces! Yes, gardening is capable of reducing your blood pressure and keeping your health in place. Some of the most reliable studies about physical activities and their effects on the human body reveal that a minimum of 30 minutes of raking the dried leaves in your garden can result in lowering the blood pressure to normal.

Gardening can regulate your blood pressure levels.

Social Benefits of Gardening

Man is a social being, as we all know! With the present-day lifestyle habits and busy schedules, in a way, people are losing social connections. What if we told you that gardening can help you become a better social being, as we call ourselves? Read on to know more.

Gardening teaches responsibility.

Plant maintenance is best defined as “reaping the fruits of hard work.” Your garden plants are literally at your mercy. The plants in your garden require your undivided attention and care in order to develop and thrive. This is a fantastic method to learn more about responsibility and to feel responsible for something other than family, house, or employment.

Gardening teaches responsibility.

Gardening skills might help you earn money.

If you create a lovely flower garden, vegetable garden, herb garden, or fruit garden, you may sell the “fruits” of your product in local markets or to your neighbors. You could even turn your garden items into merchandise to sell on the internet.

Gardening skills might help you earn money.

Gardening allows you to spend time with your family.

Gardening is an excellent choice for a pastime that you can enjoy both alone and with your family. You might organize a gardening day to bond with your partner or children. If you have tiny children, include a few entertaining activities in the mix. It’s a terrific way for the family to bond.

Gardening allows you to spend time with your family.

You’ll make better food choices.

Growing your own, whether in your own home gardens or as part of a group activity, gardening is likely to make you more careful of what you eat. A study conducted by the Barcelona Centre for Research and Environmental Epidemiology revealed that students at 12 schools where they were taught about growing their own food increased their consumption of fruits and vegetables. Growing your vegetables and fruits allows you to consume nutrient-rich food that is yummy along with less carbon affected.

You'll make better food choices.

Gardening may make you joyful.

Gardening is a pleasurable activity. You do not have to become a horticultural expert to have fun and be joyful at home with your kids! Nothing compares to planting a seed and seeing it grow into a mature plant. Taking regular care of your plant makes you proud as it grows. Gardening is genuinely an art form. The fact that the options are essentially unlimited is what makes it so intriguing as a pastime. The more you practice, the more options you’ll want to play with.

Gardening may make you joyful.

Benefits of Gardening for Mental Health

Mental health is quite an important part of today’s world. If you are in the early stages of mental health issues, you can probably fix all of them with something as simple as gardening. The following are some of the benefits of gardening for mental health.

Gardening can assist in easing depression episodes.

The Guardian released an article on mental health that emphasized how “green therapy” is being used effectively to rehabilitate and recover persons suffering from depression. Individuals suffering from depression are typically sad, alone, and without a sense of purpose or direction. Gardening has been demonstrated to increase the production of endorphins, or feel-good hormones. Gardening every day can help you overcome depressive symptoms and work toward building/creating something that makes you joyful.

Gardening can assist in easing depression episodes

A beautiful garden is a fantastic place to relax and unwind.

Gardeners everywhere will agree that nothing compares to a peaceful evening tea in your garden. Making a garden is about more than just the effort; it’s also about the enjoyment you get from it later. When the weather is beautiful, holding a BBQ or a party in the yard is much more fun!

A beautiful garden is a fantastic place to relax and unwind.

Gardening teaches perseverance.

Gardening teaches patience. Plants require a very long period to develop. Observing the growth of your plants teaches you patience. You must return every day to water your plants and check on their progress. You will need to be patient initially to cope with the slow rate at which plants develop. However, as the plant reaches its full height, you will discover that your patience was rewarded!

Gardening teaches patience

A garden environment is ideal for some peaceful thinking.

Sometimes all you need is to empty your thoughts and think things through. Gardening may be a very relaxing hobby. You may ponder over intricate concerns and feelings while slowly working on various areas of your garden. Your garden is also serene, peaceful, and isolated from the outer world, giving you well-deserved ME time!

A garden environment is ideal for some peaceful thinking.

Gardening is an excellent source of vitamin D.

Maintaining your health is crucial, and one of the essential vitamins you require is vitamin D. The body cannot absorb calcium correctly without vitamin D, resulting in brittle bones, osteomalacia, and osteoporosis. You may get vitamin D by spending 15 to 30 minutes outside in the sun every day or by taking a supplement. If you want to engage in a hobby that regulates your health, gardening can naturally help you boost your vitamin D levels.

Gardening is an excellent source of vitamin D.

Now, we will wait as you start your garden hobby today! Gardening not only helps in keeping your place beautiful but also your mind peaceful.

Flowers that look like stars – Adorable star shaped flowers and plant collection 

Flowers that look like stars – Adorable star shaped flowers and plant collection

A garden is the most fascinating place at any time, but when they are in bloom, its attractiveness is further enhanced by the presence of a variety of star shaped flowers. A star shaped flower is the epitome of beauty created by mother nature. Plants with star shaped flowers always complement other blooms, so you never have to worry about them merging in with other plants. They create a floral bed that is aesthetically pleasing and immediately draws attention. You will notice the numerous sweet-smelling star shaped flowers incredibly well in the early evenings.

flowers that look like stars

You can grow a lot of star-shaped flowers in pots and place them on a side window on a study table or patio, so don’t automatically assume you need a huge garden to enjoy them. Imagine having a pothos and just a pot with one of these beauties on the window of your home or office! Well, we call it the most beautiful image to the eyes!

Many of these plants grow to be between 4 inches and 18 inches tall, so you may use smaller or larger pots depending on the amount of space you have available.

star-shaped flowers

They go nicely with flowers that have different forms. Flowers of opposing colors, such as shades of orange and purple, should be planted near together to create a beautiful landscape that genuinely pops. A color combination of comparable colors, such as purple, blue, and pink, will give your garden a more mellow appearance. In this article, you will find different types of star-shaped plants for your garden.

Star Shaped Flowers With Pictures

Here is a collection of star shaped flowers that can make your garden more beautiful! Check out and add them to your next garden shopping list as a nature lover.

White Star Shaped Flower – Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides)

Star Jasmine is a popular climbing plant with small, fragrant white blooms that resemble stars. These vines with star shaped white flowers are evergreen and thrive in both direct sunlight and light shade. It works well to grow star jasmine on a fence, wooden frames, outdoor landscape gardens, or indoor shelter gardens. You can also grow them as a flower-covered ground cover.

White Star Shaped Flower

Stargazer Lily

An Oriental lily called the Stargazer Lily often reaches heights of 3 to 4 feet and has huge, star-shaped blooms in shades of red, pink, and white. These flowers have a little heavy stalks, and each stalk bears 4 to 12 blooms. The best climatic condition for these lovelies is the warm summer climate.

Stargazer lily

Borage (Borago officinalis)

This star flower is an annual herb and flowering plant of the Boraginaceae genus. It is a plant that will self-seed; therefore, it will keep coming back for many years.

Blue flowers are mostly available but if you are in luck you may spot pink blossoms as well. Borage might also provide you with quick financial gain! This is because some research suggests that the starflower oil made from this plant may help cure eczema and decrease arthritis pain.

Borage

Egyptian Star Flower – Pentas (Pentas lanceolata)

Pentas or star flowers, commonly known as an Egyptian star flower or Egyptian Stars, is another plant with flower clusters that resemble stars. It blooms all summer long and is fantastic for luring pollinators to the garden.

Pentas may be cultivated as an annual in temperate climes but as a perennial in hotter, tropical regions. Pentas will thrive inside, provided there is sufficient light, so you may also plant them in pots.

Egyptian Star Flower

Starflower (Trientalis Borealis)

It is a member of the primrose plant family. These white flowers, adorned with 5 to 9 petals each, have a diameter of around 1 cm. Although these star shaped flowers grow in sand and dry soil, these plants prefer moist areas.

These little plants are wonderful and can be easily maintained after establishment.

Starflower plant

Dahlias

They make fantastic flower arrangements toward the end of the summer when other plants are beginning to wither since they bloom for a very long period.

Dahlias will keep blooming until the really cold weather destroys them. Well, a plant with these beauties loves full sun. The growth time for these elegant beauties is usually mid summer. Richly fertilized soil and a sunny, sheltered area are the most essential things that help them grow and thrive. These plants are pretty durable and come in a variety of shapes and shades. Now even accessible are bi- and tri-colored flowers.

Dahlia

Hyacinth Blue Star

If you like flowers shaped like stars, you’ll adore these! These have the most amazing aroma and the most exquisite pale blue blossoms. The Hyacinth Blue Star is perfect for outdoor planting or container gardening. Hyacinths are among the spring blossoming bulbs and bloom early in the season. The most common color is blue, however, this star-shaped flower produces white, yellow, and red blooms as well.

Hyacinth blue star

Bellflowers

They have lovely purple or blue blooms and are long-lasting. They thrive in climates with cold summer temperatures and can range in size from little groundcovers to enormous plants, depending on the type. Bellflowers may be multiplied by cuttings or division.

Bellflower

Woodruff Flowers

The sweet woodruff plant is a creeper plant that is usually used as a land cover. The most common names for these small star shaped flowers are wild baby’s breath, our lady’s lace, and sweet-scented bedstraw. These cute flowers are very easy to grow in a wide variety of soils and water conditions.

woodruff flowers

Hoya

Hoya is a perennial plant with clusters of tiny star-shaped blossoms, sometimes known as the wax plant. In the wild, they usually grow on tree trunks, where they get their nutrients and water from the rain and the environment. The most popular indoor variety of hoya plants, is Hoya carnosa, which has white and pink blossoms, you may grow them as an indoor house plant.

Hoya

Star Tulip

You should expose your star tulip to subfreezing conditions before planting for better bloom. Store them in the refrigerator in warmer climates or in cool, dry places when the temperature dips. Early fall is the best time to plant tulips for a spectacular and the most beautiful spring bloom. Water the bulbs after planting; you won’t need to do so again until spring.

Star Tulip

Bromeliad

The biggest bromeliad, Puya raimondii, may produce flower spikes that can grow as high as 10 meters and reaches a height of 4 meters. For gardening, smaller ones are more usual. They are a low-maintenance plant since they can store their water in the center, where you will find overlapping leaves that hold the water. The leaves can have a variety of forms and colors, from maroon to gold to green, and they can be thorny, soft, tall, broad, flat, or symmetrical.

Bromeliad

Starfish plants

They are up to 10 inches tall, big, star-shaped blooms that come in red or yellow (25 cm wide). If you have this plant in your backyard you have a pungent smell since the blossoms smell like rotting flesh. The rotting smell attracts flies and other pollinating agents in the season.

Starfish plant

Impala lily

The Impala Lily is a succulent evergreen shrub with enormous star-shaped pink, red, or white flowers. These plants have year-round flowers and grow to a height of 6.5 feet (2 meters). Impala lilies are easy to grow, but they also need well-draining soil and minimal watering.

Impala lily

We hope this article added some of the most beautiful star-shaped plants to your garden!

Top 12 plants with spiky leaves

Top 12 plants with spiky leaves

A spiky plant immediately brings to mind images of humid climates and beautiful far-off places. The plants with spiky leaves not only add an aesthetic of tropical lands to your garden but also give an edge to modern space.

Many cacti, palms, succulents, and their other spiky relatives are associated with a paradise island as they only grow in hot, dry climates.

These plants with spiky leaves will add a bit of authentic appeal to your garden. Along with this spiky-leaved plants have long been thought of as the ideal organic version of razor wire, protecting homesteads from invaders or robbers and acting as barriers for animals.

Plants with spiky leaves

In this article, you will find a list of the plants with spiky leaves best suited for your garden.

Plants with spiky leaves-

Agaves are one of the most common plants with spiky leaves

There are various agave varieties, some of which may be grown inside. One of the most popular spiky plants is agave, which has steel blue leaves.

One of its most alluring qualities is its height, which is around 6 feet tall. They have one flower and then die.

Agave flowers can take a long time to mature, but the plant has numerous little plants coming from the base that can replace the dead ones.

Agaves have green or grey leaves with small spikes around them. They require plenty of sunshine and soil that drains fast.

As a result, please make sure that you plant them in the proper area of your landscape, together with some cactus mix and small stones that may provide flavor to it.

Agaves are one of the most common plants with spiky leaves

Aloe Vera, a herbal plant with spiky leaves

Aloe Vera is one of the most popular indoor plants with spiky leaves. Its leaves are usually long and form a vase from the root.

The razor-sharp edges of its leaves, which may easily puncture your fingers, give it its name. Aloe Vera is not only beautiful in gardens and homes, but it is also medicinal.

It is classified as herbal since its spiky leaves contain a gel that may be used to treat wounds and burns, lower blood sugar levels, function as a natural laxative, and relieve heartburn, as well as mouthwash, skincare, and healthy hair treatments, etc.

Aloe Vera, a herbal plant with spiky leaves

Cacti (Barrel Cactus), as the name suggests, is a well-known spiky leaved plant

Cacti are a fantastic addition to your defensive plants. They are low-maintenance houseplants that thrive in dry air and direct sunshine.

Cacti come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but the barrel cactus, often known as “mother-inlaw’s-seat,” is the finest among all. It is made up of two genera: Echinocactus and Ferocactus.

The barrel cactus grows best in a desert like climate; dry, because it demands a lot of light and very little water.

Cacti, as the name suggests, is another plant with spikes

 

Aloe polyphylla

This magnificent spiky specimen is informally known as the spiral aloe, and it’s easy to understand why. It’s a favorite of gardeners all across the world, with five layers of stubby, egg-shaped leaves wrapping into an artistically attractive spiral. The symmetry of this arrangement is exquisite in mature plants.

It may reach half a meter in height and spread twice as wide, and the yellow or purple color on the ends of its leaves adds another dimension of beauty.

Aloe polyphylla

Haworthia (Haworthia attenuata), one of the most beautiful plants with spikes

One of the gorgeous plants with spiky leaves is Haworthia. They are small succulents with spiky closely knitted leaves.

These beautiful plants can only grow to be 3 to 5 inches tall. To put it another way, they’re ideal for workstations or windowsills.

The Haworth plant is tolerant of both direct and indirect sunlight. In addition to adorning your homes and gardens, these plants act as deterrents to burglars and animals and are relatively easy to maintain.

Haworthia one of the most beautiful plants with spikes

Snake Plant with spiky leaves is present in almost every other household

Mother-in- Law’s Tongue is another fun name for this spiky plant. . Snake plant is one of the most tenacious plants you will ever see, and it can live anywhere, even if you have abandoned it, as long as it receives minimal water and sunlight.

It has strappy, spiky green leaves with yellow edges that never die and stay fresh and vibrant as long as they can get a little water and sunlight.

They can also flourish in bright and low-light environments so that they may live in any room of your house.

Snake Plant with spiky leaves is seen in almost every other household

Dragon Tree plant with spiky edges

It is a stunning indoor plant with spiky greenish collection of leaves with scarlet edges.

The dragon tree can survive a wide range of temperatures, although it thrives best in areas with indirect solid sunlight. It’s also a low-maintenance plant that’s ideal for new gardeners.

Dragon Tree plant with spiky edges

Yucca plant with spiky leaves

This eye-catching plant resembles a spiky ball atop a vast trunk, with the potential for several trunks to develop under the right conditions. It may grow to be two meters tall and is a beautiful way to create a massive statement in your environment.

The tree’s leaves are long and pointed, reaching in all directions from the top of the stem’s center sphere.

They’ll be happy as long as they have a sunny location with well-draining soil.

Yucca plant with spiky leaves

Chamaerops humilis

The European fan palm, Chamaerops humilis, is a beautiful choice for creating an exotic focal point in your garden.

It takes up less space than many other bigger plants, seldom exceeding head height, and its abundance of fanned green leaves (up to half a meter in length). It spreads widely sometimes and creates a canopy like structure.

Chamaerops humilis

Phormium Tenax, a colorful plant with spiky leaves

Phormiums are hugely popular perennials for adding a splash of color and an architectural edge to any planting pattern that you have in your garden. They have long evergreen blade-like leaves in various shades. They are ideal for adding life to dull gardens and landscapes in chilly weather.

It has a commendable mixture of greens and pink that creates an extraordinary aesthetic look for your garden. These plants can cope with high salt concentrations in the air, making them ideal for coastal places as well.

Phormium Tenax, a colorful plant with spiky leaves

Eryngium planum ‘Blue Sea Holly”, spiky leave plant

Blue sea holly is a low-maintenance perennial with long flower stems emerging from the grape-like clusters of dark green leaves at its base. Cylindrical flowerheads of a striking blue surround a bract collar of bluish-purple, white, or silver at their head, depending on the precise kind. They grow swiftly and blossom the same year you plant them, and once established, they are incredibly tough and long-lasting.

Eryngium planum 'Blue Sea Holly", spiky leave plant

Opuntia, has not only spiky leaves but also adorable flowers

Opuntia howeyi is among those which have lemon chiffon blossoms and prickly pads. It has scarlet fruits making it more appealing to the eyes, but they may hurt when touched.

It’s pretty compact and doesn’t spread much more than 35cm, making it an excellent choice for little gardens. When they feel scared, these plants release prickly hairs present in its leaves, subsequently attaching themselves to the person, inflicting significant irritation in the process.

It dislikes excess moisture, especially in the winter, so take precautions to keep it dry whenever possible.

Opuntia, has not only spiky leaves but also adorable flowers

We hope this article helped you in adding a chic look to your garden.

Plant Care Schedule – Daily, Weekly Monthly, Quarterly

Plant Care Schedule – Daily, Weekly Monthly, Quarterly

When you love and care for your terrace garden, you attach a well-defined, systematic set of activities and a well-defined routine. In this post, here’s a routine for the fantastic care of your terrace garden which took me years to figure out. A well-defined routine for your garden also helps in efficient time management for other important things in your life.

Daily routine

Don’t be overwhelmed by the activities that you have to do every day in your garden as they are very simple, easy to do, and have many benefits in long term.

Daily 1: Inspection of plant

Daily 2: Removal of old/yellow leaves

You may not find old leaves in your garden every day if you keep removing them. Although they may fall on their own in some time so this activity only has aesthetic value for your garden.

Daily 3: Removal of fallen leaves

Plants especially with smaller leaf sizes may fall and get accumulated on the container surface. While you may think that leaving fallen leaves to decompose may return valuable nutrients to the soil, provides habitat for lots of important and valuable insect species over winter, and acts as a natural mulch. Right? No

Why? Because rotting organic matter produces acid, the excess of which may harm the plant, particularly to the sensitive one. Also, it can become home to ants and other not-so-beneficial insects that may cause a nuisance.

So my suggestion would be to keep a separate pot/bag for collecting fallen leaves as they are a good source of organic matter. You may put them in your home composter if any or use them with waste decomposer solution or you can also use dry leaves as mulch.

Daily 4: Conscious watering

The most obvious one but it can be improved. Remember you don’t have to water every plant every day unless off course you live in a hotter region.

  • Know about your plant’s specific water requirement.
  • Follow the finger rule to check if your plants need watering. Press your finger in the container mix for one inch and if it feels try, your plant may need watering. With time you will know watering needs for specific plants just by looking at them.
  • Always try to water using a watering can with a shower This helps saving water and also helps in spreading it evenly. It also keeps the top surface undisturbed.
  • Water slowly.

Daily 4: De-weeding

Remember your plant has a limited ecosystem and you don’t want weeds to take over so much that your plant has to compete with them for nutrients. Therefore remove weeds when they appear first, especially in rainy reasons. Over some time this activity may not require daily efforts.

Weekly routine

I keep all my labor-intensive gardening tasks for weekends. You can choose any day during the week. I prefer weekends to take a break from my usual work. As much as weekly activities are important for your garden, they are equally beneficial for you as well. Before I talk about garden-related activities, let me show what benefits I get out of my weekly gardening activities:

  • It helps me unwind. In simple terms, it’s relaxing in its way.
  • It’s a digital detox for me as I am away from my phone and computer a majority of the time when I’m working on my garden.
  • It promotes physical activity.

Weekly 1: Neem/Karanj Oil Spray

This one activity has saved me from pests creating havoc on my terrace garden. Behind my house is an empty plot and it becomes a jungle during rains and stays like that till summer. While it is a treat to the eyes to wake up to such greenery but it also attracts a lot of insects, pests, and whatnot.

Every Saturday between 5:30-6:30 pm (depending on sunset) I spray neem oil on all of my plants.

Do this activity religiously and your garden will have very few pest problems.

Weekly 2: Labor-intensive tasks on weekends

If you are already maintaining your garden on daily basis there won’t be many labor-intensive tasks for the weekend. But there are a few that I recommend anyways

  1. 1. Cleaning for garden area: Nothing like taking your garden hose and cleaning the gardening area with a jet spray of water. It makes the place look neat, it prevents deposits of leached potting mix from pots.
  2. Potting and Repotting: As a gardener, you must have experienced the temptation of potting your nursery-bought plants asap. The weekend is the best time to pot your nursery- bought plants because you have more time to prepare, buy supplies and engage in this laborious task.
  3. Adding additives: You should add organic additives at regular intervals and the best days to do are weekends. So whenever you are due for adding your additives, do them on weekends.
  4. Do-it-yourself fertilizers and pesticides: Best time to make your foliar sprays so that you can store them and use.

Weekly 3: Weekly feeding if any

In Secrets Of Feeding Your Plants there are do-it-your-self organic fertilizers and in Organic Pest Control many organic pesticides as well. If you can make those organic fertilizers, then you may set a weekly schedule for its application:

  • Cow dung + Cow urine foliar spray
  • Moringa foliar spray
  • NEEM & WD PESTICIDE/NEEM OIL
  • Masala pesticide

Give at least 3-4 days gap between for feeding & pesticide foliar spray to sure that its uptake by plants. For example

Saturdays: Neem Oil Spray or anyone aforementioned

Tuesdays: Moringa foliar spray or anyone aforementioned

Bi-Weekly routine

Once in every 2 weeks or every 15 days. This is an optional schedule to set so feel free to skip it. However, if you intend to apply any of the following, then you should do them here:

  • Micronutrients foliar spray
  • Liquid manure using kitchen waste
  • Moringa foliar spray

This is also an excellent time to shift some of your weekly tasks for example Moringa foliar spray (if you made one)

Monthly routine

There are few activities which are well suited to do on monthly basis, here’s what you can do:

Monthly 1: seaweed extract spray

Seaweed is considered an excellent all-natural growth booster. When farming it is recommended on/before specific stages like pre- flower, fruiting, etc. to accelerate growth. There is no harm in following this pattern too for your terrace garden. However spraying it on monthly basis will have an added benefit to your plants and that is micronutrients, seaweed extract is an excellent source of micronutrients and therefore I will act as a monthly multi-vitamin dose for your plants. Few things to note when spraying it:

  • Even if the bottle of seaweed extract says 2-3 ml in one-liter water, use 1ml with 1-liter water. I have seen people damaging their plants with excess quantities.
  • Follow the rules of foliar spray as mentioned in 7 commandments of foliar feed.
  • If it is too hot a day, then simply skip it the next day.

Quarterly routine

Container-grown plants need regular feeding and slow-release fertilizers work wonders for them. Potting mix rejuvenation and its recipe. You should add organic additives to your plants at the beginning of the following months:

  • June
  • September
  • Dec (in hotter/tropical regions)
  • Feb-March

Specific feeding requirements for plants and their dormancy is beyond the scope of this book. Therefore keep a note of this:

Don’t feed dormant plants: While you may want to do it for all your container-grown plants, keep in mind that some plants do not need to be fed in their dormancy season which is most likely winter/snow/frost season.

Winter never really comes: If your location does not experience snow or frost you can enjoy a lot of fruits/vegetables/flowers that can be grown in winter season and therefore you may add additives to those plants.