All outdoor plants require at least 5-6 hours of direct sunlight a day
to remain healthy, retain their colour, fruit and flower. Depending on the type
of plant, remember to place it in an appropriate position where plenty of
sunlight is available.
While watering plants, keep a few things in mind:
·
Check soil for
moisture, if moist watering is not required. If you do expect a hot day ahead
then you could give it a bit of a sprinkle.
·
Make sure the soil is
never left soggy (heavily with water/moisture) for long periods letting it dry between watering. This will prevent
the plants from rotting due to suffocation. Plants like cactus need to be
watered once in a week and placed in full sun
·
The best time to
water plants is in the morning, before the sunlight is at its strongest intensity as
this is the optimum condition for plants to photosynthesize.
·
Make sure to
thoroughly clean plants up to 2 times a week to keep them dust free. Dust
interferes with the breathing of the plants and if not cleaned, plants appear
dull and tend to wilt.
FERTILIZING :
All plants should be fertilized once a month. Make sure they are supplied a
balanced diet of NPK- Nitrogen,
Phosphorous and Potassium or any well-decomposed Organic fertilizer.
For leaf shine and
brightness, a weekly routine of spraying
any Organic Liquid or Soil Fertilizer is advised.
TRIMMING & PRUNING:
Pruning is a horticultural practice that involves the removal of certain
unwanted, diseased, non-reproducing parts of a plant. It is advised according
to a particular plant's growth habit. While pruning, keep the following points
in mind:
· Is it flowering time of the plant in question?
·
If it is, then wait until it is done flowering and then continue to
prune.
·
How much you need to prune will depend on how much you expect it to grow
within a certain period. For example if you decide to drastically prune your bougainvillea,
it will be another 6-10 months before you see in a lush bushy flowering state.
Pruning must be done systematically. A good method is to trim the young,
wild, out of shape branches before you tackle the older, more established ones.
In this way you give the plants a better form as it grows to increase its
overall aesthetic appeal. It is advised that the cutters have sharp blades or
else they could damage the plant creating and open wound susceptible to fungal
and rust diseases.
