Why are some gardens lush and heart-stoppingly beautiful while others look as if they are struggling for existence? Gardening is not just about watering your plants but also about understanding their basic needs. And nutrients are one of a plant's basic needs. Let's take a look at what each nutrient does for your plants.
PHOSPHOROUS: Ensures good root formation and speeds up the formation of flowers.
Signs of Deficiency: slow growth - very thin stems, low yield of flowers.
Sources of Phosphorous: Superphosphate, bone meal
POTASH: affects roots and leaves and plays a huge role in facilitating photosynthesis thereby resulting in a healthy and disease resistant plant.
Excess: an excess of Potash can lead to increased water content of the plant and stunt maturity.
Signs of Excess Potash: Curled leaves, lower leaves burn and fall off. If this happens you and add nutrients that contain Phosphorous and Nitrogen and zero Potash.
Sources of Potash: Potassium Sulphate or wood ash.
SUPERPHOSPHATE/BONEMEAL: are good sources of calcium. These improve the texture of the soil and chemically react with the other manure to enhance overall well-being of the plant.
PREPARING YOUR OWN ORGANIC MANURE:
1. Soak 2-3 Kg of cowdung or oil cake in 5 liters of water for 3-4 days.
2. When applying to plants, dilute 1 cup of this solution with 4 cups of water.
Note: the plants should be watered immediately after application.
FOR ROSES:
Use local rose mix. I use Stanes. Alternately, you can make your own rose mix using the following.
- 2 parts urea
- 1 part Potassium Nitrate
- 1 part dihydrogen ammonium phosphate
- 1 part Potassium Phosphate
15 gms of this mixture should be mixed in 5 liters of water and sprayed on the foliage on a sunny day before 9 am. This is done once a week and should be stopped as soon as the buds start opening for this will damage the flowers.
Every year remove 5" of soil from the top layer and replace with new soil mixture.
Never spray chemicals on edible plants from 20 days before harvest time.
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