What kind of plant suits me? Having a plant is Fun!
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Hello dear Reader!
Surely you want to start a garden or have a plant, and do not know where to start, we always have these questions. But which plant do I choose? Is there really a difference between them? Which plant suits me? If you have any of these questions, fine! Here you will find those answers.
If you have not read my introduction to my garden, here is the link for you to read it and see what is going on in my garden:
https://steemit.com/garden/@lewizard/introduccion-a-mi-jardin
Let's get to it!
A plant in many ways resemble people, some need a lot of attention and others not so much. These needs are:
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1.- Sun hours: There are sun plants, shade plants and others are in the middle.
The "standard" for a common plant would be 6 to 8 hours of sun.
But Kevin! What happens if my plant does not receive that amount of sunshine?
Do not worry!. Whatever your situation is and the reason why your plant does not get that many hours of sunshine, what you have to keep in mind is that the plants absorb a wave frequency emitted by the sun, the frequencies are red and the blue ones, that is to say with an incandescent bulb of low consumption would suffice to supply those missing hours of sun and thus your plant will be healthy.
This is the equivalence: 1 hour of natural light from the sun is equivalent to 2 hours of "artificial light".
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2.- Irrigation: This point is one of the most important, there are plants that are watered once a week, others up to twice a day.
If your plant is in the stage of germination or growth stop watering it results in the loss of the plant or a severe damage in its growth.
If the plant is already "large", this point is important but it is not so critical.
What happens to my plant if Idon't water it Kev?
In all cases the same thing happens, it does not matter if your plant is floral, fruit or whatever, it will not bear fruit and if it does, these will be atrophied.
Another important question: At what time do I water my plants?
Very simple, think about the following plants have a cycle, when there is light and when there is no light.
In both processes the water is the mobilizer of the plant, it acquires strength with it, in any case, for me there are only two good moments to do it, in the morning or in the afternoon when the sun is low.
The best time would be very early in the morning, the sun is about to leave, so the plant will have had the opportunity to adsorb the water and is ready for those good sunny hours, plus you have the advantage that the excess moisture will have evaporated and you avoid the fungus themes (Moisture + cold = mushrooms).
If like me you are short of time, in the afternoon it will be fine, even if the plant will absorb the water and have strength for its biological processes, it will also have the opportunity to evaporate the excess water.
NEVER irrigate in full sunlight (Midday), this will burn your plants, also at this time the plant is at full work you would be cutting the rhythm of it.
But Kevin, my plant is exposed to artificial light. What do I do?
It is the same your plant is going to have its light cycle, in this case you should water it a few hours before putting the light on it, or just after removing the light.
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3.-Nutrients: Each plant needs a specific type of nutrient, for example the fruit plants need Calcium and Potassium in greater measure to produce those delicious fruits that we will eat later. On the contrary, ornamental plants need nitrogen to have greener and more beautiful leaves.
There are ways to give these nutrients to your plant: The natural and the artificial.
For me it is exactly the same, but I understand that there are people who prefer totally natural products, or as simple as living a life free of chemicals, that I respect and that is why I present the two options.
The natural form: In our daily life we usually consume vegetables or fruits that naturally have many nutrients, and in particular the "waste" of them also have those nutrients.
So I'll give you an example that I use a lot in my garden, the banana peel.
Yes that same peel that you throw away and do not know what to do with it, has a considerable amount of potassium, you haveto bury this peel wherever you are going to plant your plant, the peel will slowly releases potassium to the earth while it naturally decomposes, and so your plant will benefit from this.
The artificial form: These are products that you can find in your trustedgreenhouse, they are usually pills that you bury or tonics that you spread on the ground. It is very important that you follow the instructions of the manufacturers.
Now an excess of nutrients is not a good thing for the plant so keep a balance and you will have a healthy and spectacular plant.
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4.-Earth: Well the earth is very important, there will grow our little companion.
As we are starting, my recommendation is that you go to your trusted greenhouse and buy or ask for a piece of prepared land. This land has several properties that will be the best for your plant.
Kev, mmmm ... I do not have a trusted greenhouse. And now what?
If you do not have a trusted greenhouse, what you can do is prepare land yourself, my tips are:
- Remove any large or medium stones that are in your land.
- Move the earth a lot, air it, when you feel it spongy you will know that you have it.
- Water that land for several days, you do it every 3 days, this gives the earth a chance to absorb that water and thus it becomes richer.
- Observe well how the earth behaves, if you pour water on it and a mud forms and when it dries it becomes a stone, clearly this earth is not going to serve you, look for land in a park or elsewhere.
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5.-Time / Love / Have fun !: You only need to spend at least 10 minutes a day, try that in those ten minutes you transmit a lot of love to your plant, talk to her, play music, give her a name!
This point of love is something of mine, clearly plants grow without this love, but giving them this love makes having a plant very satisfying. See how that little plant you planted grows into something beautiful.
Being this an introductory post to gardening, for now when you go to your trust greenhpuse, talk to the person who attends you and explain what kind of plant you want, you already know a lot about them! and you will choose a good partner.
Anyway if you are in the city this will be the best way to get a plant especially if you have time to start from scratch.
There is nothing wrong with buying a plant that is already small or medium and starting from that point.
Just remember to choose one that suits you.
Having a plant is not complicated! It is something fun and enriching.
If you have any questions please do it, my motivation is to involve as many people in gardening.
Note: In future post I will go into more detail of everything I explained here in summary, if you are interested in something in particular that you read here let me know, I will do my best to answer your questions.
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