Growing your own plants be they for decorative purposes or for some homegrown vegetables is one of life’s greatest pleasures. No matter your walk of life, getting your hands into some soil can be a fantastic way to shed some stress and appreciate the present moment.
It can be a form of meditation, and for those of you reading who’ve never taken the time to grow something from seed, you’re missing out! Plant cultivation is a lot simpler than you might think. Nature does most of the work for you, the trick is in knowing how to assist without doing the opposite.
If you think you’re ready to branch out into the world of plant cultivation, read on! We’ve got you covered!
Plant Cultivation
In essence, plants only require a few things to thrive. Space, sunlight, carbon dioxide, water, and a suitable nutrient rich medium to put roots down in. All the information they need to grow is hidden away in dormant potentiality within the seed.
It’s a magical process and never gets old no matter how many times you watch it happen. First, place a seed to the appropriate depth within a soil medium designed for plants. Sacks of general purpose compost are ubiquitous and easy to find, check your local garden center or even 99-cent store!
A good rule of thumb is to place the seed two to three times its height into the soil. Too shallow and the seed may dry out and perish, too deep and the sprout may never see the light of day. This is a balancing act that you’ll find appears regularly concerning everything to do with growing plants.
Cultivation Tips
You don’t need a greenhouse for healthy plants. If you’ve got space on a windowsill that gets a few hours of direct sunlight during the day, that’s more than enough for most plants to live a happy life. Alternatively, if you want to grow something exotic and particularly beautiful you can buy full-spectrum LED grow lights to give them a helping hand.
One of the most common beginner mistakes when it comes to starting out in the world of plant cultivation is to dote a little too heavily on your green babies. Overwatering is a serious concern and always worse than underwatering. If plants are unable to get sufficient air to their roots, they will simply rot away, causing your beloved new friend to perish.
It’s a similar story when it comes to supplying your plant with all the nutrients it needs. Too much of a good thing is essentially poison, and although it makes sense to want to give your plants everything they need, too much will have the opposite of the intended effect.
Trial and Error
If you’re curious about plant cultivation, don’t hesitate! It’s a process that you’ll learn a great deal from in the attempt. Before you know it your home and garden will be full of life and you’ll wonder how you ever got through the day without the support of your fifteen spider plants.
If this article helped to spur you to grow plants, check out the rest of the blog! Who knows what else you’ll end up doing?
