Plants are living organisms — it can be easy to forget this when you compare the care and keeping of a plant, to, say, the care and keeping of a pet. But many people dedicate a lot of time and effort into growing plants. This could be for a number of reasons. Some just like the look of a beautiful flower garden; others like to grow plants in order to keep their own fruits and vegetables. Plants can contribute to a healthier lifestyle in numerous ways. They’re obviously environmentally friendly, and support a healthy oxygen supply that can be especially great for retirees who like to garden. Plants have also been grown for scientific purposes. Breakthroughs in everything from cloning to genetic splicing have been made through plants. Whether you’re keeping plants for simple or complicated purposes, however, they need to be kept healthy. Plant health is more complicated than it may initially seem. This is especially true in recent years, as plants tend to be exposed to a less health environment than they once were. Just like humans and animals, plants can be at risk of weakening due to a lack of nutrients, and they can also catch diseases. Pests are also a major issue when it comes to plant health; but at the same time, some of the treatments used to keep pests away from plants can be harmful to plants, and in the case of fruits and vegetables, harmful to those who might eat them. This is why many are looking into new techniques to foster plant health and make their plants grow stronger.
Hydroponic Lighting Systems: Creating An Environment For Your Plants
Lots of gardeners still aren’t aware of the benefits of hydroponic systems, or even what they are. Essentially, hydroponic systems allow plants to have more access to oxygen. This encourages their health and growth in a natural way, and is a great alternative to using fertilizers that can ultimately do more harm than good in the long term. One classic type of hydroponic system is the Ebb and Flow system. Not only is it easy to handle yourself — it can also accommodate potted plants of any size. These plants are usually arranged on a drain table, which is filled with two to three inches of water and nutrient solution that is pumped into the drain table. Of course, plants grown with this system require a slightly different environment from that of traditional plants. To increase your plant health, have it exposed to direct sunlight or heavy lamplight for at least eight to 10 hours per day. Ultimately, however, hydroponics can increase plant growth by up to 50% compared to a traditional plant, and increase the plant’s overall yield.
Pruning: Cutting Back Without Stopping Growth
Understandably, many plant owners are a bit nervous about using pruning snips with their plants. But ultimately, pruning a plant can be extremely beneficial to its overall health. The thing about pruning is that it prevents a plant from becoming overgrown. An overgrown plant needs more water, and ultimately it can be difficult to water that kind of plant to the extent that it needs. This means that the plant starts dying at certain points, and ultimately ends up suffering in terms of quality and yield. Pruning can mean cutting back the dead parts of a plant — but ideally, in many cases you should be more proactive and cut back parts of a plant before they start to die. This actually encourages growth.
Pest Control: Avoid Chemicals
The thing about pest control when it comes to plants is that it can be easy to rely on chemical-based pesticides — perhaps too easy. The issue with these types of pesticides is that they can ultimately negatively affect your own health if you eat your plants, and even if you don’t, they can affect the plant’s health. Therefore, it’s best to stick with organic pesticides whenever possible — they’re just as affective, but without the problems.
