Know what is wrong with your soil

Many of us bring plants from our local Nursery but fail to grow them healthy and bushy as we do not understand what exactly the problem is and what went wrong. Do you ever realize why your plants die after 5 to 6 months? Do you know what is the best potting soil for your plants, seedlings, and succulents? 

If you love gardening and planting various kinds of plants in your lawn or garden, you absolutely must know about the soil that is best for your plants. In this blog, we shall be discussing Clay soil and its properties, why it is important to choose the right potting mixture, and how you can choose it. 

What is Clay Soil? 

Clay soil is the normal nutrient-rich available soil on the grounds that has very fine particles. Nursery people generally grow plants in clay soil due to cost-cutting, but they know how to care for them. We when generally bring these plants to our house, kill them after 5 to 6 months. Do you know why?? Do you know why clay soil is not so good for your plants??

Properties of Clay Soil: 

• Fine particles: Clay soil has very fine particles that stick to each other when given water, which causes suffocation of roots if not properly cared. 
• Drainage: Clay soil does not allow water to pass through easily, due to which water-logging happen and ultimately root rot kill the plants. 
• Soil hardening: When not water continuously the soil becomes very hard like a rock. Plants with tender roots might die in this hard soil. 
• No aeration: Clay soil particles are too fine which does not allow air to pass through and all plants need proper airflow to grow well. 
• Ability to hold salts: Holding nutrients is fine, but holding salts for the long run might kill the plant.

But that does not mean clay soil is bad and we cannot grow plants in it. Clay soil works for some plants but not for all the plants. Proper loamy soil is what needed for plants to grow healthy. 

Best/Universal potting soil for all plants: 

35% Clay Soil + 30% Sand/Cocopeat + 30% Compost + 5% (Leaf Mold/ NeemCake/ Bone meal/ Fertilizer). This potting mixture is suitable for all types of indoor and outdoor plants, but not succulents. This mixture gives a structure to your plants with all qualities like aeration, drainage, nutrients holding and releasing capacity, no soil hardening,  etc.

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What is Cocopeat??

Cocopeat is a natural fiber made out of coconut husks. It is made after a long process of putting coconut husks in water for months, shredding them, and compressing them into bricks that you see in the market. It is a 100% natural and organic growing medium. Loose coco peat is often referred to as Coco soil. 

Properties of Coco soil: 

• Coco soil is a highly porous medium, which allows air to pass through easily and help plants to grow better. But that does not mean it can be used as the sole medium of potting soil as it may not give a proper structure to your plants. It is always recommended to use it with sand and compost. 
• Coco soil is a well-drained medium, absorbs water well, and helps the plant to have strong roots. Due to its water absorption property, one does not have to worry about watering plants daily. 
• Coco soil is light, easy to handle, and can even be reused for up to 4 years. Mostly recommended for terrace gardening. 
• The physical and biochemical properties of Coco soil make it resistant to bacterial and fungal growth. 
• It has a pH of 5.2 to 6.8 which is neutral to slightly acidic. This makes it great to be mixed with alkaline garden soil. 
• Coco soil can store and release nutrients to plants for extended periods of time. 
• Coco soil is available easily online and offline at an affordable price. 

Where to use Coco Soil? 

• Potting mixture with added Coco soil is suitable for indoor plants, cacti and succulents, dish gardens, terrariums, and hanging baskets. But in all the mixture proportion of cocopeat is different.
• Coco soil is a fantastic sowing medium. It is used to sow the seeds of vegetables and seasonal flowers in seedling trays.
• Coco soil is a perfect rooting medium. Stem cuttings are inserted in the Coco soil for root induction.
• Coco soil is very good for soilless gardening and hydroponic farming.

How to make good Coco soil at home? 

• Easy: Buy Coco peat brick online or offline. Place it into a bucket or tub, pour water slowly on the brick. Generally, it absorbs water 4 to5 times its original size. After 3 to 4 hours the entire brick will swell up to 4 times its original size. Drain out the excess water, and you will get ready to use soft, fluffy, and light Coco soil.
• Hard: Take out the coconut husk from coconut, and put it in water for one week. After one week beat the husk a little and cut it into pieces. Take these pieces and grind them in a jar. Remove the extra husk which you are not able to grind (can be used as a base layer when potting plants). The rest portion is your Coco soil. Put it in the Sun for 2 to 3 days before use. 

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Indoor Plant Series Part 3 - All about Money Plant

"Gardening is how I relax. It’s another form of creating and playing with colors." –Oscar de la Rentawn

Money plants (Pothos) are evergreen climbers that can grow up to 20 m high, requiring no extensive care. They are very easy to grow, both in soil and water-filled bottles, jars, and any container. Money plant care is quite easy and needs no expertise. The money plant can be grown as an indoor or outdoor plant without any special care.

About this Plant: Money plant is one such low-maintenance plant whose scientific name is Epipremnum Aureum. From sunlight to water requirement – the money plant is a low maintenance fuss-free plant, but that doesn’t mean, it doesn’t require any care at all. According to the NASA Clean Air Study money plant is listed as one of the top 10 air-filtering plants as it kills the harmful toxins present in the atmosphere. It is also considered a symbol of good luck and prosperity. There is a belief that it brings wealth and abundance to the house, so mostly the householders grow them at home indoors.

Types: Mainly there are two categories, one with green and other with golden leaves.

Height: A well-cared money plant can grow up to a height of 12 feet. If average care is given to this plant, then, also it will reach up to 7 feet in height approximately.

Benefits to keep: One of the most interesting things about money plant is that it is effective in attracting wealth and enhancing good luck. Also, it is a NASA recommended air purifier plant.

Sunlight: It likes bright (indirect) light and suggested to keep indoors, however, thrives in low light as well. Too much sunlight will burn the leaves and too little will end up in wilting of leaves.

Water: Watering a money plant once in 7 or 10 days is perfect for the summer season because the soil also needs to dry up between two watering sessions. But again, the gap cannot extend so long that the soil starts to crack up. Therefore, one can touch the topsoil and feel the dryness and decide when to water again. Under-watering would still be okay, but over-watering can be detrimental to its growth, there shouldn’t be water clogging.

Temperature: Home temperatures between 15°C to 28°C are fine, greater may burn the leaves.

Potting soil: Well-drained soil with a mixture of soil, sand/coco-peat, and compost is what it requires. Sand allows brilliant aeration and drainage to plants and thus the plant will prosper well.

Humidity: Money plant loves humidity. You can mist plant leaves once a week in summer when the air is dry.

Fertilizer: Once a month give them homemade fertilizer of tea leaves/ coffee grounds or eggshells.

Pest Attack: Mostly this plant is pest resistant, but sometimes mealybugs and spider mites might attack, just spray a Dettol diluted solution or Neem oil.

Re-potting: A too big or too small planter can impact the growth of the plant. Generally, a planter the same size as the plant is recommended. If pruned well one needs to re-pot them in a year or so.

Propagation: Money plant is very easy to propagate and can be easily grown from a cutting. It can be grown in both water and soil. Select a healthy branch and make a cut at a 45-degree angle at the bottom of a node (where the leaf emerges) and place it in water or soil. Generally, the roots take 20 to 30 days to come.

Some Common Problems: 

• Root rot: It is the biggest killer, but it can be avoided by watering properly, and not keeping the soil soggy. 
• Drooping of the leaves: If all the leaves are drooping it is a water-related problem, the plant is getting too much water. If only some leaves are drooping, then it is a light related problem, as only some portion of the plant is getting light. 
• Dry Brown tips: Dry air is the cause. Mist of leaves once a week on both sides is good. 
• Spots on leaves: Sometimes you see dark spots or patches on the plant, those are due to fungal infection to plants. 
• Yellow leaves: Hard water, salt accumulation in the plant so the leaves turn yellow. One can use RO water or filtered water. 
• Decreased Variegation of leaves: Lack of sunlight. Transfer in a bit more bright indirect light.

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