Plant Health Care Tips: Natural Plant Care Ways to Keep Your Garden Healthy

Posted on January 14th, 2023

Plant Health Care – Plants are a lot like humans: they need constant care and needs that keep them healthy. Even the most low-maintenance plants need some form of natural plant care to keep them alive. If you can prevent disease, pest infestations, and other issues, you can ensure the longevity of your plants’ condition and health. 

In this article, we explore different plant healthcare tips that you can practice in your own green spaces. Here’s how you can maintain your garden through organic plant care tips. 

1. Preventing Plant Diseases with these Plant Health Care tips

Plants can contract diseases from fungal infections, pests, viruses, and weather conditions that can affect humidity and plant health. Here are some ways to prevent disease from developing and spreading around your green spaces.

• Choose Sprouts Over Seedlings: When shopping for additions to your lawn or garden, choosing sprouts over seeds can help you take precautions for what you install into your garden. Check your sprouts’ roots for any signs of infection or rot before planting them in your garden. Rot and infection can spread to other neighboring plants. 

• Buy Disease-resistant Plants: If your garden has a history of recurring diseases, consider replacing your flora with variants that are resistant to issues. For instance, if your plants are occasionally rotting because of the excess moisture and water in your area, install plants that thrive in moist conditions. 

• Do Your Research for Optimal Habitats: Some plants thrive under full sun exposure, while others require shade. When you don’t position your plants in appropriate environments, they’re likely to develop growth issues down the line. 

• Don’t Overcrowd Your Plants: Make sure your plants aren’t competing to get enough water, light, air and soil nutrients. Overcrowding your plants can result in poor air circulation, which can lead to fungal growth and mildew because of the excess moisture. It can also attract pests and lead to disease. 
• Create Well-balanced Soil: Soil that’s rich in nutrients, capable of holding enough water, and also providing good drainage can keep your plants healthy. This should include a combination of organic matter such as fertilizer or compost, healthy microorganisms, and drainage materials like sand and other particles. Poor soil health can help develop fungi, mold, and other disease-carrying pathogens. 

2. Keeping Your Plants Nourished 

Maintaining healthy plants means keeping them nourished through water and healthy soil. Here are some tips to keep them nourished. 

• Be Careful With What You Compost: While things like fallen leaves are safe to compost, not all organic plant matter is safe for your bin. Avoid adding plant debris that’s showing signs of rot or pest infestation. This can spread to the rest of the compost, which can lead to the spreading of disease throughout your garden. 

• Take Pest Control Measures: On top of ruining your plants and eating fruits and vegetables, some pests can spread viruses that affect your plants’ growth and quality. You could use pesticides you can find in hardware stores, but for natural plant care, you can make organic pesticides like your own DIY pesticide spray. For larger pests like snails and slugs, sprinkle diatomaceous earth around your plants.  

• Prune Your Plants: Damaged and diseased parts of your plants can take up nutrients that could be better distributed to other parts of your plants to help them grow. On top of that, it can also lead to rot and disease spreading to other parts. Pruning also promotes growth, but make sure to use proper pruning tools. 

• Remove Dead Plant Matter During the Fall: As much as possible, you should keep a clean garden free of dead plant matter, especially during the fall. By the winter months, the temperature can lead to diseases and decomposition, which can lead to the spreading of diseases on your soil and existing plants. 
• Clean Your Boots: Dirt and soil from other areas could potentially carry diseases, fungi, and other harmful factors that could spread onto your green spaces’ soil. Make sure to wear clean boots when gardening to prevent contaminating your soil with other foreign contaminants. 

3. Watering Your Plants

How much water your plants need can vary. Too little water and your plants can eventually wither and die. Too much, and you could be putting your plants at risk of fungi, bacteria, and mildew. Here’s how to care for your plants when you water them. 

• Check for Signs Before Watering: For potted plants, stick a finger an inch into the soil. If it’s dry, it needs to be watered. You can also spot physical signs like shriveled, dry, and discolored leaves that need additional water. 

• Underwater Your Plants Instead of Overwatering: Dealing with underwatered plants is much easier than dealing with the effects of overwatering. You can notice physical signs on your plants when it’s underwatered, and handling this is a quick fix. Overwatered plants, however, can lead to root rot, which will need to be treated and repotted. 

• Water Your Potted Plants Deeply: Providing a light amount of water will only reach the top roots. This may not provide your plants with a healthy amount of water. To achieve the right amount, slowly water your plant and stop when the water is no longer draining through the soil. 

• Ensure Your Potted Plants Have Drains: Proper drainage gives your plants’ roots more air circulation. Without proper drainage, your roots can be suffocated and can eventually develop rot. 

• Focus on the Roots, Not the Leaves: Focus on watering the soil around your plants, as watering the leaves have little to no effect on your plants’ health. For indoor plants, avoid watering the leaves, especially in areas with poor air circulation. This can lead to rot and spread diseases. 

4. Caring for Indoor Plants

• Avoid Fertilizers Unless Necessary: Too much fertilizer in your soil can increase the nitrogen and salt levels in your soil. This can be enough to damage or kill your plants from oversaturation. Avoid adding fertilizer to your indoor plants unless they’re struggling to grow. 

• Place Your Plants in Rooms With Consistent Temperatures: Plants thrive in consistent temperatures because they eventually learn to adapt to their environment. Avoid placing them in different areas and find a spot where they can stay. Ideally, their spot should not have fluctuating temperatures. 

• Use Your Bathroom to Your Advantage: Your bathroom may be the ideal location for low-light low-maintenance plants. If your bathroom has a small window, it’s a good place to put your plants that need indirect sunlight. The humidity from your shower can also be a good source of water. 

• Replicate Your Plants’ Natural Habitat: Although some indoor plants can survive the typical indoor environment, try to give them an environment that’s similar to what they should receive outdoors. This means the type of soil, humidity, temperature, and sunlight exposure it needs. Doing this can help maximize the lifespan and improve the growth of your plants. 
• Dust Your Plants’ Leaves Regularly: Like other indoor furniture, your plants can collect dust on their leaves. This can make it difficult for them to absorb sunlight. Use a damp cloth to wipe down the leaves of your plants. Make sure there’s enough air circulation around your plants to dry out the moisture. 

5. Repotting Your Plants

This includes transferring seedlings from their starter pot to your garden beds or transferring your potted plants into a bigger pot. Here’s how to go about repotting safely. 

• Don’t Pull At Your Plants: This can cause damage to the stems, roots, and any leaves or flowers that you pull at. Damaged roots will also need to heal before they can absorb water for your plants. Instead, use a trowel or a knife to loosen the soil from the pot, carefully remove the plant, and prune the old roots as necessary. 

• Change the Soil at Least Once a Year: Potted soil will eventually become hard and difficult to hold water and nutrients. At least every 12 to 18 months, remove the plant from your pot and replace the soil with fresh, rich soil. 

• Use a Larger Pot When Necessary: Your plant can sport different signs that it’s outgrowing its current pot. If you see your plant is falling over easily, its growth is slowing down, the soil dries up quickly, or the root is protruding from the bottom of the pot, then you need to repot your plant into a larger pot.
• Choose Planters With Good Drainage Holes: Good drainage provides roots with good air circulation. This keeps your roots healthy and reduces the risk of root rot. Aside from drainage holes, you can also opt for pots made with porous materials like terracotta, which makes it easier for air to pass through and reduce the risk of mold and rot. 

Professional Natural Plant Care with Turf Unlimited

Want a garden that’s healthy all year round? Let the professionals of Turf Unlimited handle the needs of your green spaces. With our professional services, you can watch your lawn, gardens, and other green spaces bloom at their best with a reduced risk of infection. 

Get in touch with us today for a quote on our services.