FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE HOUSEPLANTS HEALTH/GROWTH

• Light

• Water 

• Soil management 

• Temperature 

• Humidity

• Nutrients 

Light

Plants will adapt to conditions they’re in. In nature, they mostly grow under canopies of larger leaves. When buying a new plant, we probably have a location to put them. The issue we’ll have is, how much light intensity is reaching the location?. Plants need minimum intensity for survival and maximum for growth. The more light a plant receives, the more water is needed for growth. We mostly question how much light our room gets. The one thing I’ve learned since being a plant parent is, our plants don’t need 24hrs of direct sunlight. There’s pros and cons to extensive light intensity. After a prolonged duration in direct light, except for most flowering plants and fruits, the leaves will scorch and turn brown. This will make you lose leaves and lead you to wondering if you’re over or underwatering. The most common mistake a plant parent/new plant parent makes is to buy a plant impulsively and not care about light. If you’re in a room with not enough light, it’ll be best to invest in grow (artificial) light. They have the right amount of photons for plants rather than just regular light bulbs for human sight. You can’t make your windows bigger but you can help improve their health by adding some artificial light. You have to know, no grow light can ever match or replace sunlight intensity. 

Water 

Let’s try to turn watering from that, “I’m too tired to water or do I need to water this plant right now, into a more positive experience.” The main reason a plant needs water is to get the soil moistened and water it’s root. That’s why you need to check your soil structure before watering. If you’re watering a compacted soil, water wouldn’t be evenly distributed and some parts will be left dry. Your plant will grow but some parts will wilt and turn yellow. It’s best to feel your soil structure before watering so you can decide if you need to repot. It’s better to repot a plant when it’s soil is dry. Depending on the dryness of the soil and the type of plant, you can either just pour water through to moisten the soil or continuously pour water till it soaks up in the pot. This is best for plants with drainage holes in their pots. 

Soil management 

We’ve read about how watering and soil moisture helps keep a root healthy. The soil zone surrounding their roots is where the chemical and biological features of the soil are influenced by the roots, the rhizosphere. Now there’s a lot going down here because this is the heart and soul of your plant. The soil is where a plant finds its nutrients. If a plant is starved for light and watering schedules are on time, excessive moisture will build up in the soil and cause the root to rot. It’s best to always allow your soil to dry before watering. The main properties to consider when mixing a soil is drainage and water retention. Drainage and water retention are achieved by soil components. We could easily just use potting soil for our plant but there’s more components better for our plants' health (roots) than just potting soil. 

Soil components 

• Spaghnum moss 

• Peat moss 

• Perlite 

• Coco coir 

• Bark chips 

• Vermiculite