I am sure this thought might have crossed your mind several times while fertilizing your plants and unknowingly this could have happened. It’s not your fault. Plants need nutrients to survive and grow and whenever it comes to potted plants they don’t get these nutrients naturally. Soil present on land or in the ground gets replenished with nutrients due to microbial activities, rain water and decomposition of biodegradable compounds as it forms an ecosystem. But this ecosystem is absent in potted plants. So, we need to fertilize them regularly with essential nutrients. Am I over-fertilizing th ..read more

Mosses are pretty hardy crops which grow without any fertilizer. All they need is a little care in the initial period of growth and they will grow perfectly. Here are a few tips for you to cultivate them in your homes. Where to grow? Mosses prefer shade and high humidity. So make sure you keep them in a shady place where plenty of moisture is available. Direct sun may lead to drying out of mosses. Acidic soil with a pH between 5.5 – 7 is best for their development. Transplanting in soil To grow them in soil, first you need to rake up the ground and create shallow thin lanes. The textured soil ..read more

If you have ever walked or hiked through a dense forest especially during monsoon season, you must have seen green mat like structures in the floor of the forest or on trunk of trees. Even while travelling through these jungles we have seen such sites but misinterpreted it as fungus. Well, it’s not fungus but Moss..!! What are mosses? They are small, non – vascular, flowerless plants. Non vascular plants do not have veins for transport of water and food, instead they are absorbed directly through the cells. They appear like dense green mats or clumps and belongs to the group of Bryophyta. They ..read more

Gourds are wonderful plants that can be grown in tropical countries like India. They are easy to cultivate and come in various shapes, sizes, and flavours that are beneficial for us. Let’s learn how to grow these amazing vegetables on our balcony. Materials required Containers – Most of these veggies will flourish well in a 10 – 12 inches deep container. Since they are vines or climber types of plants, the diameter of the container can be kept around 3 to 5 inches to save space. You can choose metal, plastic or clay containers but clay pots are best as they prevent waterlogging conditions fo ..read more

‘Chota packet, bada dhamaka!!’ I am quite sure you must have heard this saying many times in your life. Well, microgreens have proven it true. These little packets of food are definitely a blast of nutrients for you. To put it simply – Microgreens are tiny versions of adult plants that we eat. They are 2 or 3 leaf staged plants that are harvested for consumption. Why should we consume them? We can’t consume seeds of certain pulses like chickpea or green gram so we sprout them in water. This activates the enzymes which synthesize essential nutrients and proteins for the plant which is useful f ..read more

Almost everyone is fascinated by the glorious flower of lotus. It has a sense of royalty that attracts the eyes of every passerby and the colours are mesmerizing at the same time. And having them in your backyard or in your home is going to be super exciting and delightful. Growing this sacred flower can be a little tricky. But once you master the art of growing them, there is no turning back. Let’s learn some simple methods to successfully cultivate lotuses. Planting lotuses with seeds require some attention. Let me tell you a fascinating fact, the seeds of lotus are one of the longest living ..read more

Each one of us is obsessed with different kind of plants and flowers. And why shouldn’t we? After all they are so fascinating, colourful and have so many different variations. One such variation is that plants can grow both on land and in water. What could be better than having some beautiful flowers floating in pond in your Garden? Water lilies are pretty easy to grow and look magnificent and soothing to the eyes. So, let’s learn how to grow them. Location The first and foremost thing to do is to choose where you are going to place these flowers. You can make a small pond in your garden or yo ..read more

There are times when the climate is not in our favour or we have consumed something that made us sick. Similarly our plants can also fall sick due to environmental or nutritional problems. The only difference is that we can speak and ask for help, but our plants don’t have the ability to do that. We need to understand the signs that they are displaying to understand that they are in stress. Let’s have a look at some of the symptoms that suggest that our plants need help. Wilting – When the plants are loosing water more than they can absorb, they start to loose rigidity. The leaves will start ..read more

Mushrooms are becoming increasingly popular in our day to day lives. But did you know that you can use them house plants too!! Boy, wouldn’t that be a beautiful sight? Mesmerizingly beautiful colorful mushrooms in pots!! Kindly note that this post talks about mushrooms for ornamental purposes only. These mushrooms are not meant for consumption. Do not, I repeat, do not ingest or consume any part of these mushrooms. These mushrooms are particularly chosen keeping in mind their beautiful colors and easy to grow ability. What exactly are mushrooms? Mushrooms are actually fungi. Yes, you heard tha ..read more

All of us are very familiar with the fact that plants need nutrients to grow and thrive. Just like us humans our little green friends also need a balanced diet to bloom at their best. Almost each one of us know about the application of NPK and how these 3 elements are life line of the plants. But that’s not the full story. Plants require other nutrients too and the deficiency or even excess can lead to certain dysfunctions in plants. Today I want to talk about other essential elements plants require. According to researchers there are 17 essential nutrients which are required by a plant to com ..read more