Bonemeal is fertiliser that is made by drying and crushing animal bones into powder. It contains several nutrients and minerals that benefit plants by improving soil structure and quality. Bone meal is rich in phosphorus, calcium and nitrogen. It contains trace elements like magnesium, iron and zinc. The NPK ratio of bone meal is 3:15:0. Root crops like radishes, potatoes, beetroots and carrots benefit from bone meal. Vegetable flowering plants like tomatoes and peppers also love bone meal. Here is how to use bone meal for plants. How bonemeal benefits your garden: Although bone meal can improve plants’ overall health it should not used in soil that has a pH…

Rooting hormones are used to stimulate root growth on plant cuttings. They prevent fungal and bacterial infection on the plant while promoting root growth on the plant cutting. They can be used for plants that can be propagated by cuttings such as woody shrubs, herbaceous plants and trees.There are commercial rooting hormones and natural rooting hormones. Aloe vera gel is a natural rooting hormone that can be used on your plants. How to use aloe vera as a rooting hormone for your plants.

A plant’s leaves may turn yellow due to a condition called chlorosis where the leaves are unable to make enough chlorophyll to produce a natural green colour. In general, the leaves turn yellow and fall off when the plant gets old. But when a young plant’s leaves start to turn yellow then there may be a problem. Once your plant’s leaves turn yellow they do not turn back to green. Instead they fall off. Reasons why your plant leaves are turning yellow and how you can fix them: 1. Watering When your plants do not get enough water, it starts to turn yellow. Make sure to water the plant well…

Certain flower plants grow best in average soil conditions whereas others need fertile soil to grow well.The main nutrients flowering plants require are nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous. Phosphorus is one of the main nutrients that plants require for producing flowers. You can add either solid or liquid fertilisers to your plants. Solid fertilisers are slow-release fertilisers, but when temperatures get warmer nutrients are absorbed by the plants faster. Liquid fertilisers help plants to absorb nutrients faster. You can make your fertiliser from kitchen waste or other materials. Making your fertiliser means you will save more money and you will recycle biodegradable waste. Organic Fertilisers For Flowers: 1. Banana peel fertiliser…

Eggshells are a rich source of calcium and they can be used as a fertilizer for plants. Other nutrients present in eggshells include potassium, phosphorous and magnesium. Deficiency of calcium causes blossom rot disease in plants. Using eggshells in your garden once a month can help to avoid calcium deficiency. They also help to lower soil acidity and encourage root growth. Eggshells take a long time to decompose, so its best not to add crushed eggshells to your garden. How to use eggshells for plants Powder the eggshells Clean the eggshells in water and dry them well. After they are well dried blend them into a fine powder using a…

When coconut fibres are extracted from coconut husks we get the by-product cocopeat. Cocopeat is used for plants as it helps in water retention, improves aeration and assists in better nutrient uptake. Also, cocopeat has a neutral soil pH and provides resistance against root disease. Cocopeat contains certain levels of nutrients but not enough to support plant growth entirely. To use cocopeat in the garden it has to be mixed with compost. How to use cocopeat bricks in your garden One of the processed products of cocopeat is cocopeat bricks. Cocopeat bricks come in compressed form and they can expand 4 to 5 times their volume when they are soaked…

Certain seedlings don’t look very healthy when they grow. They look a bit leggy and weak. The main reason why these seedlings grow up in such a state is because they do not get enough sunlight. This happens for seeds that are grown indoors or those grown in shady locations. These thin leggy seedlings also lean a bit sideways to search for sunlight. Although these seedlings are leggy in the bottom they are heavy in the top part. This makes them more prone to wobbling or flipping over. You cannot fix leggy seedlings, the best thing to do is to prevent them from becoming even more weak and leggy. A…

Growing vegetables in raised bed gardens has several benefits. Raised beds are easier to work with, have good drainage and you can control the type of soil you put in it. If the soil in your garden is not great for cultivating vegetables then having raised bed gardens is a must. The standard size for a raised bed is 4 feet wide and 8 feet long. Filling raised beds with the right kind of soil, helps veggies to grow well. For filling the raised beds you will need a lot of soil. You can either take topsoil from your backyard where there are no plants or buy soil bags from…

When you have a backyard garden, one of the main things to look out for is that ants, particularly fire ants do not colonise your garden. Having ants in your garden has some benefits but too many of them can cause problems. For instance, fire ants can dig tunnels that aerate the soil. This helps your plants to get nutrients and water. At the same time, fire ants can feed on the tiny seedlings in your vegetable garden. Fire ant bites are very painful and can harm people who have sensitive skin. They can also expand their colonies which can be quite a nuisance. One of the main problems that…

You may have a garden that is properly maintained but rarely snakes can find their way to your gardens. Growing certain plants can help to repel snakes. Plants that repel snakes from your garden: 1. Lemongrass Lemongrass is a herb that belongs to the grass family. The stalks of lemongrass have the scent of lemons which snakes dislike. Planting them in your garden is a good way to repel snakes. Lemongrass is a perennial herb but it is not frost-tolerant. It grows fast when planted in a sunny location and it does not need much maintenance. Besides repelling snakes, lemongrass repels pests like aphids and mealy bugs. 2. Mother-in-laws tongue…