Whenever you plant something, you have to take into account what that plant is going to need to do its job. If you provide those things, you can sit back and the plant will do most of the work for you. The basic needs for any plants are sun, good soil, regular watering (by you or nature or both), and nutrients. If you provide these things, the plants will usually stay healthy enough to fight off diseases and infections. They really are like people!
Sun
Most plants, especially ones we grow for food, need at least 6 hours of sunlight per day. Since the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, plants do well in a southern exposure - either on the southern side of your house outside, or indoors in a south facing window. If neither of these options work for you then you can plant on the east or west side with pretty good results. In places that get really hot and sunny, a northern exposure may prolong your crop (I do this with cold-loving veggies like snow peas, cabbage and broccoli that go to seed when it gets too hot).
You can also use grow lights indoors to start and maintain a garden if you don't have space outside. Grow lights look like florescent bulbs but they contain all the spectrum of colors, so they simulate sunlight. I love to grow things indoors in winter but my kitchen gets almost no sun, so I am going to install grow lights under my upper cabinets. Then I can have an indoor herb and flower garden on my counter.
Soil
The better the soil your plants grow in, the better your results. Most plants like a loamy soil. A loamy soil is rich, dark and has lots of broken down organic matter in it (humus). Most top soil is loamy, but unfortunately builders strip new home sites of their top soil before building, so most of us have to add something to our soil to make it ideal for our plants.
First, you have to figure out what kind of soil you have. When it rains at your house, does the ground suck up the water quickly? or does the ground stay muddy forever and seems almost greasy if you touch it? Take some soil and get it wet and squeeze it in your hand. If the soil falls apart, you probably have sandy soil, if it stay in a ball and feels greasy, it is probably more clay. If the ball holds together and then breaks apart when you touch it, you may be lucky and have loamy soil already (there are a few that do! Mostly people living near rivers, on land that used to be the bottom of the river).
If your soil needs improvement (we gardeners say "amendments"), the best thing to add is compost. You can make your own or buy it at the store. Compost is broken down organic matter (humus) that plants need to thrive. It looks like chocolate cake. There are lots of microbes in compost that protect plants from disease, kind of like their vitamins. Compost can be added to either a sandy soil or clayey soil, it fixes both. And you can make it for free from veggie trimmings, cut grass and fallen leaves (nomeat or dairy products, they draw animals).
A great book about this is "Let it Rot!" by Stu Campbell.Let It Rot
If you are just starting out and don't want all of that hassle, you can get topsoil with compost at a garden center. You can also get mushroom compost (what the mushroom factories grow their shrooms in - excellent for plants) from the garden center or by the truckload if you live near a mushroom factory.
If you just want to grow plants in a container, get a soil that is formulated for potted plants, commonly known as potting soil. There are different ones for different needs. More sandy for cacti and other "succulents" like aloe vera.
One more thing about soil, if you are a brave soul, and are starting your own seeds, start them in "jiffy mix", a soilless mix of vermiculite, peat moss and perlite. These are called "seed starting mixes".
Water
Just like people, plants need water. Indoor and potted plants need water a little more frequently than the ones in the garden. If it rains often where you live, you don't usually have to worry about this, you may have trouble with your plants drowning instead. Plants usually need a good weekly watering. It is better to give a long watering once a week than a few short waterings during the week. It is also best to water at the ROOTS not the tops of the plants. You can give your plants all kinds of diseases by watering the leaves. You can also spread disease this way.
So water the bottom of the plants, not the tops. For containers, this is also true, set them in a bucket or other plastic container with water already in it. Let the plant soak up what it wants (cacti only need a good soaking once per month). Then let the plant drain entirely, pot and all, in a sink or outside.
Some plants love humidity, so take them with you into the shower! Yes, I shower with my plants. Don't put them directly in or near the water, they benefit from the steam. So take a nice long hot shower with your plants, once a week or every two weeks, especially for plants that like humidity (roses, most herbs, even tomatoes.).
Nutrients
Fertilizers are not necessary, especially if you are using compost in your soil. I use organic slow release natural fertilizer for plants that need a lot of nutrients, such as tomatoes, the squash family, corn, and other "big growers". For roses, I use Job's natural fertilzer spikes, which you hammer into the ground near each plant. I used these last year when I was very pregnant. Every time it rained, the roses got fertilized and looked beautiful! They even looked better than the year before when I was fertilizing them once a week with fish emulsion, available at your local garden center.
Compost or compost tea (compost soaked in water) is the cheapest way to go if you make it, otherwise, any slow release natural fertilizer is great, put it on and forget about it for a long time.
Weeds
The best way to get rid of weeds and other plants problems is to prevent them. There are some great landscaping "fabrics", mostly black plastic, that block out weeds. You make a hole in them and stick your plant where you want it. Mulch is also great. You can mulch with grass clippings, compost is a wonderful mulch, so is straw (not hay, which has seeds in it). Shredded leaves and newspapers will also work (like nature's forests) but do tend to matte down which can cause problems. Pine needles are good too. Not only does mulching keep weeds down, it also keeps water in, saving money and time. By using compost as mulch, you don't have to fertilize, everytime it rains, the plants automatically get fertilized.
Good Way To Start (for absolute beginners!)
1. Buy transplants (small plants) of what you want to grow instead of starting from seed. The exception would be large seeded easy growers, like sunflowers and squash. Plant some in a corner and watch the fun!
2. Buy a good soil that has everything you need. If you are planting a window box or indoor planter, get potting soil that has compost in it. If planting outside, get a topsoil and compost mix. You may want to plant outside in a raised bed (basically a wooden box that is higher than the rest of the soil. You can put good soil in there and you don't have to till your soil and do anything to it.
3. Put slow release fertilizer into your plant's soil so everytime you water it, it gets it's vitamins.
4. Make sure the plants get watered frequently and aren't left to bake in the sun. Weekly is best. Check to see how much sun your plant needs (Don't put a shade loving plant in the sun with no water. Don't flood cactus in the shade.).
5. Enjoy your plants! Look at them, especially if they are outside. By watching them constantly, you learn to detect what is normal and when your plant needs water or is sick or has been munched on. Kids love to garden and are very observant so include them too.
6. If you have your plants outside, be aware of wildlife that may find them appetizing, including cats, dogs, bunnies, deer and birds. The best protection are raised beds and gardening fence.
Just remember to keep it simple. You don't need lots of gadgets. Plant needs are similar to people and pets.
About the Author:
Kim Tilley is the mother of three boys, ages 8,5 and 1. She is also a tightwad at heart. Her interests include cooking, crafts, gardening, computers, and saving money! When not typing away at the computer, she entertains herself by chasing kids and finding ways to create something out of nothing!
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Whenever you plant something, you have to take into account what that plant is going to need to do its job. If you provide those things, you can sit back and the plant will do most of the work for you. The basic needs for any plants are sun, good soil, regular watering (by you or nature or both), and nutrients. If you provide these things, the plants will usually stay healthy enough to fight off diseases and infections. They really are like people!
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