In the past, when we talked about gardensoon large and exuberant spaces came to mind, composed of several species of plants and which automatically depended on certain skills and a lot of dedication to keep up with the maintenance.
This “stereotype”, however, has changed a lot, with an increasing number of people creating their own gardens in small spacesincluding inside houses and apartments.
For those who still think that taking care of plants is something very complex, the agronomist from forth gardenMarcos Feliciano, explains a basic step-by-step for those who also want to join home gardening:
planting
When we are going to grow plants in vases we immediately remember the earth, but there are two other options that have the same purpose: the substrate and conditioner. However, each product has its own particularity and knowing the difference between them can help when choosing which option is the most suitable:
Common land can be taken from nature, or be of plant origin (when it comes from a composting process of organic materials).
The substrate does not have earth in the composition, it is usually of organic origin, but it can also have mineral material. Its advantage over land is that it does not contain weed seeds and is free from pests or diseases.
The conditioner is an organic material and as its name suggests it is used to “condition”, improve the soil. So if you already have soil in your pots or garden and you want to improve it, this is the best option. When mixed with soil, it makes it looser, helps retain more water and fertilizer.
nurturing
After starting the cultivation, the next step is the maintenance of the plant. For this purpose, the fertilizerswhich are products that serve to nourish the soil, which can originate from organic or mineral. The land or substrate, even those that contain some type of fertilizer, are running out and therefore fertilization is necessary.
A practical example is the jabuticabeira. If it produces well in a pot and you harvest all the fruits and do not fertilize it, over time you will harvest less and less, as you are removing the fruits that contained the nutrients that were absorbed from the earth. With fertilization you return what you took and so the plant remains productive.
In general, fertilization should be done every 30 days and it is important to use fertilizers that offer more nutrients, both “macro” and “micro”.
So, like humans, plants also need food, and for them some of the essential nutrients are: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, boron, copper, molybdenum, zinc, iron and chlorineand the latter is supplied with irrigation water and mineral fertilizers.
defending
Known as household cleaning products for amateur gardening, the “defenders” are products registered by Anvisa and can be safely used on your plants to control pests or diseases.
If your plants are attacked by insects, for example, such as: aphids, caterpillars, mealybugs or others, it is recommended to use Forth Insecticide. In the case of problems with fungus, rust, black spots, white mold, the indication is Forth Fungicide. As for leaf-cutting ants, it is possible to use granulated bait or Forth Formicida kills in the nest (Fipronil), in case it is a “garden ant”.
You can also try natural alternativeslike garlic spray and even beer!