Flowers are the jewels of gardens

Flowers are the jewels of gardens. Lets get to know some tips on how to get more jewels in your garden.

Although all plants are different and have different requirements in terms of water, sunlight and soil but a general discussion of factors which affect the flowering is given below.

1.SOIL: Use fresh soil which is rich in organic matter. Keep adding compost in soil to makeup for the lost micro/macro nutrients specially after dormancy period /during the growing period.

1. FERTILIZER: Balanced fertilization of soil will encourage more blooms.
   Phosphorus is needed for flowering, so NPK 15-30-15 with double the strength of Phosphorus can be used in growing season.
   Other than that organic fertilizers like banana peel water can also be given once in a month.

2. SUNLIGHT : Flowering plants require at least 6 hours of daily sunlight. However it depends on plant type whether it is shade /sun loving.

3. WATERING : A moderate watering schedule should be adopted as underwatering and overwatering both can be a cause of less flowers.
   However for certain plant types, keeping the plants thirsty (e.g. Bougainvillea, Alamanda, Morning glory, Jatropha etc) will produce more flowers.

4. DEADHEADING: Pinching of flowers when they are spent is also a factor which encourages more flowers.

5. PRUNING: Pruning should be done after the dormancy period ends. Also remove the dead and dried leaves which will save plants energy.

6. SOIL pH: Some plants which are acid loving will prefer acidic soil e.g hibiscus, jasmine, vincas etc
   To make soil acidic mix 2tsp of vinegar in a cup of water and pour in soil away from the main stem.

7. PESTS: It is one of the most important factor which prevents plants from flowering. To keep pests away do weekly organic spray.