How Do You Pot Vegetables?
December 12, 2022
Use larger pots and containers for transplanting the seedlings. Never use garden soil for transplants because it is too dense and will not grow healthy plants. Use light and airy potting mix of peat moss, vermiculite, and fertilizer. Add good quality compost for additional nutrients.
When the plants are big enough, they begin to flower. If your plants are stressed during this stage, you will not enjoy a productive crop. This stage is crucial because the plants are prone to diseases, weeds, and pests.
Weeds compete with plants for sunlight, nutrients, and water. To prevent the development of weeds, use a mulch of clean straw and compost around plants like tomatoes. Use a hoe to take out large patches of weeds and discourage their growth. If you remove weeds as you see them on an ongoing basis, they'll never get out of control.
While most bugs are friendly and help in the process of pollination, some can be dangerous for the plant's growth. Protect your plants from destructive insects and pests such as caterpillars and spider mites. In case of limited infestation, use soap water to get rid of the insects and pests. If the plants are heavily infected, use insecticidal soap sprays and other pest-control chemicals.
At this stage, the plants are also prone to fungal diseases. To prevent fungal diseases, water the soil and not the foliage. Water the plants during the day so that they dry by evening. It helps in preventing fungal growth. If you are looking for an organic option, apply Neem oil on the leaves to get rid of unnecessary pests.
If there is a danger of frost, cover the plants at night and uncover them during the day to allow pollination.
Pruning plants simply means removing excess foliage, unproductive branches/stems, or dead parts of the plant. Start removing these from the bottom of the plant working your way up. The benefit of pruning your vegetables is that the plant will now focus all its energy in fruit or leaf production.
Climate obviously has a strong effect on a vegetable's flower production. Light is of course one of the most important factors for plant growth and flowering. When a plant grows and blooms in its natural environment, the seasons regulate the length of the day and this regulates the different phases of the plant’s life. When the daylight becomes shorter and from 15 hours of light to 12 hours and then 10 hours, the plant detects this and a hormonal change occurs and the flowering process is started. When your plant grows indoors or in a conditioned room with artificial light, you have to 'tell' the plant itself what season it is by setting the number of hours of light.
Because a plant produces fruits and flowers, it also needs more moisture. It is therefore important to give more water in the flowering phase than in the growth phase. When a plant has too little water in the flowering phase, the plant will take its moisture from fruits! Vegetable plants need sufficient carbon dioxide (C02) available to maintain increased photosynthesis. So, sufficient fresh air is necessary!
When the temperature is higher, your plants' processes will speed up, including the production of fruits and flowers. With a higher temperature, the roots will also warm up, which also causes water absorption of the roots to increase.
This might be hard to believe, but most bugs are your friends. Bees, butterflies, ladybugs and many other bugs help pollinate your plants. Deter destructive insects such as caterpillars and snails by hand picking them. In case of heavy infestation, use insecticide sprays.
Generative growth refers to the development of flowers, fruits, and seeds. Vegetative growth slows down when more energy, water, and nutrients are directed to the growth of generative parts like flowers and fruits. As a part of the natural growth cycle, the plant switches to generative growth under the influence of season, age, and climatic conditions like temperature and light.
In some cases, the transition to generative growth may be due to stress like excessive heat, cold, or drought. The flowering of plants usually happens in this stage. If the plants are stressed during the flowering stage, you will not enjoy a productive crop. Cover the plants in frost and uncover them during the day for pollination. The development of fruits is a part of the reproductive stage. Most plants benefit from extra doses of calcium. Potassium also helps in producing and transporting sugars and starches and helps in developing healthy flowers and fruits.
