Why is drainage important?
Although plants use their roots to take in water, too much water will lead to root rot, which kills offthe roots and eventually the plant. Surplus water also results in a lack of air flow around the roots, preventing them from absorbing oxygen, which is also imperative for plants to survive.
The importance of proper potting medium
The type of potting soil used in your container plays the most important role in proper drainage. Some mediums retain more water than others, so it’s important to understand how it works and what will work best for your plants.
The science bit
Without being too technical, when you water a pot plant from above, the water drains through the soil and out the bottom of the pot through drainage holes, thanks to gravity. A good potting medium will include water-retaining materials so that some water is held in place for use by the plant’s roots at a later stage. If your potting soil contains very fine particles and a small proportion of air spaces, the water can ‘wick’ upwards by what is called capillary action. When this upward force is greater than the downward gravity, it creates a ‘perched water table’ at the bottom of the pot that doesn’t drain out. The water sits there and causes the pot to become waterlogged – a death sentence for your precious plant.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der June 2022-Ausgabe von The Gardener.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der June 2022-Ausgabe von The Gardener.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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FIRE AND Feathers!
On a dreary winter's day, a screen of fiery and feathery leaves puts up a fight against dullness!
GET THE ladies in!
At this time of year, early-flowering shrubs vie with each other to get the most attention. We say: Trust those with female names for frills and butterflies. They go the extra mile to flower their hearts out.
Vegetable Soups and dumplings
Vegetables make the most delicious soups and classic combinations are always a winner.
Yummy sweet potatoes for your good health
Boiled, baked or braaied, sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are a delicious and healthy winter comfort food. Just a dollop of butter, a little seasoning and you are good to go.
Pretty and functional
If cooking is your main thing, you would probably be more interested in the culinary value of the three herbs and some of their varieties we are describing.
Dried Seedheads & Pods
Autumn and winter are the best times to see what flowers produce the best seedheads that can be left on the plants to feed the birds and bugs and for harvesting for dried arrangements.
SO MANY FACES and so many choices...
Whoever associated a Cotyledon orbiculata (pig's ear) with the ear of a pig obviously did not know about all the varieties and cultivars this species in the genus Cotyledon has.
COLOURFUL Cold Weather WINNERS!
If it comes to a vote, these dependable shrubs will be the top candidates for prime performance in winter and in other seasons...
What makes a garden sustainable?
It is interesting to note that the United Nations defines sustainable development as: “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.
Nurturing NATURE-The Story of Kraal Garden's Transformation
Nestled within Prince Albert's rustic embrace lies a gem that is a testament to the transformative power of human vision and nature's bounty.