From pharmacy to pot: How everyday products can save your potted plants this winter
12:38 PM EST, January 12, 2024
Most plant owners wish for their plants to flourish over time. However, plants can't thrive on their own. Proper care for them extends beyond simply placing them in a sunny position and watering them. It can often necessitate the use of highly effective fertilizer, which doesn't have to be expensive. With a bit of effort and money, you can concoct a homemade plant feeder.
What products are effective for plants?
Rather than frequenting the garden store, try visiting the pharmacy instead. Not only will your wallet thank you, but your plants will too! Pharmacy products offer cost-effective alternatives to expensive, commercial fertilizers. When shopping at the pharmacy, remember to pick up some Epsom salts. Occasionally referred to as English or bitter salt, it’s an essential item for plant care.
Epsom Salt is excellent for plants that have decreased in blooming or are beginning to wilt. Its high magnesium and sulfur content speedily revives plants and enriches the potting soil with essential minerals, vital for the plant's development. To use, simply boil about 0.26 gallons of water, then add 1 teaspoon of Epsom salt once the water has cooled. By watering your plants with this solution at least once per week, you should see improvements.
Can black pills help plants?
If you're thinking of activated charcoal as another remedy for plant care, then you guessed right. Not only beneficial for our digestive health, activated charcoal improves soil quality and protects against pests such as mealybugs and spider mites. It's also a remedy for helping plants recover from overwatering and mold infestations. Crush the tablets and mix them into the top layer of the plant's soil.
Another method involves dissolving activated charcoal tablets in water to create a liquid fertilizer or spray. This treatment proves equally effective and encourages the growth of new buds and leaves. Regular application, about once per week, makes the plants thrive noticeably quicker.
A penny-saving homemade vitamin boost
We're referring to the indispensable Vitamin C, which, similarly to humans, also protects plants. The most effective form for plants is Vitamin C powder or effervescent tablets that easily dissolve in water. A reasonable dosage suggests 1 Vitamin C tablet per approximately 0.26 gallons of water.
The ascorbic acid within the vitamin not only improves plant growth and resistance but also facilitates the process of photosynthesis.