Understanding when fertilizing a plant is not always so intuitive. Sometimes we trust a date on the calendar, others follow advice on the fly heard by someone, but the truth is that each plant communicates in its own way. And it does so in silence, with tiny details: a color that changes, a bud that does not open, a growth that is suddenly blocked.
Fucking at the right time is not just a matter of nourishing it: it is a way to accompany it, as it would do with someone who needs a small encouragement to start again. There are plants that seem asleep for weeks, firm, in silence … and then, suddenly, boom: they bloom with a force that leaves you speechless. It is not magic. Often it is only a matter of grasping that tiny detail, that almost imperceptible signal that asked for help.
It often happens to hear phrases like “I follow the calendar of fertilizations” or “I always use the same scheme”. But is this really enough? Sometimes, two plants put next to each other, in the same identical vase, react completely differently. One grows happy, the other seems to say: “No, today I don’t feel like”. Maybe because it needs something different, or maybe because the right time is another. Just stop for a moment, really observe, and those signs become visible. Even now, right now, while you look at that plant that hasn’t moved for weeks, you may have already caught one of these 5 key signals.
When fertilizing a plant: pale leaves or discolored as alarm bell
A happy plant says it with the leaves. If they start losing color, they become pale or yellowish, it means that something is missing. Often it is the nitrogen that is scarce, and without him it is as if the plant went to economy, trying to save energy.
There is no need to be alarmed immediately: of autumn a few leaves that falls is completely normal. But if we are in spring or summer and the younger leaves begin to disclose, it is a clear invitation to act. A little liquid fertilizer, perhaps light and immediately assimilable, can give them to be vitality in a few days.
Slowed or absent growth: silent but clear signal
There is light, there is warmth, yet … nothing. No new leaflet, no sign of movement. The plant seems to be on pause. Usually it happens when something is missing under the ground: phosphorus o potassiumfundamental for roots and flowers.
It is worth stopping for a moment and observing:
- Does water flow out well or stagnates in the pot?
- Is there enough light or has it ended in a too shady corner?
- Is the fertilizer you use suitable for the phase in which the plant is located?
It is not enough: a small movement, a different fertilizer, and the plant starts to grow as if nothing had happened.
When fertilizing a plant to encourage flowering: if the buds do not arrive
Wait weeks and weeks and then … nothing. The buds do not show themselves, or form and disappear. It can be discouraging. In reality, behind it there is often a deficiency of potassiumthe mineral that helps flourish in a healthy and abundant way.
With a fertilizer designed for flower plants, perhaps enriched with iron and magnesium, the course of the season can be changed. A pair of well -made applications are enough, and something moves. When those flowers finally open, everything takes another flavor.
Improved soil: when the substrate can’t take it anymore
The ground may always seem the same, but it is not. Over time he loses everything he had to offer. The water, day after day, takes away the nutrients. And the plant remains there, a little dull, like those who live on memories.
If the soil is compact, gray, and drys out in a moment, it is a sign that it has no more energy. What to do?
- Smuovilo a little gently, how to do it with a dough
- Add fresh compost or humus: you need life
- A light and regular fertilization begins every two weeks
A living ground changes everything. It makes the roots breathe, stimulates growth. It is the basis on which everything else is built.
Roots on the surface or in the sauces: a sign that seek fertilizers
When the roots show themselves, it is because they no longer find what you need where they are. They overlook the soil, or come out of the holes under the vase. It is their way to say: “We need space, resources are needed”.
It does not mean that you must immediately change the vase, but something must be done. A delicate, well dosed fertilizer can support this phase without stressing the plant too much. It is necessary to measure: too much fertilizer, all at once, risks burning the roots.
Plants don’t speak, at least not as you think. But they send signals. Sometimes clear, sometimes thinner. Recognize them requires a little training, but then it becomes natural.
And something beautiful happens: we realize that taking care of a plant is much more than a practical gesture. It is a form of listening.
Photo © Stock.adobe
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