Plants provide us with our nutritional needs; it manufactures its own food, and from there starts all the food chains. It is also a source of fuel, wood, fabrics, and medical and herbal products. Plants also get rid of air pollutants, contributes in removing heavy minerals, and limits noise pollution.
Trees contribute in maintaining ground water, soil stabilization through its roots that combines soil together, and through its leaves that block a huge amount of rain water off the soil to prevent its erosion. Usually, areas without trees due to soil erosion and deposition in streams and lakes; which limits the value of water in it. Trees cool the temperature and add some coolness to the weather; in which the leaves block the strong sun rays.
Through the transpiration process (water evaporation through the pores of the plant), plants cool its surrounding environment; as the transpiration process consumes all the heat, especially in the decreased relative humidity. Individuals might tend to plant a set of trees to prevent winds and the erosion factors from destroying the soil.
Trees, especially the short ones, represent home and shelter to an endless number of animals, birds, and insects. Observing plants and flowers also limits the tension and emotion for those who observe it. Planting some roses, or distributing number of plant containers inside the houses or work places, is enough to add joy and ease anger and tension between people. All that beside its effective role in creating oxygen and getting rid of carbon dioxide.
For all the previously mentioned, and for the many other factors that make plants a necessity of our existence, everyone should not only plant land and spread the green spaces in our cities and houses, it is also necessary to search and explore how to maintain trees and plants, and protect them from pests and insects and epidemics that may lead to sickness or perish.
How can we maintain plants alive and healthy?
Soil is considered one of the most important factors to plant healthy plants; in which plants cannot grow in poor or pollutant soil. Among the necessary factors for a healthy plant, capable of fighting diseases: providing sufficient space for plants and paths for air to run through them in order for the plant to acquire sufficient Sun and grow without overcrowding or fighting over nutrition.
As such, the method of watering plants affects its growth quality and its ability to resist fungi and diseases. Incorrect watering could harm a plant completely or infect it with humidity, which ruins it. It also becomes an easy prey for fungi and epidemics. Therefore, it is recommended to be careful when watering plants, and to collect sufficient information on how to water each plant species. In rainy areas, we should calculate the watering time, so it will not coincide with the raining days, or at least wait until the soil is dry before watering plants. Moreover, protection should be provided to prevent plants from drowning in the case of excess rain.
You might want to watch this video on How to Keep Plants Healthy with Proper Gardening Soil: Garden Savvy
References
balconygardenweb.com
bioadvanced.com
ecowatch.com
finegardening.com
patuxentnursery.com
sciencing.com
Top Image: Photo by form PxHere
This article was first published in print in SCIplanet, Spring 2020 Issue.