A new study revealed that 35% of American households are directly involved in gardening or some tree care activities. However, not many can dedicate much time to follow through with all the needed plant care steps. Due to the lack of maintenance, some people observe stunted growth in their plants or gardens in general. Are your trees not growing as well as you’d like them to? This stunted growth could be an indicator of an underlying issue. However, here are some ways to deal with it and help your plants thrive.
1. Treat nutrient deficiencies
Every living thing requires some nutrients to be healthy, without which they can have some problems. Plants need essentials such as water, adequate sunlight, and fertilizers to grow. Additionally, nutrients such as magnesium, potassium, nitrogen, etc., are vital. Inadequate supply of one or a combination of these can cause plants to become stunted. Usually, you can determine stunted growth by the plant’s structure, unusual discoloration of leaves, or deformation in roots or stems.
Before you treat the condition, you can either get a professional with experience in tree health care or read about fertilizer applications. It’s worth knowing that not every type of fertilizer is appropriate for the plants you may have, while others don’t need them at all. For example, if you have gardenias, blueberry, or rhododendron plants, you’ll be causing more harm by applying fertilizer to them. Additionally, it helps to know the right amounts to use at every point.
2. Treat pests and diseases
Pests and diseases deprive plants of essential nutrients critical to their growth and survival, as they compete for the very things that plants need to flourish. When pests invade your garden, they’ll harm your plants and damage the environment they need to thrive, just like plant diseases. To deal effectively with plant diseases, you first need to identify the causative agent, whether bacterial, fungal, or caused by a virus. Doing this will help you address the problem from the root and avoid using the wrong pesticide. Suppose you discovered that mealybug infestation is responsible for your plant’s stunted growth. In that case, rubbing alcohol, insecticidal soap, or neem oil are excellent choices; you can’t use a fungicide for a mealybug infestation.
3. Know the environmental factors
It would help if you knew the condition of your soil and whether it has the proper pH levels for your plant type. Additionally, if the soil is too soggy for a plant that doesn’t require too much moisture, it can result in stunted growth. If you have plants that require little sunlight but are out in the open and at the mercy of heat, that could damage them. Better yet, it’s advisable not to plant trees that need sunlight in the shade. It’s essential to know all the required environmental factors to enable your plants to flourish.
Plants thrive under different conditions, and you need to have an idea of these requirements to avoid them getting damaged. Remember that stunted growth is an indication of a more significant plant health problem. In your efforts to resolve the issue, keep in mind that too much fertilizer application can also restrict plant growth.
