5. Proper Temperature

The temperature ranges for each type of plant varies, with some plants being able to tolerate a much wider range than others. Knowing which plants need to be brought in each winter will save you from accidentally freezing a prized plant. There are also plants that fall at the other end of the spectrum. Some plants actually grow better in cooler weather.

4. Nutrients

Good quality potting soil or a garden plot with lots of compost and manure added to it can usually supply all the nutrients plants need. However, many types of fertilizers are produced for supplementing soil of poor quality with any type of nutrients it might be lacking.

3. Soil

You might be able to get away with scooping some dirt out of the yard for a particular plant, but some plant types require special soil. Sandy, loamy, or mixtures of both are just a few soil types preferred by some plants. Trying to grow a water-loving plant in well-draining soil might cause you more work than necessary.

2. Sunshine

It’s easy to burn a plant up in a matter of minutes. Sun-sensitive plants need to be watched closely, if you don’t have a shaded area to keep them in at all times. I live in a very sunny location, so I try to stick to plants that love the sun and won’t wither up and die as the afternoon sun peaks up over the hillside.

1. Water

There can be a fine line between too much and too little water with some plants. I’ve had a few in the past that were very touchy about how much moisture they preferred their roots to be in. Plants in containers seem to lose moisture quicker than plants set in the soil, so you’ll need to take this into consideration when planning out a watering schedule.

Making sure you know how much of each of the 5 essentials listed above is needed by your plants is going to make your job much easier. I always find it less stressful to spend some time researching care tips for a specific plant than trying to revive the poor thing after I nearly kill it. How do you keep track of what each of your plants requires for survival or do you wing-it?

Top Photo Credit: Leo Reynolds