World Soil Day (WSD) is held annually on 5 December as a means to focus attention on the importance of healthy soil and advocating for the sustainable management of soil resources.
Theme of the year
“Soil and water, a source of life” is the theme of the World Soil Day 2023.
Our planet’s survival depends on the precious link between soil and water.
Did you know?
“Over 95 percent of our food originates from these two fundamental resources.”
Soil water, vital for nutrient absorption by plants, binds our ecosystems together. This symbiotic relationship is the foundation of our agricultural systems.
However, in the face of climate change and human activity, our soils are being degraded, putting excessive pressure on our water resources.
Erosion disrupts the natural balance, reducing water infiltration and availability for all forms of life.
Sustainable soil management practices, such as
minimum tillage,
crop rotation,
organic matter addition, and
cover cropping,
improve soil health, reduce erosion and pollution, and enhance water infiltration and storage.
These practices also preserve soil biodiversity, improve fertility, and contribute to carbon sequestration, playing a crucial role in the fight against climate change.
The World Soil Day 2023 (WSD) and its campaign aim to raise awareness on the importance and relationship between soil and water in achieving sustainable and resilient agri-food systems.
“WSD is a unique global platform that not only celebrates soils but also empowers and engages citizens around the world to improve soil health.”
World Soil Day 2023: Key Messages:
📌 Soil and water provide the foundation for food production, ecosystems, and human well-being. Recognizing their invaluable roles, we can take proactive measures to safeguard these resources for future generations;
📌 Soil and water are the medium in which plants grow and obtain essential nutrients;
📌 Rainfed agriculture systems account for 80 percent of croplands, contributing to 60 percent of the global food production. These systems rely heavily on effective soil moisture management practices.
📌Irrigated agriculture systems withdraw 70% of the world’s freshwater and account for 20 percent of croplands.
📌 The health of the soil and the quality and availability of water are interconnected;
📌Healthy soils, enriched with organic matter, play a crucial role in regulating water retention and availability;
📌 Improved soil and water management improves the land’s capacity to withstand extreme climate events such as droughts, floods and sand/dust storms;
📌 Healthy soils act as a carbon sink, by sequestering carbon from the atmosphere, thus contributing to both climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts.
In an era where environmental sustainability and personal well-being are paramount.
Organic gardening is a powerful practice with numerous benefits. By prioritizing organic methods and materials, we can create flourishing gardens while preserving the health of our planet and safeguarding our well-being.
Organic gardening offers us an opportunity to be stewards of the earth, cultivating beautiful gardens and a sustainable future for coming generations.
Organic fertilizers lie at the heart of organic gardening.
These fertilizers are derived from natural sources like compost, manure, and plant-based materials and enrich the soil with essential nutrients, fostering the growth of strong and healthy plants.
They also improve soil structure, moisture retention, and microbial activity, creating a balanced ecosystem that supports plant vitality.
Some Organic fertilizers are cow dung compost, vermicompost, kitchen compost, leaf compost, mustard cake, neem cake, groundnut cake, banana peel, onion peel, bio enzymes, seaweed fertilizer, etc.
When it comes to Pest control, organic gardening takes a different approach.
Rather than relying on harmful synthetic pesticides, organic gardeners employ integrated pest management techniques.
These involve promoting beneficial insects, utilizing companion planting, and using organic pest repellents.
“Furthermore, organic gardening practices contribute to the safety and well-being of birds.”
By avoiding chemical pesticides, organic gardening preserves the delicate balance of nature, safeguarding beneficial insects and minimizing harm to pollinators such as bees and butterflies.
This approach promotes biodiversity and creates a harmonious ecosystem within our gardens.
Neem oil, neem leaf water, cinnamon powder, turmeric powder, and garlic paste are some popular and effective organic pesticides.
Synthetic pesticides are likely to cause adverse effects on bird populations, including habitat loss, reduced food sources, and declining reproductive success.
By embracing organic methods, we create safe havens for birds, free from harmful chemicals.
Benefits of Organic Gardening:
Organic gardens provide natural habitats and offer shelter, food sources, and nesting opportunities. Welcoming birds into our gardens helps maintain a balanced ecosystem as they play a crucial role in pollination and insect control.
An additional benefit of organic gardening is its ability to rejuvenate soil health. Using organic matter such as compost and rice husk, organic gardeners enhance soil fertility, structure, and nutrient content.
These practices promote the growth of beneficial microorganisms, earthworms, and other soil-dwelling organisms, creating a thriving soil ecosystem.
Healthy soil, in turn, supports plant growth, improves water retention, prevents erosion, and reduces the need for excessive watering.
Embracing organic gardening practices is not merely a trend but a significant step towards a sustainable and healthier future. We nourish the earth and our plants, creating vibrant and resilient gardens with organic fertilizers.
Let us embrace the importance of organic gardening as a holistic approach to nurturing the earth and our well-being. Through conscious choices and sustainable practices, we can create thriving gardens that contribute to the health of our planet and enhance our connection to nature.
Marigold stands out as a symbol of beauty, auspiciousness, and traditional charm. With its radiant blooms and easy-to-care-for nature, the marigold is a favourite among garden enthusiasts. Let’s explore the general information, care tips, and the numerous benefits of cultivating marigolds in your garden.
Marigolds, scientifically known as Tagetes, come in various species, with the most common being such as
Tagetes erecta (African marigold),
Tagetes erecta
Tagetes patula (French marigold), and
french-marigold
Tagetes tenuifolia (Signet marigold).
Known for their bright and warm colours—shades of yellow, orange, and red—marigolds are a staple in gardens, especially during festivals and auspicious occasions.
Marigolds are renowned for their low-maintenance nature, making them ideal for both seasoned gardeners and beginners. Here are some care tips for nurturing healthy and vibrant marigold plants:
How to Grow and Care for Marigold:
1. Getting Started: Choosing the Right Spot
Marigolds really enjoy sunlight, so when you’re choosing a spot in your garden for them, aim for a place that gets a good amount of sunlight every day.
Ideally, they thrive in spots that receive at least 5 – 6 hours of sunlight daily. So, find a sunny corner in your garden to make your marigolds happy and vibrant!
2. Pot size for Marigold
When choosing a pot for marigolds, consider a size that provides enough space for their roots to spread.
A medium-sized pot with a 08, 10 to 12 inches is generally suitable for growing marigolds. This size allows for proper drainage and gives the plants ample room to grow and flourish.
If you’re planting multiple marigolds in the same container, ensure there’s sufficient spacing between them to promote healthy development.
3. Soil Mixture for Marigold
Marigolds prefer soil that drains well, meaning water does not get stuck around their roots.
It is essential to ensure the soil allows water to pass through easily.
So, when planting marigolds, choose soil that won’t hold onto water, helping to keep them healthy and happy.
4. Watering tips to Marigold
When it comes to watering your marigolds, do it moderately. Let the soil dry out a bit between watering sessions.
Avoid giving them too much water, and let the soil have a chance to dry up a bit before the next watering. This helps keep your marigolds in good shape.
5. Fertilizer tips for Marigold
During the time when your marigolds are growing, go for a balanced, all-purpose fertilizer. This will give them the nutrients they need to thrive.
Additionally, using compost in soil is a great idea—it helps make the soil even better for your marigolds by boosting its fertility. You can use vermicompost, cow dung compost, leaf compost, etc.
So, give your marigolds the good stuff to help them grow strong and vibrant!
6. Pruning tips for Marigold
To keep your marigolds looking their best, here are some pruning tips:
(i)Pinch off the dead flowers regularly.This helps the plant keep producing new blooms, so your marigolds stay colorful and beautiful.
(ii)If you see any leaves that have turned yellow or are dead, go ahead and remove them.This not only makes your marigolds look neat but also keeps the plant healthy.
7. Dealing with pests for your marigolds?
No worries!
While marigolds are pretty good at resisting pests, you might still see some like aphids or mealybugs from time to time. Sometimes, a mild funguscan also show up.
Here’s the trick: Go for natural solutions!
When it comes to keeping pests away from your plants, you can use neem oil or a neem-based pesticide.
Both options work well in controlling pests, and they are considered natural and eco-friendly.
Neem oil is often used as a preventive measure, while neem pesticide can be applied if you notice an infestation. Just follow the instructions on the product, and your plants should stay healthy and pest-free.
So, with these natural remedies, you’ll have those pesky pests under control in no time!
8. Companion Planting
Marigolds make fantastic companions in the garden!
They are like superheroes that help keep away nematodes and some pests from other nearby plants.
Here’s a cool idea:
Plant marigolds right alongside vegetables such as tomatoes and beans and other vegetables.
It is like having a natural pest repellent in your garden.
“The marigolds act as protective friends, making your veggies even happier and healthier.”
Benefits & Uses of Marigolds
The numerous benefits of Growing Marigolds are:
1. Aesthetic Appeal- Marigolds bring a burst of color to gardens, balconies, and public spaces, making everything look more beautiful.
2. Festival Decorations- Marigolds are a staple in festivals and ceremonies, adorning homes, temples, and public spaces during celebrations.
3. Insect Repellent- The distinct scent of marigolds acts as a natural insect repellent,making them an eco-friendly choice for gardens.
4. Medicinal Properties- In traditional medicine, marigold extracts have been used for their anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties.
5. Companion Planting Benefits- By planting marigolds alongside vegetables, you can naturally control pests, reducing the need for chemical pesticides.
6. Cultural Significance- Marigolds hold cultural and religious significance, often used in garlands, offerings, and religious rituals.
Marigolds, with their bright and happy flowers and cultural significance, spread joy in gardens and celebrations throughout world. Whether you are re a seasoned gardener or just starting out, growing marigolds can be a truly rewarding experience. Embrace the enchantment of marigolds, witness their blossoming beauty, and let their lively presence enhance both your garden and cultural festivities.
Fertilizers play a crucial role in boosting plant and crop yields by addressing nutrient deficiencies. Whether in liquid or solid form, fertilizers dissolve quickly in water and provide plants with essential nutrients. They act as a tonic for healthy plant growth. There is a wide variety of fertilizers available, including cow dung fertilizer, neem cake fertilizer, and seaweed solutions, among others.
green algae
Seaweed fertilizer is a highly effective and efficient fertilizer that offers several benefits compared to conventional fertilizers.
it is rich in essential nutrients,
promotes balanced growth,
and results in significant yield increases while rarely showing nutrient deficiencies.
It is undoubtedly one of the best fertilizersthat gardeners should consider using for their gardening needs. After numerous experiments and studies, this article highlights the effectiveness of seaweed fertilizer.
What is a Seaweed Fertilizer?
Seaweeds are seaweed algae that include some species of red, brown, and green algae. Seaweeds are also classified according to use, such as seaweeds of edible, medicinal, fertilizer, filtration, or industrial use.
seaweed algae
As its name suggests, seagrass is a type of grass that grows underwater, also known as submerged aquatic vegetation. It is believed to have existed on Earth for billions of years, since the beginning of time.
People living on the seashore first started using it and later it was used in other places as well. This seaweed sometimes comes to the shore with the water along the seashore and in many places, people collect it from there and dry it and use it in many ways.
Types of Seaweed Fertilizer
1. Liquid fertilizer
It is available in liquid form which needs to be diluted in water before use. It comes in bottle packing.
seaweed liquid fertilizer
2. Granules form
It is also available in granule form in pouches. It can be given directly to the plants or can be diluted in water also.
Advantages of Seaweed fertilizer
1. Organic and effortless fertilizer
It is an organic and effortless fertilizer.
Unlike other fertilizers, this one is a complete and balanced power pack of all the nutrients (like phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, nitrogen, potassium, and all).
2. Safe and non-toxic
Since it is made from marine plants, it is completely safe, and no chemicals are used in making it commercially, so it is safe for all humans and animals and plants, etc.
Using this manure does not harm the environment and we keep getting good-quality fruits and vegetables.
3. Can be given to all the house plants
(i) It can be given to all the houseplants. Be it indoor, outdoor, succulents, or any cutting of the plants.
(ii) For all the common plants likerose, tulsi (holy basil), hibiscus, curry patta, areca palm, snake plant, and many other plants.
hibiscus flower
(iii) For heavy feeder plants or high-level gardening (like rose, litchi, lemon, bitter gourd, and many others), fertilizer with high NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) is required.
lemon plant
Note:
You can give seaweed liquid fertilizer (with compost ) once in 20 days is sufficient.
4. Enhances soil quality
It naturally increases the fertility of the soil manifold by mixing it in the soil.
It increases the organic matter in the soil and activates many types of microorganism which make the soil even more effective.
It accelerates the fertility of soil microbes present in the soil, due to which soil becomes more fertile.
5. Easily absorbed by plants
Seaweed liquid fertilizer is very easily absorbed by plants, so it is also a very effective fertilizer to provide more power to the plants in less time.
The Alginic Acid present in it reduces the surface tension of the water so that the plant easily absorbs the nutrients present in it.
6. No expertise is required
Easy and ready to use available in the market. It can be bought from any nursery, market, or online also.
No expertise is required to use this solution, anyone can use it without any complexity.
7. Gives fruitful results
In many cases fruitful results are noted, plants start growing properly, and plants show flowering and fruiting in a small span only after the use of seaweed solution.
8. Easy to store
Seaweed fertilizer comes in bottle or pouch packing hence it is easy to store also.
It costs somewhere Rs 200-250 for one bottle or pouch. One bottle would run for 4-5 months.
Seaweed granules packet costs somewhere Rs 270 per kg, comparatively it is cheaper than liquid solution bottles.
How to use Seaweed Fertilizer?
1. Dilute the Concentrated Solution
This solution comes in concentrated form.
Make the exact solution as it is written on the bottle (instruction column).
Approximately 3 ml of the solution needed to be diluted in 1 liter of water.
Mix it properly before giving it to the plants.
It can be stored for 8-10 days at normal temperature. If kept for a longer duration, it will smell.
Feed your plants with this solution once in 20 days.
2. Spray Solution for leaves
For leave, a distinct spray solution is made. Dilute 1 ml of solution with 1 liter of water. Fill it in a spray bottle.
Before spraying seaweed solution on leaves, clean the leaves first. There should not be any traces of dust, otherwise, there is no point in giving fertilizer.
Spray it on leaves once every 10 days.
3. Seaweed Granules
Lose the upper layer of soil and add granules to it.
For a 10-12 inch pot add 2 tablespoon granules.
For an 8-inch pot add 1 tablespoon granules.
For a small size pot add half tablespoon granules.
After adding granules, cover it with soil or coco peat and give water properly.
4. Liquid solution can also be made from granules
For spray adds half a tablespoon of granules in 2-liter water.
To make Liquid fertilizer for soil mix 1 tablespoon granules in 3 litre water.
To make the solution, soak granules in water for at least 5 hours.
Do not make it in an airtight container, it might release some gas.
Note:
For cuttings like money plant, monstera, and all, use the spray solution which is prepared for leaves.
Precaution while using Seaweed solution
1.Dilute it properly
Be it seaweed solution or any other fertilizer, always dilute it properly in water before giving it to plants or crops.
Overdose of fertilizer will burn the plants.
Always add 1 or 2 more cups of water which is specified for a particular fertilizer to make a solution.
Deficiency of minerals would be healed by providing fertilizers from the top but excess fertilizer can burn the plant immediately. Hence, less is the mantra here.
2. Give only when the soil is dry
Fertilizer should not be given when the soil is wetbecause if soil is wet then roots would not absorb any minerals from it.
Moreover, roots will start decaying due to excess water.
3. Give till water comes out from the bottom hole
Always give liquid fertilizer till the point it starts coming out from the bottom hole of the pot, it means the fertilizer is reaching the end of the roots.
All the bottom roots are also getting nutrients.
4. Follow the proper schedule
A 15 days gap should be maintainedin the interval of giving any two fertilizers to the plants.
This was all about Seaweed fertilizers. Enjoyed this article on seaweed fertilizer? Share your feedback in the comment section.
