Chumasande MatiwaneHouseplants can be a wonderful addition to any room, but even the low-maintenance varieties need proper care. In addition to watering and sunlight requirements, aerating the soil is crucial for the health of houseplants. To understand why soil aeration is important, it’s essential to know how to aerate effectively.
The importance of soil aeration
When you aerate houseplants, you help the plants absorb the oxygen, water, and nutrients they need to thrive. Aerating the soil in houseplants allows more oxygen to reach the roots. When the roots are healthy, the houseplants can produce flowers. When the supply of oxygen in the potting soil is low, your houseplant’s growth slows down, hindering the process of production.
In their native growing conditions, insects, worms, and other microorganisms aerate the soil around plants. This happens because they crawl in and out of the soil and allow the oxygen to circulate through the roots. When plants are grown indoors, you have to manually aerate the soil. For gardeners to do this, they have to check for signs.
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Signs your soil needs aerating
When your houseplant needs aeration, the plant will show signs in a couple of ways. Some will show signs of wilting, leaves yellowing or browning. Poor soil drainage is another major indicator. If the water sits on the surface of your soil, this means the soil isn’t draining properly. Well-aerated soil allows excess water to drain, preventing root damage. When your houseplants don’t have proper drainage, the roots can begin to rot. The signs will always be there.
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How to aerate your houseplants
Soil aeration doesn’t need any special equipment. You can repurpose items you have around the house. It is also simpler than many may think. You could use sticks, chopsticks or even forks. Just gently insert the sticks into the soil. Gently move them to loosen the topsoil around the plant, creating air pockets. After aerating, water the plant thoroughly at its base and observe the water being absorbed by the houseplant.
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ALSO SEE: HOW TO CULTIVATE WITH CLAY SOIL
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