It can be devastating for any nature lover to find their garden dying and wilting away. Unfortunately, even though outdoor plants are hardier than indoor ones, they can still suffer to thrive for various reasons. Pests and diseases, poor soil quality, extremely cold weather, waterlogging, dehydration, incorrect planting techniques, and even extreme heat.
Keeping an outdoor garden thriving can be as tricky as nurturing an indoor garden. So, if you're wondering how you can bring your dying outdoor plants back to life, here are a few effective yet simple tips.
Note: Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means I receive a commission if you click a link and then make a purchase.
Keep Soil Healthy
Soil is much more than merely dirt where plants can grow; it is a living ecosystem that consists of living organisms linked to nutrient cycles. A teaspoon of soil homes billions of living microorganisms, from fungi, bacteria, and nematodes to insects and earthworms. Each of these organisms plays a critical role in keeping soil healthy.
With this, if your outdoor plants are dying, you can submit a soil test sample to a soil testing lab, where the texture, pH, organic matter, and nutrient properties are determined. Thereafter, you can add more organic matter, keep soil covered, improve drainage, and minimize chemical use to improve soil health.
Use Pest And Disease Prevention Products
Pest and disease prevention products like anti-insect screens, micromesh tunnels, pest repellents, and plant disease protection products are essential items to protect and revive dying outdoor plants.
While anti-insect screens and mesh products will help keep pests out, disease protection products will help treat infected plants while preventing the spread of the particular disease in concern.
Get Frost Protection Blankets
If your outdoor plants never seem to survive the winter, it's probably that your plants are unable to thrive in cold conditions. Instead of replanting the same plants every spring and watching them wilt over the year, choose winter-hardy plants and invest in a few frost protection blankets for extreme cold weather.
These blankets provide a layer of protection to regulate moisture, control temperature, and, of course, prevent frost.
Follow An Appropriate Watering And Fertilizing Schedule
While it's wise to give outdoor plants ample water during summer dry spells, it's best to restrict water during winter to prevent overwatering during the plant's dormant period. At the same time, never fertilize plants in winter or summer; late fall and spring are the only suitable times to fertilize outdoor plants.
Offering too much fertilizer can burn plants, cause nutrient imbalance and root damage, impact pH levels, and even increase susceptibility to pests and diseases.
Quarantine New Plants
When you notice any plants dying in your yard, it's best to avoid heading to the nursery right away for a replacement; you might be spreading a plant disease or replanting in unhealthy soil. Be sure to quarantine any new additions to treat affected plants without harming new ones.
Plant diseases and pests can spread quickly, which is why proper planting techniques are also important. You must allow enough space between each plant for optimal growth and overall health. Moreover, avoid planting too deep or shallow in the soil, as this can also harm the health of your plants.
Prune And Trim Plants
In some cases, the best way to treat dying plants is to remove damaged leaves and stems that are draining the plant of energy while the disease area slowly takes over the plant entirely. By cutting off afflicted areas, you can stop the spread and treat the plant. However, it's important to trim and prune plants properly with clean gardening sheers.
Trimming and pruning plants is an essential effort to keep plants healthy and thriving. With that said, be sure to dispose of any diseased plant trimmings properly to prevent spreading the problem to your healthy plants.
Remove Weeds Often
If weeds are slowly overtaking your garden, your plants won't have a chance of thriving at all. Weeds will drain nutrients from the soil and make it impossible for other plants to grow at all. For this reason, it's essential to pull weeds often and use weed-repellent solutions. Using mulch, pulling weeds by hand, using landscaping fabric, and regular inspections are all essential measures for a weed-free garden.
Whether your outdoor plants are dying from weed overgrowth, plant diseases, pest infestations, extreme cold, or unhealthy soil, there are steps you can take to revive your dying plants and prevent further garden damage. While there are cases where you will need to isolate and uproot dying plants, more often than not, you can bring plants back to life with the right care and helpful products.
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