You probably learnt these in primary school but often in real-life situation, we struggle with ensuring the right conditions for our plants. The 4 components, namely AIR, WATER, LIGHT and SOIL, are not just one-size-fit-for-all.

Ventilation is KEY.

Plants need to be in a location where there is airflow.

It helps to reduce chances of fungal diseases and pests.

Talk to your plants often for CO2 intake.

Water is critical for germination.

Keep sowed seeds constantly moist.

Watering should be done in the morning or evening; avoid mid-day watering.

Before deciding what plants to grow, it is important to assess the lighting of your gardening space.

Does your garden receive full-day sun, morning or afternoon sun only, or none at all?

Different plants grow best under different lighting conditions.

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Soil is a mix of minerals, organic matter, air, water and organisms which all together support life.

It can be natural or man-made soil.

Different plants need different types of soil for rooting and nutrient-intake.

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Soil meter

This can be used to gauge the moisture of soil and light intensity surrounding your plants.

Water Assessment

Checking Soil Moisture: Touch Method

You can check how moist the soil is by inserting your finger into the soil up to the 2nd joint. If the soil feels dry & no particles remain on your finger, it is dry. Alternatively, you can use the soil meter as shown above to gauge how moist the soil is.

Checking Soil Moisture: Visual Check

Wet soil is usually darker than dry soil, though it is not a very accurate measure depending on the type of soil.

Watering Method: Top-down

This technique is simply watering the exposed soil in the planter from the top.

Watering should be done straight into the soil for root intake as plants drink water through the roots, and not through its leaves!

Avoid watering during hot sunny or mid-day to prevent rapid evaporation of water droplets and leaf burn.

 

Watering Method: Bottom-up

This technique involves placing your potted plant into a tub filled with a few inches of water.

The soil will gradually absorb water through the drainage holes.

It reduces risk of oversaturation.

Light Assessment

Doing a Hand Shadow Test

While checking throughout the course of the day is best, you can make a quick check in the middle of the day using your hand.

Place a sheet of paper in the spot you intend to position your plant and hold your hand about 30 cm above it and observe the shadow.

If your hand casts a sharp, well-defined shadow, it’s a bright-light spot; if the shadow is clearly a hand but a bit fuzzy, it’s medium; and if it’s faint and hard to make out the outline, then it’s low light.

Best Edible Plants to Grow Under Different Light Conditions

Less Light

Leafy green vegetables, such as lettuce, pak choi, kangkong, sweet potato leaves and spinach have low light requirements, and will grow in part shade, dappled sun, or in shaded locations which only receive 3-4 hours of direct sun a day.

Medium Light

Most herbs, especially the aromatic ones with woody stems, need 6-8 hours of full, unobstructed, direct sun each day.

Some herbs can grow in part shade, with less hours of direct sun. They can also tolerate dappled shade, where sunlight is filtered through tree foliage, and isn’t as intense.

More Light

Vegetables which flower and fruit, such as beans, chillies, cucumbers, eggplants, melons, tomatoes well as broccoli and cauliflower, which are the only vegetables that are flowers (the edible parts are referred to as florets). have high light requirements and need a minimum of 6 hours of direct sun (full sun) a day