Basic Plant Needs

- understanding that each plant has its own unique requirements as well as special qualities
- plants need sunlight, soil, and water to grow, but you may be a little hazy on the specifics
those specifics vary from plant to plant
- it is not just as simple as sticking a plant in some dirt and watering it every day

Sunlight

- it is important to note that not all sunlight specifications are what you would assume
- plants that are placed in deep shade, rather than in the sun, and thrive there
- make sure that you know how much sun an area gets during a normal day, yes, but there are many other specifics to consider
- Sunlight during the morning, afternoon, or evening can have different effects on a plant, depending on its fragility
- also need to note how much shade an area receives before you plant anything there

Water

- some plants simply cannot survive with too much water!
- when watering a plant, you must also consider the drainage of the area you are watering

Soil

- not all soil is created equal
- areas of land have different nutrient levels, which depend on climate, what other plants have grown in the area, and other extraneous factors
- know what kind of soil you have
- knowing if it is nutrient rich or stripped bare is useful
- the pH balance of the soil is quite important and can either help or hinder the growth of your plants
- The range as it pertains to soil is generally from 4.5 to 9, though the entire scale reaches from 0 to 14. 7
pH your soil is above 7, it is basic
-is below 7, it is acidic
- plants prefer somewhere in the mildly acidic to neutral range
- ascertain the pH of your soil, there is a spell you can use to test the ground
- it will reveal the pH level by producing a colorful mist that rises up to hover above the ground.

Life Span and Cycle

- Lifespan is a delicate topic due to the fact that we often must cut a plant's life short for medicinal or experimental purposes
- a normal plant’s lifespan can range wildly, between mere weeks and five thousand years
- your average annual plant, like pansies or peas, have the shortest lifespans, whereas trees tend to have the longest lifespans
- A plant’s lifespan becomes important when considering the many stages of a plant’s life
- long-lived, the harvesting stage may happen repeatedly, over many years, or may only happen once after a very long wait
- rather short-lived, you must be prepared to repot or harvest it fairly quickly

Growing
- Essentially, we are combining the plant’s life from seed, to sprout, to maturation
- typically ends when the plant grows into what is generally recognizable as a fully-formed plant and is a very exciting time for both you and the plant
- little shoots that you are tending may seem so fragile
- Don’t over-water or disturb the plant in an attempt to get it to grow
- checking in the library that your plant is growing according to schedule
- this stage may be immediately followed by germination or reproduction

Repotting
- Repotting may be required quite often, or not at all
- Naturally, an outdoor plant will not need to be repotted,
- A plant needs to be repotted when it has grown too big for its current container and has stopped growing due to a lack of room
- The plant will enjoy the extra breathing room of a new pot, and this will often boost a plant's growth
- Flesh-eating plants usually double their intake, while Gaviat Roots will eat two-thirds less than before
- All of these factors are very important and not to be taken lightly.

Harvesting
- depending on the plant, harvesting may happen rather frequently
- involves cutting off one piece of a plant for use apart from the original plant
- picking an apple off of a tree is the harvesting of apples.
- like an apple tree or dandelions, harvesting can be as simple as plucking something with your hands
- more finicky or dangerous plants, using your hands (even with dragonhide gloves) may not be an option
- handy spell called the Severing Charm

A Little TLC:
- Similarly, when you set out to take care of a plant, make sure you know how much shade or sun it needs, how often you should water it, and any other special considerations necessary.
- the more care and attention you pay a plant, the less likely you are to have a brittle, dead stalk of dittany on your hands.
- *It's like* if you attempted to go days without feeding your Kneazle, you’d have a fairly irate feline on your hands, as well as two very stern Care of Magical Creatures professors
- applies to plants as well
- checking on your plant at least once a day
- makes sure you never miss a day on its watering schedule
- highly recommend in terms of caring for your plants is singing to them
- have a sort of sense of what is going on around them even if they are not sentient
- hypothesized that singing is beneficial to the growth of plants

- roses enjoy a good love song
- vines thrive on jazz
- trees tend to like older songs
- bushes often like songs that have attitude
- dangerous plants might very well have a preference for something with a bit of humor