How to maintain and take good care of scented plants and flowers?

Like all plants scented plants and flowers require care for them to reward you with wonderful sweet aroma and fragrances.

Careful plant selection

When selecting a plant, you must consider the actual plant itself and whether you can provide it with conditions for it to fully flourish. Check whether you have sufficient space to place the plant. When purchasing scented plants : check:

  • The health of the plant. It should be strong

  • The shape of the plant it should be well balanced and should not be bent or have broken branches and twigs

  • The compost should be weed and fungal infection free. It must not be too hard, nor should it be too moist

  • The rootstock should have numerous well-developed white roots

  • Leaves must be green at all times, while young shoots must be pale green

  • Ensure that the leaves are not damaged and do not have pests.

Watering is crucial

The scented plants need to be irrigated regularly, depending on the particular species. Some might require watering after a few days, a week or every fortnight. The right type of water must also be used s some scented plants are reluctant to flower when irrigated with lime water. Contact the local authorities and find out how hard the water is. Water that has less than 75mg per liter of calcium carbonate is soft while 76-150 is moderately hard and 151-300mg/liter is way too hard. If you only receive hard water, then stand it for a little while and apply water softening agents. Alternatively you can mix the hard water with normal natural rain water.

Plant nourishment

It is much easier for a plant to grow in open ground then in a container where it will be greatly restricted from growing. A plant in a pot or container has generally lower nutrients simply because only a limited supply of compost can be added to the plant. Thus plants in a container require additional nutrients and this comes from fertilizer and water.

Fertilizer has to be supplied in the right quantities and amounts if the scented plant is going to flourish. Too much fertilizer can actually burn the roots and result in plant death. The correct level of fertilizer depends on the:

  • Individual species requirements

  • Growth phase of the plant is in

  • Type, nutrient content and concentration of the fertilizer

  • Fertilizer content of the proprietary potting compost

Type of fertilizer and concentration

This depends on the nutrients needed for the scented plants' growth or flowering. The NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium) values are indicated on the fertilizer package.

Organic vs Inorganic fertilizer

Inorganic fertilizer is ideal for plants that are growing in compost. Organic fertilizer however is best (problem is never available in large amounts). It is developed from animal or vegetable waste products as manure, blood, horn or bone meal. The substances are broken down and released through the action of micro-organisms within the potting compost. The plant roots can easily absorb them.

Fruit bearing plants such as Citrus and Eriobotryn generally absorb fertilizer well. Herbs and spice plants require a fertilizer containing very little nitrogen to allow the aroma and flavor not to suffer from too rapid leafy growth.

Use fertilizers following the concentration specified by the manufacturer and avoid using cheap fertilizer which does not usually have trace elements. Do not sprinkle fertilizer on dry compost as this damages the plant