Sunlight

When planting, you need to make sure that you know how much sun an area gets during a normal day, yes, but there are many other specifics to consider. Not only is how many hours of sun that patch gets an important factor, but also when those hours are. Sunlight during the morning, afternoon, or evening can have different effects on a plant, depending on its fragility. Some plants cannot handle the intense morning rays, and prefer to soak up the gentler evening sun. With all that out of the way, you also need to note how much shade an area receives before you plant anything there, as many plants cannot handle direct sun for more than a few hours at a time, depending on their sensitivity.

Water

stated earlier, every plant has personal needs and preferences, and some plants simply cannot survive with too much water! Succulents, for example, may comfortably go weeks without water, so it’s all a matter of knowing the kind of plant you’re dealing with. Additionally, when watering a plant, you must also consider the drainage of the area you are watering. If it is a potted plant, does the container have drainage holes? If not, you will need to water less frequently, as no excess water will be able to escape and overwatering may cause root rot or other complications. If the plant is outside, you must consider if the soil is very fine or rocky in order to make this same judgment.

Soil

soil is created equal. Different areas of land have different nutrient levels, which depend on climate, what other plants have grown in the area, and other extraneous factors. It is important to know what kind of soil you have and, as mentioned above, if it’s fine and sandy, rocky, or rich with loam. Additionally, knowing if it is nutrient rich or stripped bare is useful. Along those same lines, the pH balance of the soil is quite important and can either help or hinder the growth of your plants. For those of you who are not aware of what the pH scale is, it simply measures how acidic or basic a substance (in this case, soil) is.

ThepH Detection Charm

Incantation: Acidius revedlius

Pronunciation: Ah-SID-ee-us reh-VEH-lee-us

Wand Movement: 2 curved blades ofgrass

(start at bottom and curvein, then out)

Willpower: Low

Concentration: Low

Even if the plant requires no care that day, it makes sure you never neglect your plants for too long, and also makes you more familiar with your plant so you are more easily able to tell when something is amiss.I would highly recommend in terms of caring for your plants is singing to them. Some plants, particularly magical ones, have a sort of sense of what is going on around them even if they are not sentient. It has been hypothesized that singing is beneficial to the growth of plants, though perhaps it just makes us enjoy taking care of them more, and therefore makes us more likely to do it! No matter the cause, there does seem to be a correlation between plants that get sung to and plants that thrive, so give it a try! The plants won’t mind if you’re an alto, a tenor, or can barely carry a tune. In my experience, roses enjoy a good love song.

The Severing Charm

Incantation: Difindo

Pronuncidtion: deef-IN-doé

Wand Movement: V-shaped

(Down, then up, and endwith swish towards target)

Willpower: Low

Concentration: Moderate

(Position and depth of cut)