What To Do For Leggy Plant Growth

Plants that become leggy or floppy tend to fall over, produce less flowers or fruit and produce and create an untidy spindly appearance. There are a couple of reasons why plants are tall and leggy. Leggy plant growth may be the result of too much nitrogen or even low light situations. It is also just simply common to some species. Learn how to keep plants from getting leggy and have bushier, more bountiful yield.

Why Do Mature Plants Become Spindly?

Plant growth is unpredictable in most cases. Legginess in plants is often the result of perfect growing conditions which allows them to add on too much greenery before the plant has adequate dimension and strength in stems and roots. The result is a floppy, leggy plant growth. You can prevent this to some extent with a little manual grooming and the proper fertilizing program.
Other reasons for leggy plant growth include improper lighting. I have always been protective of my plants and here in the Philippines and have shaded with black net or tarp. However, in low light situations, the plants are stretching for sunlight to produce important plant sugars. This results in overly tall, spindly plants. Also, plants that receive high nitrogen fertilizers early will get a jump on growth. The excess nitrogen can cause a spike in greenery development that exceeds the plant’s ability to become girthy. Plants are tall and leggy and often produce poorly.

How to Keep Plants from Getting Leggy 

Make sure you situate plants where they get adequate light to keep them from stretching towards the sunshine. Pinch back the tip growth of plants , like petunias, tomatoes or peppers, to force bushiness and more stems which means more fruit or more flowers.
 Indoor houseplants that are in dimmer lighting can be forced to bush with this treatment and herbs respond very favorably to pinching . You can prevent legginess in plants by early season pruning. It enhances thicker growth and sturdier branches.

Care and Its Effect on Leggy Plants 

Cultural care is a crucial to keeping plants compact and strong. Provide proper levels of moisture and drainage, lighting and nutrition. Avoid high nitrogen fertilizers, except on turf grass. Most plants need balanced macro-nutrients such as an 8-8-8 or our common 10-10-10. Flowering plants need plant food with a higher middle number, which indicates phosphorus and promotes flowers and fruit.
The first number is nitrogen and promotes leaf growth and green cell formation.

The Natural, Organic  Way

Good natural compost spells the best success in terms of delivering natural, balanced, nutrition to your plants. A banana compost and vermin compost or worm compost, mixed with your soil provides all most plants will need to build healthy roots, healthy stalks and promote high yield. The banana compost provides potassium, which enhances root growth and overall plant yield. My personal preference is the natural way but if the chemical fertilizers work for you go easy on the urea or nitrogen content after you plants has had their start.. Happy Gardening