How to Make a Plant Grow Faster

Trying to grow a plant from a seed to a blossoming beauty or simply keeping your adult plant from keeling over can be a daunting task for anyone—even people with a green thumb. After all, growing plants faster involves more than simply providing it with a bit of water and sunshine and hoping for the best. Learn strategies to make all of your plants grow faster and live healthier and longer lives.

Manure, grass clippings or compost

All-purpose fertilizer

birth control pills

castor oil

indoor grow lights

Treat the soil. It is important for the soil to have the right balance of nutrients. If the soil is lacking in organic nutrients, there are many clumps that stick together and prevents air and water from reaching the roots. If the soil has too many rocks in it, it won’t be able to hold water the way it needs to. A good workable soil will provide the plant with adequate water, air and nutrients. If your soil is too sandy or too hard, add soil mixes to the soil to help the plant grow faster. Some good things to add include manure, grass clippings and compost. You can create your own compost pile in your backyard by following the instructions provided on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s website (see Resources).

Pick the most suitable location. The type of plant you are growing will determine where it should be placed. Some plants love the sunlight, so if you place it somewhere where it doesn’t get enough, the leaves won’t be green and it will stunt its growth. On the other hand, if you have a plant that doesn’t need much sunlight and you place it directly in the sun, it will burn and shrivel up. It’s important to read information about the plant or ask a salesperson when buying the plant to find out if it likes the sun or not. It is important to find out this information before planting because it is difficult and detrimental to the plant to move it after it has begun spreading its roots.

Try conventional methods. An all-purpose fertilizer, such as Miracle-Gro, can be used on all plant types. There are two easy ways to apply fertilizer. You can use a premixed application and mix it with water in a watering can, or you can use a feeder and attach it to your hose. Manure also makes an excellent, all-natural fertilizer. It contains, nitrogen, phosphorous and many other nutrients that ensure faster plant growth.

Try unconventional methods. Use old birth control pills as fertilizer. Birth control pills containing estrogen or oxytocin may aid in creating growth hormones in the plant. There are two ways to do this. You can add a few birth control pills to the soil every two to three months to act as a sort of plant food. It’s similar to the fertilizer sticks they make for plants. You can also mix it with the water you are using to hydrate the plant. The ratio is one birth control pill per 1 gallon of water.

Use castor oil to fertilize. By adding 1 tbsp. of castor to the soil and watering the plant well, you can bring the plant back to life. Castor oil works as a fertilizer. If you have accidentally put a plant that requires some shade out in the direct sunlight, you can use the castor oil trick to revitalize it. Also, if you have a plant that has been accidentally doused with pesticides, using the castor oil will bring it back to life, virtually overnight.

Water your plants adequately. Plants have different watering needs, depending on the type. Too much water is just as damaging as not enough water. Unfortunately, there is no simple rule to determine how much water to use for your particular plant but there are certain things that you can watch out for. If the leaves are growing slowly, seem to droop or if the edges are brown, you are likely not watering enough. If the roots are rotted, there is water at the bottom of the plant's container or if your leaves have rotten sections, you are likely watering too much.

Use grow lights for indoor plants. Whether it is plants that are always kept inside or plants just brought inside for the winter, grow lights are one of the most important mechanisms of indoor gardening. Grow lights are bulbs designed especially for plants. It gives plants synthetic sunlight without the harmful rays. You can find a variety of different grow lights at Windowbox (see Resources).