Plants have simple needs: light, air, good soil and water. To grow a plant successfully, you must balance these resources carefully. The best way to do that is to create a controlled environment that you can adjust to keep your plant happy and help it grow tall.

10 Secret Ingredients to Make Your Garden Grow

1. Wood Ash. 1/11. Wood ash has a high alkaline content, which makes it great for neutralizing acidic soil.
2. Bananas. 2/11.
3. Compost Tea. 3/11.
4. Club Soda. 4/11.
5. Aquarium Water. 5/11.
6. Coffee Grounds. 6/11.
7. Eggshells. 7/11.
8. Tea Leaves. 8/11.

Plants, like all living organisms, have basic needs: a source of nutrition (food), water, space in which to live, air, and optimal temperatures in order to grow and reproduce. For most plants, these needs are summarized as light, air, water, and nutrients (known by the acronym LAWN).

Plants need air, light, warmth, water and nutrients to be healthy. If a plant doesn’t have one of these requirements it could affect its growth or even die. For example, a plant that is kept in a dark place will grow tall and spindly in search of light and then become weak and die.

Heat is a type of energy. Plants use the energy in sunlight to grow. Plants use the energy from the sun instead of eating, like we do. This process plants use to make energy from sunlight is called photosynthesis.

Light is one of the most important factors for growing houseplants. All plants require light for photosynthesis, the process within a plant that converts light, oxygen and water into carbohydrates (energy). Plants require this energy in order to grow, bloom and produce seed.

Water helps a plant by transporting important nutrients through the plant. Nutrients are drawn from the soil and used by the plant. Without enough water in the cells, the plant will droop, so water helps a plant to stand upright. Too much water will affect plant growth just as much as too little.