By Komal Jaiswal
I’ve spent hours just sitting with my plants — not touching, not tending — just watching.
And over time, I’ve learned something sacred:
plants speak.
Not in words. Not in cries.
But in color, in posture, in silence.
A leaf that yellows too early.
A stem that stretches too fast.
A flower that never quite opens.
They’re not faults. They’re messages.
And once you begin to read them, you’ll realize — your garden is always speaking to you.
🌱 Not a Problem to Fix. A Story to Listen To.
In chemical farming, we’re taught to react fast.
Something’s wrong? Add this. Spray that. Uproot. Start again.
But in natural gardening, the rhythm is slower.
You don’t jump to fix.
You wait. You ask. You observe.
Most deficiencies aren’t about lack.
They’re about imbalance. About a system that’s out of tune.
And most of the time, nature is already trying to correct it — if we just stop interfering.
💛 Yellowing Leaves: Not Always a Cry for Nitrogen
One of the most common things I hear is: “My leaves are yellow. Should I add nitrogen?”
Maybe. But maybe not.
- If older leaves yellow first and the new ones stay green — yes, it could be nitrogen.
- If new leaves yellow and the veins stay green — it might be iron.
- If entire leaves turn pale and the plant is stunted — look at your soil life, not just nutrients.
🌿 Before you add anything, check your compost. Check your mulch. Ask yourself: is the soil breathing?
🌀 Curled Leaves, Browning Edges: Potassium, or Water Flow?
Sometimes the tips of leaves burn.
The edges curl. The veins stand out.
We often think it’s a pest, or heat, or a disease.
But very often, it’s potassium — or poor water movement inside the plant.
Not lack of watering, but lack of guidance.
Potassium is what moves water and nutrients within the plant. Without it, even a well-watered plant can feel parched.
💔 No Flowers, No Fruit: Look Below the Surface
You give your plant sun. You give it compost. It grows leaves, and more leaves… but no fruit.
This could be phosphorus.
Because phosphorus is what moves energy toward reproduction — flowering, fruiting, rooting.
But it’s often locked in soils that are disturbed or over-fertilized.
Instead of adding more, allow time, keep the soil covered, and let the microbes return. They know how to unlock it.
🌸 Remember, fruiting is an act of trust. The plant won’t give unless it feels secure.
❄️ Leaves That Stay Small, Or Turn Pale Purple
This can be the plant’s way of saying:
“I’m cold.”
“I’m stressed.”
“I’m stuck.”
Sometimes it’s phosphorus.
Sometimes it’s just the season.
Sometimes it’s a sign to wait — not to rush to fix.
Nature is never in a hurry.
She slows down before she shifts.
👀 The True Skill: Observation
We’ve been trained to solve. But a gardener learns to observe.
- Look at the pattern, not just the symptom.
- Is it affecting new leaves or old ones?
- Is it across the plant or just one side?
- Did this begin after a storm, a spray, a change in watering?
The garden is always responding.
Our job is not to control it — but to understand the dance.
🌿 How to Support, Not Correct
When something feels off in your plants, try this first:
- Mulch — cover the soil, retain moisture, let microbes rest.
- Compost — not too much. A little, well-made, slow-fed compost.
- Observe for 3 days — without reacting.
- Stop digging — roots speak best in stillness.
- Invite diversity — grow flowers, herbs, weeds — let the ecosystem breathe.
✋ Let go of the urge to fix. Instead, lean in and listen.
🧡 Final Words: To Garden is to Witness
Some days your plant may whisper.
Some days it may scream.
Some days, it may fall silent.
But it’s always speaking.
And when you learn to hear — truly hear —
You’ll find that your own body, too, begins to listen more deeply.
Because gardening was never about controlling plants.
It was about returning to relationship.