When watering the Spikenard, you should aim to use filtered water that is at room temperature. Filtered water is better for this plant, as tap water can contain particles that are harmful to its health. The reason that the water should be at room temperature or slightly warmer is that the Spikenard comes from a warm environment, and cold water can be somewhat of a shock to its system. Also, you should avoid overhead watering for this plant, as it can cause foliage complications. Instead, simply apply your filtered room temperature water to the soil until the soil is entirely soaked. Soaking the soil can be very beneficial for this plant as it moistens the roots and helps them continue to spread through the soil and collect the nutrients they need.

Both overwatering and underwatering will be detrimental to the health of your Spikenard, but overwatering is a far more common issue. When this species receives too much water, its stems and leaves may begin to wilt and turn from green to yellow. Overwatering over a prolonged period may also lead to diseases such as root rot, mold, and mildew, all of which can kill your plant. Underwatering is far less common for the Spikenard, as this plant has decent drought tolerance. However, underwatering remains a possibility, and when it occurs, you can expect to find that the leaves of your Spikenard have become brittle and brown. It is crucial that you notice the signs of overwatering as soon as possible when caring for your Spikenard. Some of the diseases that arise from overwatering, such as root rot, may not be correctable if you wait too long. If you see early signs of overwatering, you should reduce your watering schedule immediately. You may also want to assess the quality of soil in which your Spikenard grows. If you find that the soil drains very poorly, you should replace it immediately with a loose, well-draining potting mix. On the other hand, if you find signs that your Spikenard is receiving too little water, all you need to do is water more regularly until those signs have subsided.

If your plant is in a pot. The most precise way to decide whether your Spikenard needs water is to plunge your finger into the soil. If you notice that the first two to three inches of soil have become dry, it is time to add some water. If you grow your Spikenard outdoors in the ground, you can use a similar method to test the soil. Again, when you find that the first few inches of soil have dried out, it is time to add water. During the spring and early fall, this method will often lead you to water this plant about once every week. When extremely hot weather arrives, you may need to increase your watering frequency to about twice or more per week. With that said, mature, well-established the Spikenard can show an admirable ability to withstand drought.

When it comes time to water your Spikenard, you should not be shy about how much water you give. With the first two to three inches of soil dry, this plant will appreciate a long and thorough watering. Supply enough water to soak the soil entirely. The amount of water you add should be enough to cause excess water to flow through the drainage holes at the bottom of your pot. If you don’t see excess water draining from the pot, you have likely underwatered your plant. But do not let the water accumulate inside the soil, which will be very dangerous to the plant as well. Alternatively, a lack of water draining through the pot could indicate poorly draining soils, which is detrimental to the health of this plant and should be avoided. If the plant is outside, 1 inch of rain per week will be sufficient.

The water needs of the Spikenard can change depending on growth stages as well. For example, when your Spikenard is in the first few years of its life, or if you have just transplanted it to a new growing location, you will need to give more water than usual. During both of those stages, your Spikenard will put a lot of energy towards sprouting new roots that will then support future growth. For those roots to perform their best, they need a bit more moisture than they would at a more mature phase. After a few seasons, your Spikenard will need much less water. Another growth stage in which this plant may need more water is during the bloom period. Flower development can make use of a significant amount of moisture, which is why you might need to give your Spikenard more water at this time.

The Spikenard will have its highest water needs during the hottest months of the year. During the height of summer, you may need to give this plant water more than once per week, depending on how fast the soil dries out. The opposite is true during the winter. In winter, your plant will enter a dormant phase, in which it will need far less water than usual. In fact, you may not need to water this plant at all during the winter months. However, if you do water during winter, you should not do so more than about once per month. Watering too much at this time will make it more likely that your Spikenard will contract a disease.

It is most common to grow the Spikenard indoors for any gardener that does not live in temperate and tropical regions. Those gardeners should consider the fact that soil in a container can dry out a bit faster than ground soil. Also, the presence of drying elements such as air conditioning units can cause your Spikenard to need water on a more frequent basis as well. if you planted it outside. When that is the case, it’s likely you won’t need to water your Spikenard very much at all. If you receive rainfall on a regular basis, that may be enough to keep your plant alive. Alternatively, those who grow this plant inside will need to water it more often, as allowing rainwater to soak the soil will not be an option.

You can prune your Spikenard any time you notice dead, diseased, or damaged leaves during the growing season. Once you notice such a leave, locate an unwanted leaf, then follow its stem all the way to the bottom of petiole. Removing dead stems will increase the light and ventilation of the plant and help it to grow. You can cut its stem just above the soil’s surface to remove it. Such pruning can take place as needed during spring and summer. Also, this plant can bloom any time between spring and fall, and some gardeners choose to remove flower buds before they have a chance to open. Removing unopened flower buds allows this plant to focus most of its growing energy on its beautiful leaves. However, pruning in this manner does not necessarily influence the plant’s overall health. Cutting back should be done late in the winter to early spring. Ideally, you should wait until you see new basal growth before you cut off the dead and dried winter parts, to about 6 inches from the ground.

Pruning the Spikenard is as easy as waiting until you notice dead or damaged leaves on your plant. When you recognize these leaves, equip yourself with a pair of sharp and sterile hand pruning shears. Hand pruning shears will work best as larger tools like loppers will not be well suited to the precise cuts you need to make. Once you have a proper set of pruning tools, locate an unwanted leaf, then follow its stem all the way to the bottom of petiole. Removing dead stems will increase the light and ventilation of the plant and help it to grow. Cut the stem just above where it exits the soil to remove it entirely. If you wish to stop this plant from flowering, you can use the same pruning shears to remove any buds before they open. Finally, you may prefer to just trim off dead or damaged portions of the plant, including deadheading spent flowers, to keep it looking its best. This can be done at any time of year. Diseased or damaged stems should be cut right at the soil line and removed completely. Blooms should be cut off just below the flower head. Cutting back should be done late in the winter to early spring. Ideally, you should wait until you see new basal growth before you cut off the dead and dried winter parts to about 6 inches from the ground.

All that is required of you once you have pruned your Spikenard is to clean up. Once you have pruned, deadheaded, or cut back your Spikenard, gather the bits you have cut off and discard them. If there are any diseased parts of the plant that you have pruned away, do not discard them with the rest of the pruned pieces. Diseased foliage should be disposed of. When watering after pruning, be careful not to touch the wound to prevent fungus from infecting the plant through the fresh wound. Placing Spikenard in a well-ventilated location will also help the wound to dry out and heal in time.

For your major pruning, use sharp pruning sheers that will make clean cuts to avoid damaging your plants. As you are pruning your Spikenard, step back occasionally to check the appearance of the plant to make sure it has the shape you want and that you are pruning it symmetricaly. It is recommended that gloves and safety glasses be worn while pruning Spikenard.

Pruning is an important part of plant care and maintenance. Different plants have different pruning requirements. Some plants may need little to no pruning, while others may require more specific attention. Most plants should be pruned to remove damaged or unhealthy foliage. Other plants may be pruned to control their shape and size. Pruning may even be done to remove the flower heads of plants and stop them from self-seeding. Although some gardeners may find pruning a tedious task, it is a necessary evil and is an essential part of keeping your plants happy and healthy.

Spikenard requires about 3-6 hours of direct sunlight each day to thrive. However, it also needs some shade during the hottest parts of the day to prevent sun damage. Morning sunlight is ideal for Spikenard, but it can also tolerate some afternoon sun if the temperature is not too hot. To provide the perfect balance of sunlight, try planting Spikenard in an area that gets partial sun, such as under a tree or on the east side of a building.

If Spikenard is exposed to too much direct sunlight, its leaves may turn yellow, dry out, or even burn. You may also notice that the plant wilts or becomes stunted. To prevent sun damage, make sure to give Spikenard some shade during the hottest parts of the day. You can use a shade cloth or plant Spikenard near taller plants that can provide some natural shade.

If Spikenard doesn't get enough sunlight, it may grow tall and lanky, with sparse foliage. The leaves may also turn yellow or pale green, indicating that the plant is not producing enough chlorophyll due to lack of sunlight. To remedy this, try moving Spikenard to a sunnier spot, or prune nearby foliage to allow more light to reach the plant.

The best temperature for Spikenard depends on the time of year. There are two primary seasons to discuss for temperature: the growing season, and the dormancy season. During the growing season, once Spikenard has begun to sprout, the ideal temperature range should be anywhere from 65~80℉(18~27℃). Any colder than 15℉(-10℃), and the plant will suffer; its leaves may brown and wilt, but if this is a short cold snap, then Spikenard may be able to survive with some help. During the warmer parts of the year, Spikenard will need to be similarly protected from temperatures that are too high. 95-105℉ (35-40℃) is the top of this plant’s temperature range, and anything above that will compromise the integrity of the foliage and blooms of Spikenard. Hotter temperatures can cause wilting, drooping, and even sunburn on the leaves, which can be difficult for Spikenard to recover from. There are quite a few ways to combat this issue that are quick and easy!

If this is the first year of your Spikenard outside as a new plant, then it may need a little extra tending during the coldest months of the year. Not only can frost more severely damage a first-year Spikenard, but it can also prevent it from growing back as a healthy plant come spring. This plant needs to be kept at 40℉(5℃) or above when they’re not yet established, which can be done either by bringing your Spikenard inside for a month or two, or putting up mulch or fabric barriers that protect from frost damage. It’s also a good idea to plant Spikenard in a shadier spot during the first year or two, as smaller and weaker plants have a more difficult time maintaining their own temperatures in the heat. First-year Spikenard should receive no more than five hours of direct sunlight per day, particularly if the ambient daytime temperature gets above 80℉(27℃). Shadecloth and frequent watering or misting are the keys to summer heat control.

If cold temperatures (below 15℉(-10℃)) do occur during the growing season, there are a few measures you can take to help protect Spikenard from frost or cold damage. If you’re growing Spikenard in a container, then the container can simply be brought inside in bright, indirect light until the temperatures rise up over the lower threshold again. Another option that’s better suited for ground-planted Spikenard is to use mulch or horticultural fabric to create an insulated barrier around the plant, which will protect the plant from frost and cold wind. For temperatures that are hotter than 80℉(27℃) in the shade during the day, be careful to only expose Spikenard to six hours or less of sunlight per day, preferably in the morning hours. Putting up shade cloth, or a fine plastic mesh, can help reduce the amount of direct sunlight that hits the plant during the hottest parts of the day. You can also install a misting system that allows for a slow release of cooling mist around the base of the plant during the day to lower ground temperatures.

During the cold winter months, Spikenard needs a certain measure of cold in order to stay in dormancy until it’s time to sprout. Sprouting too early, that is before the danger of the last frost has passed, can be fatal to Spikenard, especially if it’s already had a head start when the frost hits. Winter temperatures should ideally stay below 32℉(0℃), but if they get up to 40℉(5℃), everything will be just fine. An unexpected warm spell during the cold months, which can happen in more temperate climates like woodland rainforests, can trigger a premature sprout from Spikenard. In this case, if there’s still imminent danger of frost, you may want to try covering it with clear plastic on stakes so that the cold has less of a chance of damaging the new sprout. This setup can be removed when the danger of frost has passed. Occasionally, Spikenard will be able to resprout at the correct time without any help, but this method increases the chances of a successful second sprouting.

The leaves of the Spikenard comprise most of its main structure, and fertilization is one of the most impactful ways that you can ensure that those leaves look great while also serving their function. Proper fertilization will help your Spikenard hold leaves with consistent color and a healthy texture. Fertilization also works below the soil's surface to help your Spikenard generate new roots and maintain the roots that are already part of the root system. This means that fertilization will not just keep your plant healthy now, but it will also help your plant be better capable of absorbing soil nutrients in the future.

If you grow your Spikenard outdoors each year, this perennial plant will send new growth shooting out in early spring. The emergence of those leaves is a sign that the time is right to begin fertilization for the year. Often, a Spikenard will perform just fine with a single application of fertilizer when the spring arrives. However, if you wish to maximize the growth of your Spikenard, you can repeat the feeding multiple times throughout the spring and early summer. If you choose this route, you can feed your Spikenard about once every month to a month and a half.

In the late fall and winter, your Spikenard will enter a dormant phase in which it will no longer produce new growth. At this time, you should avoid fertilizing your Spikenard. If you choose to fertilize multiple times during spring and summer, you should begin reducing your fertilization rate as summer approaches, as your Spikenard 's growth rate will also slow. Overall, it is never a wise choice to fertilize your Spikenard during times when the weather is unseasonably hot or when the soil is extraordinarily dry. Fertilizing in either of those cases can stress your Spikenard and cause it to perish prematurely.

Fortunately, choosing the best fertilizer for a Spikenard is a very straightforward task. These plants will thrive on a general-purpose garden fertilizer that has equal amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. A fertilizer that has a ratio of 10-10-10 or something similar will be very effective. When in doubt, be sure to avoid fertilizers that have high amounts of nitrogen. Most of the best fertilizer for a Spikenard will come in a granular form. These fertilizers should be slow-release and will be very easy to apply to the soil. It can also be helpful to feed your Spikenard using an organic soil amendment such as compost.

Wait until your Spikenard has just barely poked its first leaves through the soil's surface in early spring. Once you see that sign, apply a granular slow-release fertilizer with a balanced formula to the soil that surrounds the base of your Spikenard. You can repeat a similar process later in the season if you choose. When reapplying fertilizer to a Spikenard, you should, again, apply the fertilizer to the soil at the base of the plant rather than to the plant itself. At times, this may require you to move some leaves out of the way to access the soil above the roots. It's also often a good choice to water your Spikenard before and after you feed it.

The Spikenard doesn't necessarily need to receive high volumes of fertilizer each year, which means overfertilization is entirely possible. If you overfertilize your Spikenard, you will likely notice first that the leaves have turned brown. Overfertilization of Spikenard is especially common if you use a fertilizer that has higher concentrations of nitrogen. High nitrogen content will likely cause the leaves of your Spikenard to become discolored, lose much of their moisture, and begin curling at the margins. Many gardeners avoid such complications by limiting fertilization of their Spikenard to once per year in early spring.