Left Plants Decay at www.japanese-home-gardens.com

Regularly removing dead flowers—or "deadheading"—encourages the devel opment of further buds and prolongs the display. Blooms left plants decay on plants decay and encourage the onset of diseases. Where plants have long flower-stalks, cut these back to the base. Where flowers are borne in tight clusters close to the main stem, use scissors to cut them off. Pick up all the dead flowers and place them on a compost pile. left plants decay among the plants, they en- Deadhead plants courage diseases.

Hydrocarbons are stored solar energy. Organic matter is synthesized by living plants using the sun's energy converted by chlorophyll. Swarms of tiny plants and animals feeding on these plants lived in the seas and their dead bodies fell to the bottom. Under normal conditions, ordinary decay by bacteria breathing oxygen would "burn up" the organic matter, producing carbon dioxide and water.

A variety of biological factors influence soil formation. Plants stabilize the earth by reducing erosion and surface run-off. They also maintain soil fertility by concentrating organic material and nutrients back at the surface after they have been washed down. As they decay the plants also provide the fine organic humus litter vital to soil life.