For Valentine's Day, your Cooperative Extension Service would like to give you the gift of a green thumb.

Your gift bag includes all the basic plant needs and the resources on where to retrieve local research-based gardening information, plus an invitation to the University of Hawai'i Urban Garden Center's Annual Plant & Produce Sale in Pearl City, from 9 a.m. to noon today, where plants, activities and gardening resources will be available.

Plants need light, air, nutrients and water. But each plant is different, right? That means the gift of the green thumb can be as simple as providing gardeners with the knowledge of basic plant needs accompanied by local resources of where to seek specific information.

One resource is the UH College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources Web site at www.ctahr.hawaii.edu, which has a section for university publications that address various gardening issues.

LIGHT: Light requirements vary according to the type of plant. Look for the plant in your neighborhood, resort areas, botanical gardens, or visit the UH Urban Garden Center where you can see examples of landscape plants and where they are located in the landscape. Also visit the CTAHR Web site to find specific requirements for choice landscape plants.

AIR: Carbon dioxide is provided to the plant naturally in our environment by the air we breathe out. However, there must also be oxygen in the soil for the roots to thrive. If you are growing the plant in a container, "potting media" mix from your local garden center will ensure the right amount of drainage and air for the root system. Also, pull the plant out of the container to look at the roots. If the roots are massed together and circling the container, the plant will need to repotted into a larger container. For more information, check out the "Home Garden" section on CTAHR's Web site to find "Enhancing your Lanai, Balcony, or Patio with Container Plants."

If you are planting the plant in your garden, soil amendments will be needed to improve drainage and air around the root system. Till in compost and peat mix to increase soil drainage. Compost is available at your local garden center, or from a local service like Hawaiian Earth Products. The O'ahu Master Gardeners will be demonstrating how to amend your soil the organic way today at 10 and 11 a.m. during the center's sale. See the UH publication "Use of Soil Amendments in Landscape Plantings" under "Soil and Crop Production."

NUTRIENTS: All plants need nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, or NPK, the three letters located on the outside of general garden fertilizers. Here's an easy way to remember the functions of each macronutrient, N, P, K: Up, Down and All Around. The N is used for green or upward growth. The P is used for root growth. And the K transfers water and nutrients throughout the plant. Home gardeners can purchase slow-release fertilizers from local garden centers. Slow-release fertilizers are encased in capsules to control the release of nutrients and avoid any burning that can occur when using too much fertilizer. Find out how and why to take a soil test on the CTAHR site under "Soil and Crop Management."

WATER: The most important rule in watering is to achieve a consistent watering schedule. As a general rule, it is a good idea to allow plants to dry out between waterings. Depending on where you are on the island, this can mean watering every other day in Leeward areas or watering every three days in some Windward areas. The best tool for watering individual plants in a landscape is drip irrigation. Overhead irrigation can transmit fungus and bacteria to the leaves of your plants, causing symptoms of decline. Drip irrigation can be attached to a regular garden hose faucet and can be put on a timer to obtain a regular watering schedule.

For more information, contact your local Extension Office to find a plant specialist or a Hawai'i Master Gardener Helpline in your area. The O'ahu Master Gardeners are available to answer home gardener questions weekdays from 9 a.m. to noon at 453-6055.