Plant Care in the Home

Most of us enjoy having attractive green plants in our homes. They add a special feeling to a room that can't be achieved with furniture. Often, however, those once attractive green plants soon become pathetic looking specimens with droopy yellow leaves. When plants are placed in homes, they are confronted with adverse growing conditions such as low light and dry air. The following are hints on how to keep plants in your home healthy, particularly during winter.

All plants must have light. However, they differ greatly in the amount they need. Plants with highly colored leaves, flowering plants and succulents grow best when placed in an area where they receive full sunlight. Others like ferns, philodendrons and many other foliage plants grow well in indirect light. Learn about the specific plants you are growing and place them in a portion of your home which provides the best light for their needs. Artificial lighting can be used to supplement or replace natural light.

Plants grown in pots are often over watered, while a few may be under watered. Try to water as the plant needs it. The most accurate gauge to follow is to water when the potting soil becomes dry to the touch. Stick your finger into the mix up to the first joint; if it is dry at the tip, you need to water. Apply enough water until it runs out of the bottom of the pot. This type of watering will accomplish two purposes. First, it washes excess salts out of the pot. Second, it guarantees that the bottom two thirds of the pot is properly watered. Don't allow the pot to stand in water too long. Empty the drip saucer.

Winter heat in homes is often very hard on plants. The best temperature for most plants is from 65 to 75 degrees during the day, and a 55 to 65 degree night temperature. Avoid placing plants near heat sources.

Humidity or moisture in the air is necessary and beneficial to most plants. A 40 to 60 percent relative humidity is ideal, yet this can't be provided in homes during winter, as heating systems dry out the air. To increase the indoor humidity from time to time, syringe the plant's foliage with a fine spray of water. Another method of increasing the humidity is placing the pots on gravel, which is covered with water. Place the pots on the pebbles, being certain that the bottoms are not sitting in the water. Plants will furnish their own humidity when many are placed close together.

Interior plants under active growing conditions should be fertilized every two to three months. During winter months, or under conditions of low light, the frequency of fertilization should be reduced. Many problems associated with growing plants indoors are erroneously attributed of insufficient fertilizer. Poor growth is usually due to some other factor, such as insufficient light.

Plants do not like locations which expose them to cold or hot air. They also suffer from gas fumes and products of incomplete combustion, which makes fresh air essential during winter.

Plants grown in the home collect dust just as furniture and will require periodic cleaning and grooming. Clean plant foliage by washing with warm water. Some plant leaves are difficult to clean and may require the addition of a drop or two of detergent to the cleaning water. Rinse washed leaves with clear water to remove soap film. Keep plants attractive by removing yellow leaves and faded blooms.


Copyright by Dr. Bob's Gardening Tips