Every day, house plants beautify your
environment, purify air indoors, and create a naturalistic element to often
sterile-looking office spaces. Because they grow and change, some people even
view plants as companionable. They can be very easy to care for with a few tips
to keep them healthy.
1. Choose the right location
Although you may have the perfect end-table or counter top in mind
for your houseplant, you may need to rearrange things a bit depending on
each plant’s individual needs. Find a location with good light, away from a
heat vent/air conditioner, above a radiator or television, and in front of
curtains. For lots of sunlight, put your plant in an east/west facing window.
For mild sunlight, a south facing window is good. And for little sunlight,
place your plant in a north facing window. Avoid placing your plant in a
location where it might be easily knocked over by children or pets as
well.
2. Light
Be sure that your plants get light. Plants need light! Identify how much
natural light is available (and needed) for plants, or whether it is possible
to have an indoor grow light placed next to the plant. A window is an ideal
place but make sure you have a saucer or tray underneath the plants to catch
the drips from watering and condensation which often occurs at night on the
leaves. Variegated plants (featuring leaves with white edges or white flecks)
often need more light than their green cousins. Keep them nearer to a window so
that they can get all the light that they need.
3. Watering
Your plants need water, light and warmth to survive. So when you're off
on holiday, don't forget about your green friends. Make sure that someone else
knows to keep the blinds open and the thermostat up. One of the most common
causes of plant death is over-watering.
4. Pot and Repot
A decorative pot or planter that coordinates with the furnishings can really
enhance the beauty of the plant. It helps the plant a lot if the pot or planter
is on a tray with about an inch of aquarium gravel in it. When you water the
plant, the water goes into the saucer and evaporates around the plant, making
the surrounding air a bit more humid. This is especially helpful to the plant
in winter. Make sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the pot, because if
the pot ends up sitting in water, the plant's roots will rot and the plant can
die. Place a trivet underneath the tray so that the tray doesn't sit directly
on a wooden or painted surface. If your plants are thriving and growing the way
you want them to, eventually they will need a bigger pot — or some fresh
potting mix. Repot plants in the spring when they are just starting to grow.
Vigorous root growth will allow the plant to adjust to its new container
quickly.
5. User of Fertiliser
Every time a plant is watered nutrients leach out of the soil. Even if that
didn’t happen, plants would quickly deplete the nutrients in their soil. Unlike
plants living outside, houseplants don’t have a regular source of nutrient
replenishment unless you fertilise them regularly. Newly purchased plants have
been heavily fertilised in the greenhouse and can wait a few weeks before
getting started on a fertilising regime. Fertilise once a month when plants are
flowering or growing. During the winter, when plants are dormant or generally
not growing much, fertiliser can be withheld.
6. Keep Your Plant free of Pests and
Dust
Sometimes plants attract pests - insects that eat the plant and cause it to
lose vigour. Some plants are less susceptible to insects than others. Plants
with thin leaves tend to get spider mites and white fly; others get scale or mealy
bugs. Learn how to identify these pests and how to treat them (usually a
soil-drenching systemic insecticide will do the job, but not always, so it's
important to learn about these things.) Mold and viruses can also affect plants
as well, but they are less common. Don’t use a duster to clean your plants, as
these can transfer bacterial pests from place to place and infect your plants
all at once. If insecticide isn’t your thing, you can gently wash your plants
off with lukewarm water and the sprayer-head of your sink or shower.
7. Humidity
Mist the plants every day or as needed with a fine mist of room-temperature
water. Use a mister with a fine spray to prevent big drops of water from
settling on foliage. Misting only works well if you can do this several times a
day because the moisture quickly evaporates. Group plants together. They emit
moisture so this helps to raise the humidity in the air around them.
8. Drainage
Good drainage is essential to healthy houseplants. Start with a good, organic potting
soil (not regular soil) that has been mixed specifically for indoor gardening.
Choose a container with drainage holes, or put a layer of pebbles in the bottom
of a container without holes. The point is to not let the plant stand in water.
From time to time, check that the drainage holes have not been clogged. And
always empty standing water (don’t run it back through the plant’s soil).
9. Temperature
Many houseplants thrive in temperatures between 65-75° during the day and
55-60° at night. Of course, temperature preferences vary from plant to plant
with tropical plants liking temperatures around 90° (or higher) and other
plants growing better in cooler temperatures.
10. Remove unhealthy growth
Although your plants are potted and indoors, that doesn’t prevent them from
growing to a large size and becoming ill at times. Use a small pair of
gardening shears to trim off excess growth and to cut away sick parts of the
plant. This will not only keep your plant looking healthier, but also prevent
them from turning into huge overgrown messes that take up massive amounts of
space in your home.
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