Caring for plants causes undue concern for so many people. House-plant care is no where near as difficult as it may see, as long as you take into account the following factors: 1. Watering Over-watering is responsible for the demise of most house-plants. Looks can be deceptive, so ascertain whether your soil is dry enough to water, put into action try the 'finger test'. Insert your index finger up to the first joint into the soil. If the soil is damp, the plant isn't yeat ready to be receive water again. It's a simple as that. 2. Feeding Foliage plants usually require a high degree of nitrogen, whereas where flowering plants are cincerned, K2O is needed. Slow release fertilizers can be mixed in with the compost. It is important to take note, however, that certain plants like cacti and orchids require special fertilizers. Plants require feeding during their most active growth period. 3. Lighting Plants such as Sanseveria and Aspidistra require no sun. This means that they can be locateded away from a window. Spider plants need semi-shade. You can keep plants like these near a window that does or does not get direct sunlight. If in doubt, check the label to see what your plant needs, or seek advice at your local garden center. 4. Temperature House-plants can live in both cool or warm temperatures, but note however, that drastic fluctuations of temperature may cause them some harm. One type of heat that spells certain death for many house plants is gas heating. Also, if you have a plant that thrives under warm conditions, don't keep it near an air conditioner in the summer. 5. Humidity Some houseplants require a humid environment. One tip to maximize humidity is to put the pot inside a larger pot and fill in the gaps with stones or compost to keep in the moisture. Grouping plants together often creates a microclimate that they will benefit from. If you want, you can spray them with water once or twice a day depending on the temperature. 6. Re-potting There are those plants that require re-potting for optimum growth, but there are others that resent having their roots disturbed. It may eve be the case that heir roots-system may be small enough that they do not need to be repotted. One way to check whether your plant needs re-potting is simply to turn it upside down and tap the pot to release the plant and check its roots. If roots are all you see, then it's definitely time to re-pot. Sometimes you will see roots protruding out of the bottom of the pot. You should either cut them off or re-pot the plant entirely. You just need to have a little care for your plants and in turn, they will love you back. Indoor plants not only add to the beauty of your home, but they also offer a great deal of pleasure to the indoor gardener. |
