Home is for Houseplants
“I‘m good at killing houseplants” is a confession I often
hear from otherwise nonviolent people. These folks
seem to think you need a magic touch or “green thumb”
to grow houseplants successfully. Actually, you just need
to follow the helpful tips below;--that is, if you want to
stay off horticulture’s “Most Wanted” list!
WATERING
The main reason houseplants die at the hands of their
owners is from over watering or under watering. So lets
talk about watering first.
For most houseplants, you should water them
frequently, but sparingly, according to Marjean Shilts,
owner of Co-ed Flowers and Gifts in Sault Ste. Marie.
This will avoid the shock of watering them all at once,
which can cause the leaves to turn brown, according to
Shilts.
“The trick to watering is to water with less water but
more often,” says Shilts. She said a good way to tell if a
plant needs water is to stick your finger down about an
inch in the pot. If it is still moist, don’t water. About once
a twice or year you should place your plants in the sink
and flush warm water through them one by one. This will
help leach out salts that accumulate from using
commercial fertilizers. It will also ensure a good soaking
into the root system of the plant.
CONTAINERS
Choose containers according to the size of the plant
and your individual decorating preferences. Containers
should be large enough so that the root ball of the plant
fits comfortably inside the pot. The roots of the plant
should be barely touching the sides of the pot. It should
also be large enough to support the plant so that it
doesn’t tip over.
Choose containers according to your decorating
preferences. For example, terra cotta pots go well with
the décor of older style homes, while colorful pots in
solid but subtle colors are often used in more
contemporary homes. Be sure that whatever type of
container you use that it drains adequately. If the
container doesn’t have its own water reservoir, you can
set the pot in a clear plastic tray and let any excess
water drain into the tray. However, don’t let plants sit in
standing water for long periods of time.
LIGHT
Finding the right intensity of light for your houseplant
can be a little tricky. Light requirements vary from plant
to plant so reference a houseplant book for individual
houseplants. Houseplant books usually classify lighting
in one of several ways: indirect (reflected) light, filtered
light (e.g.., light through a curtain or blind) and direct
light. Your best source of light, of course is from a south
or southeast facing window, while northern exposures
provide the least intense light, especially in the winter.
Light from florescent and incandescent bulbs aren’t
much of a source of light, unless the bulbs are placed
within a few inches of the plant.
Surprisingly, some houseplants, such as the stubborn
iron plant, do much better in a low intensity north window
than in a sunny south facing window. And others, such
as the schefflera sitting in a windowless corner of our
family room, does just fine with very little light. If you’ve
watered and fed your houseplant properly and it still
looks like it’s in the doldrums, try moving it around until
you find the right light. You’ll know in no time if it’s happy
in its new home! And once it is acclimated to a certain
spot, don’t move it, advises Shilts.
FERTILIZERS AND MIXES
Another way to ensure your plants live a long, healthy
life is to choose a premium potting mix. An indoor mix
needs to be light and fluffy so that it retains moisture
without becoming soggy. Thus, it is important to
purchase a good nonsoil potting mix specifically
recommended for houseplants.
Opinions vary on how often you should feed
houseplants. However, most folks agree houseplants
need more food during the summer months than the
winter months. Many florists recommend a light
feeding (one half or less of the recommended rate) of
a soluble fertilizer each time you water. During the
summer I keep this schedule and also add a slow
release fertilizer to each container. This will ensure a
continual feeding of my plants should I slack off a little
during my busy summer or go on vacation.
Okay, you’ve selected a premium potting mix and
containers with good drainage. You’ve established a
consistent feed and water schedule and even found
desirable lighting. Everything is going well. Then one
day you look closely at one of your plants and ask
yourself, “what’s this, bugs?” Sure enough insects are
making a salad bar out of your plants!
Don’t despair. Fortunately, the insects that attack
houseplants are predictable. In other words, we know
who’s going to show up for dinner. The big players on
the tropical salad bar are aphids (tiny greenish insects
that group themselves around stems and on and
under leaves), scale (an insect that hides under a
hard scale), mealy bugs (the insects hide beneath a
white cottony substance) and spider mites (a very tiny
insect that spins thin webbing throughout the plant).
If any of these insects are infesting your houseplants
the first thing you should do is wash the insects off
with warm, soapy water. When the plant dries, spray it
with an insecticide indicated for the particular pest.
Insecticidal soaps and pyrethrin based products are
fairly safe, effective liquid sprays for plant pests.
When spraying with these products spray the leaf,
stems and undersides until the product drips from the
plant foliage. Wash your hands when you’re done with
the application. On some plants the infestations can
be so bad that it might be best to pitch the plant and
try a different one. I’ve had to do this one time with a
miniature rose that was heavily infested with spider
mites. Okay, I’ve killed a few plants in my time also!
If you get in the habit of caring for your houseplants
as suggested above, I promise you won’t kill another
houseplant. People may even accuse you of being a
green thumb!
Source for new and unusual houseplants:
Logee’s
141 North Street,
Danielson, CT 06239
1-888-330-803/www.logees.com
Recommended sources for more information:
The Houseplant Expert, by Dr. D.G. Hessayon
ISBN # 0-903505-35-5
Ortho’s Complete Guide To Successful Houseplants
ISBN #0-89721-249-5
Easy to grow houseplants:
Philodendron
Ficus
Schefflera
Spider plant
Swedish Ivy