Houseplants offer beautiful foliage, gorgeous flowers and enticing fragrances. You can assure your plants will thrive if understand the plants basic needs.
Light is the key:
All plants need light, some more than others. When selecting a plant make sure the light requirements of your plant matches your proposed location. A plant that needs direct sun will die on a dim corner.
Water:
I fail at this one. I can only water once a week.
Some of my plants would be happier being watered every two weeks or when they need to be watered. However, Wednesday is my watering day. So, I either overwater or underwater. :)
You can lift your potted plant and if it's light, it's time to water. Poke your finger in the soil and check for moisture. Now I can look at the edge of the pot and if the soil is pulling away from the pot, it really needs some water.
My ferns will turn a different shade of green when it needs to be watered. Peace lily will wilt, but they all perk-up after a good watering.
Feeding:
During active growth in spring or summer, most plants appreciate regular doses of fertilizer like fish emulsion or some liquid feed. Fertilize less during the winter.
Temperature and Humidity
Most houseplants are well suited to the warm and dry conditions found in most homes. Ferns love the extra humidity during the winter. I just take my ferns over to the sink and mist them once in a while.
It's important to know what temperature your plants prefer. Some plants require cool winter temperatures to force them to bloom like the Christmas Cactus. Overwintering plants like Rosemary do best with cool winter temperatures.
Potting Soil:
If you have a lot of plants, maybe you like to mix your own soil.
1-2 parts commercial potting soil
1 part of builder's sand or perlite
1 part of peat moss
compost or leaf mold
1 tablespoon of bonemeal per quart of mix
Repotting:
I don't know anyone that likes doing this job.
Sometimes I do repot my plants to bigger pots, but most of the time I just cut the plant in half, because I want to use the same pot and then it's stressful to throw out the other half. :)
Once a year, on a warm spring day, I gather all of my plants and find a shady spot outside and they are either repotted, trimmed and all the pots are scrubbed. Spa day for the plants.
Pests and diseases:
I don't know how pests get in the house since our winters are so cold.
If any of my plants get attacked by pests, they usually end up dying. So, I have two of my favourite plants just in case.
Aphids
I use Insecticidal soap. Repeat treatments to control later egg hatching.
Mealybugs
A q-tip soaked in alcohol - rub the mealy bugs off your plant.
Whiteflies
Spray with insecticidal soap and use sticky tape.
Mites:
Spray with insecticidal soap and mist daily with water.
What is the best indoor plants to clean the air?
According to Oklahoma Gardening Video
13 best and proven air cleaners for fresh air.
Boston Fern
Palm Parlor
Weeping Fig
Rubber Tree
Dracaena
Corn Plant
Spider Plant
Pothos
Philodendron
English Ivy
Peace Lily
Gerber Daisy
Pot Mum
I hope this helps and saves time in trying figuring out the best place to grow you favourite plants. All of my plants were growing on a South Exposure Windows and now most of my plants are struggling on my North Wall Windows after we moved. Below are some of the plants I have growing on my 4 Exposure Windows, but I move them around to see where my plants are happier and then that's where they stay. :)
Name:
Best houseplants-North Windows
Aspidistra elatior
( Cast-iron Plant )
Cycas revoluta
( Sego Palm )
Dieffenbachia
( Dumb Cane )
Ferns
.
Sansevieria trifasciata
( Snake Plant )
Ivy
( Swedish, English )
Peace Lily
.
Philodendron
.
Pothos
.
Maranta leuconeura
( Prayer plant )
Zebrina pendula
( Wandering Jew )
Name:
Best houseplants for East or West Windows
Most of the plants that grow on North Windows will also do well on East Windows, but the west windows might be too hot for some plants if plants are on the windowsill.
Araucaria Heterophylla
( Norfolk Island Pine )
Ficus Benjamina-
( Weeping Fig )
Ficus Elastica
( Rubber Plant )
Nephrolepis exaltata
( Boston Fern )- best on East Windows
Rhapis excelsa
( Bamboo Palm )
Santpaulia
( African Violet )
Sansevieria trifasciata
( Snake Plant ) This plants grows anywhere. Good beginner plant.
Name:
Best houseplants for South Windows
Aloe barbadensis
Medicinal Aloe
Beaucarnea recurvata
( Pony tail ) palmlike plant
Brassaia actinophylla
( Shefflera )
Bromeliads
They love the bright light.
Cactii
( Including Christmas Cactus )
Crassula argentea
( Jade Plant )
Pelargonium
( geranium )
- Natural Home Remedies with John Dromgoole
from Austin Texas
Home Remedies from the Video
Baking Soda:
Natural Fungicide
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon liquid soap
1 gallon of water
Rubbing Alcohol:
for Mealy Bugs and Aphids
1 cup of alcohol
1 quart of water
Betty posted Message 1207 in the Gardening BBS
Dated : January 10, 1999 at 17:07:17
Subject: Re: Houseplants...
-I am not a master anything, but do enjoy my house plants as I have never had room for an outdoor garden ( but I am moving soon and will be able to try my hand at that also)
-There are also a few other considerations when one is dealing with house plants.
--Humidity...for most popular varieties of foliage and flowering plants 60% is the ideal. Room humidifiers go a long way in helping with this, and in addition when you have the heat or air conditioning on, misting the plants foliage twice a day ( early morning and late evening are best) helps. I have an some recipes I once got from a plant book and they work well for me:
FOLIAGE HUMIDITY TONIC:
1/2 tsp instant tea;
5 drops liquid dish soap;
5 drops ammonia
1 drop antiseptic (listerine) mouthwash;
1 qt warm water
--Temperature, Heating, and Air flow...most house plants are happy with 68-72°F in the day, 55-60°F at night. The type of heat you use may be a factor as kerosene and oil heat can leave air born deposits on leaves thereby clogging the plants pores. Air flow is also important because during times when a home is closed up ( for heat or to keep air conditioning in) a build up of cooking oils, dust, etc can also build up on leaves and clog them.
--Feeding and Watering...I have 3 recipes for plant food which I sort of mix and match..I read somewhere that plants like people like a little variety now and then...it seems my plants read the same book and agree, also, only "feed" during before noon, and NEVER in the evening, plants ingest solid foods during the day.
FOLIAGE PLANT FOOD:
1/4 tsp instant tea;
1/2 TBSP ammonia;
1/2 TBSP hydrogen peroxide;
1 vitamin with iron;
1 capful bourbon(substitute vodka if for flowing plants);
1 gal. water... mix one cup of this to 1 gallon of water when watering your plants.
NATURAL PLANT FOOD:
5 drops liquid fish fertilizer;
4 tsp instant tea;
1/2 tsp liquid dish soap;
1 gal warm water....this you use as is or " full strength"
BALANCED PLANT FOOD:
4 tsp instant tea;
1.10 tsp 15-30-15 fertilizer;
1/2 tsp ammonia;
1/2 tsp liquid dish soap;
1 gal warm water...this is also used full strength.
-This is not a complete list of things that can help with houseplants, but are a few I found that are as important as light and placement.
-Hope it helps *S*
Betty
carla posted Message 1182 in the Gardening BBS
Dated : November 17, 1998 at 01:28:45
Subject: Re: Houseplants...
Also, another rule of thumb is, the more 'white' or lighter shades a plant has on it's leaves the more sunlight it will need.
In hence the opposite goes for the full green leaf.
I am no Master Gardner by no means, but that is one bit of information that the florist or nursery fails to give out.
Is it because they think that everybody should know this or is it because they want us back to buy another plant
and blame us for the poor growing atmosphere that we had provided?
