House Plants

House plants can be a beautiful addition to the décor of any home or office. Bear in mind, however, that you should select plants that can withstand indoor conditions. In many cases, home and office environments are poorly suited to grow plants. You can be successful if you select your plants carefully.

Choose only plants that appear to be insect and disease free. Check the underside of the leaves. The plants should be well potted, clean, and well-covered with healthy foliage. Don’t buy plants with yellow or wilted leaves, and avoid plants that have been damaged or broken. Look for plants that have new flowers and buds along with young growth.

Light

Light is necessary for all plants, because it is their energy source. The amount and the kind of light a plant receives influence the manufacture of plant food, stem length, leaf color, and flowering. A geranium needs a bright light to be better branched with larger, dark green leaves. House plants need different light intensities. In other words, some plants need to be closer to the light source than others. The direction of the windows in your home will affect the intensity of sunlight that your plants receive. Southern exposure gives the most intense light and is the warmest; while northern exposure gives about 20% and is the coolest. Light colored surfaces in the home or office will increase light intensity, while dark surfaces decrease the intensity.

For house plants that are photosensitive duration of light received is of importance. Some plants, such as poinsettia, kalanchoe, and Christmas cactus will flower only when day-length is short. If you have low intensity lighting in your home, you may want to increase the time the plant is exposed to light. This will enable the plant to make enough food to survive and grow. Remember, though, plants do need some darkness to develop properly. Too much light can be as harmful as not enough.

Water

Over watering or under watering kills more plants than anything else. Some plants like drier conditions than others. You just have to know your plants. Differences in the potting soil may make a difference in your plant’s needs. House plant roots are usually in the bottom two thirds part of the pot, so don’t water until the bottom two thirds begins to dry out. Stick your finger in the soil. If it feels damp, don’t water.

Water the plant until water runs out of the bottom of the pot. This washes out the excess salt and guarantees that the soil has been watered all the way through. Don’t let the pot sit in the run-off water. If you do, those excess salts will be absorbed back into the pot.

Temperature and Humidity

Most house plants can tolerate normal temperature changes in the home or office. Most do best, though, between 70° and 80° during the day and from 60° to 68° at night. The lower temperature aids in recovery from moisture loss, intensifies flower color, and prolongs flower life. Humidity is the amount of moisture in the air, and you may have to increase the humidity in your home if you hope to have healthy plants. You may do this by setting up a humidifier or by placing gravel trays under the flower pots.

Ventilation

Some house plants are very sensitive to drafts or heat from registers. Dry air in the home overtaxes the plant’s root systems and may cause damage or plant loss. House plants are also sensitive to gas. Some plants will not flower, and others will drop their buds. Tomato plants are very sensitive to gas, and they are sometimes used in greenhouses to detect ethylene gas.

Fertilizer

House plants, like any other plant, needs food containing three elements: nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potassium. The majority of commercial fertilizers are 20-20-20 and are sold in granular, crystalline, liquid, or tablet forms. When applying fertilizer in a solution, some should run out of the bottom of the pot. This will prevent root burn and the buildup of salts.

Do your plants suffer from brown leaf tips, dropping of lower leaves, small new growth, dead root tips, and wilting? If so, you have a build up of soluble salts. You may have a crust on top of the soil or a ring around the edge of the pot at the soil line. When this happens, your plants find it harder and harder to take up water. If you don’t wash the salts out of your soil, your plants will eventually die. Remove the salt crust and hold the pot under running water. Do not allow the pot to sit in the water.

Media

The potting soil you use should be good quality. It should be porous for root aeration and drainage but also able to retain water and nutrients. High quality mixes generally contain slow release fertilizers and may consist of any combinations of peat moss, vermiculite, and perlite.

Containers

There are many types of containers. Be sure to choose one that fits your plant. It should be large enough for the roots and provide bottom drainage. You can find containers made from almost any type of material imaginable.

Repotting

Healthy, growing plants need repotting occasionally. If you see roots growing out of the bottom of your pot, it’s time to repot. The pot you select should be no more than two inches in diameter than the old pot. It should be clean. Be sure to wash salts from clay pots with water and a scrub brush. If there are small children around, let them help you repot your plants. Kids always love to play in the dirt, and they will quickly learn the joys of growing plants and flowers.

Special Potted Plants

Poinsettias require bright light and should be kept away from drafts. They like temperatures of 65° to 70°, and they want to be well -watered, but not too much. Some of the newer varieties can be kept attractive all winter.

Azaleas need direct sunlight. Keep the soil moist, and use an acid fertilizer. When repotting, use a mixture high in acid. They can be planted in a shady spot in the garden during the summer. They need to be watered adequately during the dry periods. Bring them inside before freezing weather.

In order to grow gardenias indoors, you have to give them special care. They need acid soil and similar nutrients as azaleas. They need low temperatures and high humidity.

Keep amaryllis in full sun. As soon as the danger of frost has passed, you can plant them in the semi shaded spot in your garden. In the fall, bring in the bulbs and store them in a cold dark place until January.

The Christmas Cactus will develop buds and bloom if you give it bright light, short days, and cool temperatures. They bloom best when somewhat pot bound.

Cyclamen require full sunlight and cool evening temperatures. They need lots of water and must be watered whenever the surface of the soil is dry. Let the plants die down after they finish blooming. In June, repot the corm with the top just above the soil line. Allow resting bulbs to dry but not shrivel.

Propagating Plants

Some gardeners prefer to start their plants from seed. Seeds are more inexpensive than buying growing plants. Some plants that are easy to grow from seeds are asparagus fern, bromeliads, cacti, coleus, gloxinia, impatiens, and kalanchoe.

First, you need to fill a pot or a tray with planting medium and peat moss. Dampen it and sprinkle seeds across the surface. Cover the seeds and pat them into the medium. Water them again. Cover the tray with plastic or glass and place in a warm location; a heating pad or top of the refrigerator will work fine. Water it whenever it feels dry.

Remove the cover whenever you see the seedlings pop through the moss. and move them to brighter light. When the second leaf appears, it is time to transplant your seedling. Plant each seedling in its own small pot. Be careful not to bury the leaves. Water your plants, and then move them to a brighter light.

If you have plants with several stems, you may divide them to make new plants. Pull the stems apart carefully, and make sure that you have roots on both stems. Put each stem in its own pot with fresh potting soil. Place plants out of direct light until they begin to grow. Then increase the light gradually over several days. Be sure to keep the soil moist so that the injured roots can heal.

To divide bulbs, simply pull off the small bulbs that grow in the side of the parent. Plant the new bulbs the same way you did the parent bulb. To divide caladium and tuberous begonia, cut their tubers (underground growths) in several places. Each section should have an eye. Plant and water. Gloxinia and cyclamen have roots like potatoes. Cut sections with at least one eye. Plant and water. Each section should produce a new plant.

Some plants can be divided by simply cutting off the tip of a branch. Be sure to cut below a node (where the leaf and stem join). Remove the lower leaves and any flowers and plant in moist rooting medium such as ½ peat moss and ½ perlite. Be sure not to bury the leaves. Provide indirect light and bottom heat. Dieffenbachias often lose their lower leaves. When this happens, cut off the top and transplant.

Some plants, such as African Violet, can be rooted from a stem. Cut the stem with a node and root in water. When little roots appear, it’s time to pot the plant. To propagate a rex begonia, put a healthy leaf on moist growing medium. Pin the leaf down so that it is in contact with the soil. New plants should grow from the leaf. To propagate a snake plant, cut the leaf into sections and insert them into potting soil. New plants should grow from the sides of the sections.

Some plants put out runners. Simply pin the runners to the soil, and when they develop roots, cut them away from the parent plant.

Happy Gardening.