How to maintain indoor plants
January 5, 2010 by admin
Filed under Gardening Tips, Indoor
Like all living things, indoor plants require an environment suited to their needs in order to thrive. With attention to these basics, you’ll soon have healthy, happy plants, adding beauty and cleaner air to your home or work place.
Step One: Begin with healthy plants! When you shop, or receive plants you’ve ordered online, inspect them for disease. Check both the tops and bottoms of the leaves for insects or damage left by insects. Allow only plants that are in good condition to become part of your collection.
Step Two: Select a pot large enough for the roots of the plant – with room to grow! A plant will only be as healthy above ground as it is below ground. If its roots are constricted, its growth will be hindered, or it may begin to fail. Periodically check to see that the roots have not outgrown the container, and if they have, either divide the plant or transplant it to a larger home. If roots begin protruding up from the soil, that’s a clue that repotting should take place immediately.
Step Three: Use only high quality soil, and change the soil every one to two years. When you purchase a new plant it will likely come with good soil. But over time, the nutrients in the soil are depleted, and getting the fertilizer mix just right can be tricky. Use recommended amounts of fertilizer, but it is still a good idea to replace the soil periodically. If your plant is losing its vibrancy, and there is no obvious cause like visible disease, then that may indicate the necessity of some fresh dirt. Choose a soil mixture high in sphagnum peat with perlite and vermiculate as part of the mix. Adding modest amounts of fully decomposed compost to the soil will give your indoor plants a nice boost, as well. Note: Cacti and other succulents need soil that is well-drained, so mixing in potting sand may be needed. Many experts recommend the use of an electronic soil tester to evaluate the quality of the soil. Learn what soil types your plants do best in, and give them what they want. They’ll give you years of service in return.
Step Four: Know the proper moisture content of the soil for each variety of indoor plant you have, and water carefully. Most beginners don’t realize that too much water can be just as harmful as not enough water. Use a container with holes in the bottom for excess water to escape. Otherwise, root rot may take place before you know it. Remember that clay pots will absorb some water, so add a splash extra for plants growing in them.
Step Five: Prune your plants in their off-season for growth, according to established guidelines. A pruned plant will take off more quickly when it does begin to grow again, and will produce more and healthier blossoms if it is a flowering plant.
Step Six: Practice your techniques, and you will soon be sporting as green a thumb as the local nursery owner! Enjoy your indoor plants, talk to them like old friends, and they will become treasured companions.
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