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Indoor
Plants
Ideas and Tips
Q:
What houseplants do well in low light locations? Read
tips.
Q:
When should I transplant my houseplant? Read
tips.
Q:
Bromeliads - when their unusual, bright flower is gone,
should I toss them? Read tips.
Q:
How often should I fertilize and what fertilizer should
I use? Read tips.
Q:
Which houseplants are poisonous to my pets and children??
Read tips.
Q: Can houseplants help clean the air in my house? Read tips.
Want
to have your questions answered? Drop
us a line!
Q:
What houseplants do well in low light locations?
A: There are
a number of shade-loving houseplants for your low light areas.
They offer quite a range of shape and color. One good one
is Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema), whose widely lanceolate
leaves with many choices of variegation brighten up a dark
corner. A more delicate texture is provided by the Aspleniums:
either the Bird's Nest Fern with its wide leaves, or the Mother
Fern with its new fernlets being born on the frond surfaces.
Baby's Tears (Soleirolia) is a vigorous groundcover with tiny,
dainty leaves.
For
an upright look, try Dracaena Janet Craig with its full, rich
green leaves, or the Snake Plant (Sansevieria). For hanging
beauty, Pothos is a tried and true plant available in many
hues. There is my personal favorite - the Cast Iron Plant
(Aspidistra). This plant dates back to medieval times when
castles offered cool temperatures, lots of drafts, and absolutely
minimal light. (If cool temperatures and minimal light sounds
like a normal house in a Northwest winter, try this plant!)
Finally, all Philodendrons are somewhat tolerant of low light,
but P. Scandens is the most successful in the lowest light.
Its common name, Sweetheart Plant, refers to its heart-shaped
leaves.
Read
other tips
Q:
When should I transplant my houseplant?
A: Houseplants
in general show some yellow flags when they need a new home.
The most obvious sign is roots growing out of the drainage
hole or masses of roots showing at the surface. Another sign
is difficulty in watering. If the water sits on the surface
and does not easily drain through, you should consider either
amending your soil texture or checking the soil-to-root density
(the pot may be too small-not enough soil for the roots).
Conversely, if the soil drains too quickly and the plant still
seems water stressed, there may be too much soil for the roots
(or the wrong kind). The most obvious symptom in your houseplant
itself will be lack of vigor. If the leaves are emerging slowly
with a decrease in size, this shows that the plant is under
stress.
If
you are uncomfortable or unfamiliar with transplanting your
indoor friends, please bring them by. We can assist you in
choosing the proper container size, potting medium, and procedures.
If you like, we can even do the transplanting itself at very
plant-friendly rates.
Read
other tips
Q:
Bromeliads - when their unusual, bright flower is gone, should
I toss them?
A: It is true
that when the bloom dies back, the parent plant will succumb
too and is best composted. However, first watch for new plants,
called pups, rising from the surface. These pups usually come
out in multiple numbers and can easily be divided and transplanted
to become their own big beautiful bloomers.
Read
other tips
Q:
How often should I fertilize and what fertilizer should I
use?
A: Most houseplants
(carnivorous plants and Staghorn ferns are among the exceptions)
love to be fertilized during their active growth in spring
and summer. An all purpose water soluble fertilizer such as
Peters or Miracle Gro is satisfactory for most houseplants.
We recommend fertilizing once every two to three weeks. Cacti
and succulents prefer a cactus fertilizer. Cactus Juice is
a good brand, and once a month is usually ample. Orchids also
appreciate a more specialized fertilizer - we carry several
good brands and will be happy to counsel you on which is best
for your plant.
Read
other tips
Q:
Which houseplants are poisonous to my pets and children?
A: Many houseplants
are toxic if eaten. We recommend that you consult the poison
control center or your veterinarian.
Read
other tips
Q: Can houseplants help clean the air in my house?
A: NASA has done experiments showing that some common houseplants can reduce the levels of indoor chemical pollutants such as formaldehyde by up to 87%. Plants shown to have effectively filtered out chemicals include:
- Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea erumpens)
- Corn Plant (Dracaena marginata; D. deremensis ‘Warneckii’ and ‘Janet Craig’)
- English Ivy (Hedera helix)
- Gerbera Daisy (Gerbera jamesonii)
- Golden Pothos (Epipremnum pinnatum ‘Aureum’)
- Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
- Snake Plant (Sansevieria)
Read other tips
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