Houseplants
A houseplant is a plant that is grown indoors in places such as homes and offices. Houseplants are commonly grown for decorative purposes and health reasons such as indoor air purification. Plants used in this fashion are most commonly, though not always, tropical or semi-tropical.
Great for gifts or just a treat for the home we have foliage and flowering houseplants all year round with special enphasis on Christmas with the beautiful Poinsettia and Orchid plants.
Hints and Tips
Moisture
Both under-watering and over-watering can be detrimental to a houseplant. The best way to determine whether a plant needs water is to check the soil moisture. Feeling the soil is most reliable. Proper soil moisture can range from still slightly moist on the soil surface to very dry to nearly the bottom of the pot. If a plant does need to be watered, water should be slowly poured over the surface of the soil until it begins to drain out the bottom of the pot, ensuring complete saturation.
Aspect
Plants convert the energy in sunlight to chemical energy, which fuels plant growth.
Different plants require different light intensities which can be altered by the positioning of the plant within the room. As a general rule, many flowering houseplants prefer a higher light level and positioning them on or close to a window will achieve this. Plants that are predominently foliage will often require less intense light to prevent scorching of the leaf.
Feeding
Depending on the plant, the demands, timming and type of food will vary.
Plant foods are usually marked with a number such as 20–20–20. These numbers indicate the percentages of nitrogen, phosphorusand potassium respectively, the three elements that are needed in the most quantity for plant growth. A 3–1–2 ratio of these elements is usually good for green foliage plants, while a 1–2–1 ratio is usually better for flowering plants. A complete fertilizer will also include the minor and trace elements, such as calcium, magnesium and iron.
There are many specialist feeds available as well as the well known all round reeds such as Miracle Gro or Baby Bio. Always read the instructions carefully before diluting.
To find out more about the growing conditions of houseplants, try looking in THE HOUSEPLANT EXPERT written by Dr D G Hessayon. This book is simple to read with easy explanations of how to feed, water and position.
|
