As much as I love gardening, it’s terribly difficult to get inspired to write about it, and to find something seasonally appropriate in the middle of February. This past weekend my sister-in-law asked me to try to rescue her dying houseplant and I found some helpful information from Paul James, The Gardener Guy, on the HGTV website. Here are some of the highlights.
One way to kill houseplants is to give them too much or too little light. Bright, direct sun from a south-facing window is tough on houseplants, even those that need a lot of light. Conversely, a north window probably doesn’t provide enough light. The best plan is to place plants in a bright south-facing room slightly away from the window.
This also helps keep the plant from getting too cold at night when temperatures near the window can get nippy. Providing houseplants with optimum temperatures is pretty easy since room temperature is fine for most of them, even if it changes several degrees during the day and night. Plants should not be placed where air from a furnace register blows on them.
Humidity is another issue. The average humidity in most of our homes is quite a bit lower than what most houseplants prefer. Luckily, most will adapt in time. Some, like cacti and succulents, don’t need much humidity.
Another surefire way to kill a houseplant is to plant it in a pot full of garden soil which may contain nasty bacteria or fungi just waiting to attack your plant. Garden soil is low in organic matter and will restrict the roots and in time will pull away from the walls of the pot. When that happens, water drains too quickly and doesn’t have a chance to reach the roots. Good potting mixes are readily available and reasonably priced.
Sometimes people get into a watering routine, dousing their plants every Saturday morning, for instance. That may be convenient for you, but it can be disastrous for your plants. A better way is to water when the plant truly needs it. Some plants, depending on the type, location, soil condition and pot size, may need water every three days, while others may need water only every three weeks. Experience and observation will tell you when it’s time to water. Until then, use the finger test: stick your finger into the soil. If the top inch of soil is dry, it’s time to water. It’s a good idea to fill a water jug a day ahead and let the water warm to room temperature, which plants prefer.
During winter months when plant growth slows down, cut back on watering and withhold fertilizer until spring.
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