Houseplant Care & Growing Tips

Try Arranging Small Pots Of Houseplants In Groups For A Decorative Display

Houseplant Care & Growing Tips

• Lack of humidity is one of the biggest problems for house plants, particularly during winter when heating systems dry air to desert conditions. To raise the humidity, set your potted plants on trays or pans filled with gravel and water. Keep the water level below the top pieces of gravel.
• Most flowering plants require more light than foliage plants. Watch leaves for signs of improper light conditions. If they start turning yellow, move the plant to a spot where it will get less light. And, if your flowering types have deep green leaves and few blossoms, give them more light.
• South and west windows give the most sun during the winter; east windows are best for the summer months.
• Give pots a quarter turn each time you water so the plants won’t lean toward the light and get lopsided.
• Does your plant have gnats? Here’s a trick to find out if you’re not sure: slice a chunk of raw potato and leave it on top of the soil where you suspect gnats are thriving (lay it cut side down). After seven days, lift the potato up–if you have gnats you will see larvae on the potato. From Get Rid Of Gnats: Tips & Remedies.
• Save onion scraps to make your own homemade pesticide, see Organic Insect Repellent For Plants.
• Plants growing in inadequate light should be fertilized sparingly; provide proper light, then feed, and you will have healthy plants again.
• Submerge newly potted plants in a sink or pail of water to just above the rim of the pot. Leave until bubbles stop rising from the soil; then take out and let drain.
• Always use lukewarm water when watering plants to avoid chilling the roots.
• When repotting plants, remove as much old soil as possible from roots, particularly from the top of soil ball, disturbing roots as little as possible. Use a pot proportionate in size to the plant. Plants should be shifted to bigger pots as they grow larger (see How To Pot A Plant).
• Found this tip in an old magazine for homemakers: When going away for a few days, soak a large sponge in water and place it at the base of house plants, they will stay moist for days. I would use a fresh sponge and not one used at all for cleaning. From Quick Tips For Plants & Garden.
• To revive “sick” ferns, water them with 1/2 teacup of salt added to six pints of lukewarm water. If infested with worms, stick matches into the soil, sulfur end down. For an ordinary sized plant, use four matches–six for a large pot. The sulfur does the trick. From Old-Time Tips For Flowers & Plants: Timeless Wisdom.
• Unglazed clay pots provide ideal growing conditions for plants. They are porous, providing necessary air circulation to roots, and have drainage holes in the bottom, making overwatering less likely. Plastic pots are lightweight and easy to handle but, as in metal or ceramic containers, water evaporates slowly, so you have to be careful not to overwater.

Source: Better Homes & Gardens House Plants Vintage Insert (unless otherwise noted)

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