Lynne Dibley reveals the houseplants that tolerate less natural light
Choose ferns that can tolerate less natural light during winter
During the winter months the light levels are as low as they get and our indoor plants struggle to grow in positions away from windows where there’s very little natural light. There are two options to alleviate this situation; electric grow lights or choose Lynne part-owns Dibleys Nurseries, specialist growers of streptocarpus, begonias and other houseplants, and winner of 20 Chelsea golds. Over the past 20 years, she’s introduced 100 streptocarpus to cultivation – 10 with AGMs. Lynne is a member of the RHS Tender Ornamental Plant Commi ee and Hon President of the British Streptocarpus Society. plants which are tolerant to low light.
A selection of plants under a grow light makes a nice display through winter and the extra light will encourage plants to continue flowering. Many of the available indoor light systems are aimed at salad or herb growing but are equally suitable for ornamental plants. But if you don’t have lights, there are still plants happy to grow in reduced light.
Flowering plants aren’t suitable for a low light position but a group of plants which will be happy is ferns. A selection of ferns will grow well together, Didymochlaena
truncatula (mahogany maidenhair fern), adiantum ‘Fragrans’ (maidenhair fern) and Platycerium bifurcatum (staghorn fern) all grow in similar conditions and provide complementary foliage. Either pot together in a large, shallow pot or place in attractive individual cover pots. The right environment D. truncatula grows best in a warm situation (14 -22C/57-71F) but the cooler the average temperature, the less water it will need and never let the compost become dry. As the young foliage emerges it’s a deep mahogany colour, hence the origin of the common name, mahogany maidenhair fern.
Adiantum ‘Fragrans’ looks more delicate than the other ferns mentioned, but it has similar growing needs. In nature it’s found alongside streams and waterfalls where it’s continuously being sprayed by a fine mist.
This variety is ideally suited to growing in a higher humidity atmosphere, either in a bathroom or kitchen. Brown tips on the fronds are an indicator that the air’s too dry. Another way to increase humidity around plants is to sit them over a tray of damp gravel – as the water evaporates it will help the fronds remain lush.
P. bifurcatum needs the same conditions to thrive. The fronds are covered in fine, downy fuzz and are best left undisturbed so never try to clean them. In the wild this is an epiphytic plant (grows on a tree) and therefore the roots are its anchor. Another way to grow this fern is to take the rootball out of its pot, wrap the roots with moss and attach to a piece of bark. Thereafter treat like a hanging plant and water by briefly immersing the rootball into water when it feels dry. The word platycerium is a combination of two Greek words – platys, meaning broad, and keras, meaning horn or antler; therefore, the plant’s named after the shape of its fronds.
Grow all indoor ferns in a warm but draught-free position; slight shade and out of direct sunshine is ideal. In the spring repot into a slightly larger pot with houseplant compost and during the summer feed regularly with a high nitrogen plant food.
A new trend to display plants
The art of ‘kokedama’ (which literally mean moss ball) is a recent trend for displaying plants. This is a combination of bonsai styles, where the rootball of a plant is wrapped in moss and then the plant is suspended.
During a recent visit to a builder’s merchant I came across metal pipe covers which reminded me of the shape of a kokedama. Each basket is 12cm (5in) in diameter, which is an excellent size for a great range of houseplants.
Use fresh moss to generously line the inside of the basket. Water your chosen plant well before removing from its plastic pot. If the rootball is too tall or big, gently tease the roots out to remove surplus compost. Position the rootball into the basket and cover the top of the compost with another layer of moss. During the winter, water every four to seven days. The watering regime will depend on the type of plants and the temperature they’re growing in. Briefly immerse the rootball into a container of water and then leave to drip before hanging back up. Don’t place in direct sunshine as this will kill the moss – the intention is keep the moss growing to eventually hide the wire basket.
You could use a clear fishing line to hang the baskets which will give the impression they’re floating, or use string to create a macramé style basket.