Houseplants that will brighten up those dull days
Two common houseplants, calceolaria and kalanchoe, provide a pop of colour on a dull day
Recently I came across calceolaria for sale. When I was a child their swollen, puffy flowers used to fascinate me – they looked like exotically coloured fungi. Grow in a cool position about 10-16C (50-60.8F) with good light but no direct sunshine. They welcome high levels of humidity and the compost should never be allowed to dry out. Place the pot over damp gravel to increase humidity levels around foliage. Feed fortnightly with a highpotassium food to encourage strong flower growth and remove flowers as they finish.
A nother brightly coloured choice at this time of year is kalanchoe. But if you find them too vibrant, combine with the more muted colours of Begonia rex to tone them down.
Tips on newly acquired plants
When you get new plants, remove any packaging as soon as possible and then check the dampness of the compost – if it’s dry, give the plant a small amount of water. You can always add more water in a few hours.
Don’t saturate the compost with the first watering as this can initiate the start of the roots rotting. I like to give new plants a weak feed in their second watering. Plants can get stressed during transportation from the nursery to your home and I feel a little bit of food can help them become established.
Remove any damaged foliage or flowers with a sharp knife to help
prevent any damage or rot progressing into the plant’s structure. Most plants will need a few days to become acclimatised to your growing conditions. During transport they could have spent several days in a cool or dark situation, so don’t position in bright sunlight straight away.