Caring for plants inside the home
The holiday season has ended and inside of most homes the decorations are coming down. Speaking for myself, I love the holidays and the Christmas spirit the decorations bring to our home. At the same time, the tree and the other decorations in our house take up considerable space. When they come down the living space increases back to a level unappreciated before the holiday season.
During this period of transition there might be an area or two looking a bit empty. In these areas you may want to consider adding a couple of plants.
Over the years I have struggled with a few of the descriptive names given to the plants we use inside of our homes. Horticulturally they are accurately referred to as “Tropical Plants.” This is because they are all native to regions with tropical weather.
“House Plants” is misleading, as is “Indoor Plants.” There is not a plant on earth that wants to grow inside of a building. The lack of sunlight, humidity and other natural conditions do not favor most plants’ ability to survive. This is why there are realistically just a select few plants, out of the tens of thousands, that can survive and thrive in these conditions.
If you want to add some plants to your home this winter, you will want to choose varieties that have proven to be easy to care for. This would include varieties of Dracena, Diefenbachia, Pothos, Philodendron, and Spathiphyllum.
Once you have chosen a plant that you know can tolerate growing inside of a house, you need to know how to care for it. No matter the type of plant, try to find a place where it will get the maximum amount of natural light. Placing it in front of a window is fine. If you do this, turn the plant occasionally so each side has access to the light.
Avoid placing plants by a heat source. The air in our homes is very dry and plants want humidity. Also avoid placing them near a door. The cold blasts of sub-freezing temperatures are also not good for them.
The most common mistake made with plants indoors is they are watered too often. These plants do not grow yearround. They need to rest, just like the outdoor plants. In the winter they are dormant. You should always check the soil before watering, and let plants dry out between watering. Depending on size and variety, some plants may only require water once every two weeks. As I say of every plant, they can recover much easier from under-watering. Over watering causes damage to the roots, which is difficult for the plant to recover from.
When you do water, it is best to place them in the sink or bathtub so you can run water on them at a slow pace. This will allow water to get through all of the soil. The excess will drain out the bottom. If you have saucers under your plants, drain the water out of the saucer. Do not let the plants sit in the excess water. This will also cause them to stay too wet, too long.
There is also a possibility that your plant may have insects living on the plant or in the soil. The best way to avoid insect problem is to treat your plants with systemic insect granules. These insecticides are taken into the plants through the roots to the inside of the plants. They are effective for up to six weeks. If you need a spray insecticidal soap as well, Neem oil is safe to use indoors.