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Denny's Soapbox |
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Tropical "Indoor Plant" Care
At this time of year we have little concern for our outdoor green but you may have a few questions about some green that you have inside your home. Here are some tips and ideas on how to keep your tropicals (houseplants) happy and healthy. Among the many opinions that are out there floating about, there is also my opinion that I’ll share with you today. All plants (tropical to very cold hardy ones) want to grow outdoors, not indoors. Cold hardy plants need to stay outside in order to live. Tropicals, on the other hand cannot tolerate freezing weather and are able adapt to indoor growing conditions. The following are some of my facts and tips to keep your indoor tropical plants happy and healthy. Indoor Placement Tropical plants that are indoors do not get or need direct sunlight. Most grower greenhouses have treated glass that reduces direct sunlight 50 to 70%. These plants just need good indirect light. Good indirect light is in rooms you can read a newspaper at noon without turning on a light. Homes with e-rated glass in their windows still allow enough good light for your plants. I also recommend that you buy your tropicals from retailers who only handle shade-grown plants. Also, remember that the only difference between florescent light tubes and grow-tubes is about six dollars. All artificial light is good. Watering and Re-potting How often should you water your tropicals? You should only water when they are good and dry. If you have several pots, remember they don’t all dry out at the same time. Water each plant only when it becomes dry. It also helps to set your plants away from any heat source or air vents. You should water each plant until water comes out of the bottom of the pot. Dump any excess water from the saucer. Self watering pots sound like they take the work out of watering but I have found that they can also take the life out of the plant. You should control the amount of water your plants get, not the pot. Repotting is another mis-understood project. Let’s begin with the fact that no plant, indoors or out has ever died from being pot bound, but many have been killed by having your plant in too big a pot. All plants do best when growing in cramped spaces. The only negative to pot-bound plants is the frequency of watering and in some cases, a reduced rate of growth. This reduced rate of growth can even be desirable if your plant is starting to outgrow its allotted indoor space. If roots are sticking out of your existing pot, trim them off with scissors. If you do re-pot, just move up one pot size and try to match the original soil. My Favorite Tropicals for Indoor Use All tropical plants will adapt to indoor growing conditions. There are some rooms in your home that are brighter than others. The following are my favorites for low light requirements. They will also do great in well lit rooms. Palms – all varieties Mother-in-laws Tongue Oleander Banana Spider Plant Yucca Dracena – all varieties esp. ‘Janet Craig’ Wondering Jew Golden Pothos American Aloe Caladium Peace Lily American Aloe Additional Bits and Pieces • African Violets bloom best when they receive their light through a north window. • Indoor plants are on the same growing calendar as the outdoor ones. They rest from November through March. You should not fertilize during this resting period. • Tropical plants trap and collect dirt in the air indoors as well as outdoors. Give all your tropicals a shower at least twice a year to clean the dirt off their leaves. Just set them in the tub and turn on luke-warm water to clean them off. Word Count: 628 |
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