houseplants

Selecting Houseplants

Houseplants can be bought in many different places therefore plant quality and price are important factors to consider when making a purchase.

Quality

There are a number of things to look for when shopping for a healthy plant. Begin by inspecting the leaves carefully. They should have the right colour, shape, size and be free of blemishes or brown edges. Also, the lower leaves should not be pale or yellow.

A good specimen should not look leggy or sparse. It should have a good, balanced shape and not be top heavy. Look closely at stems and leaves for any signs of insects or disease.

Finally, look at the pot and soil. If there are roots growing through the drainage holes or are seen at the soil surface, the plant has probably outgrown its pot. If you choose this plant, special care will be needed when transplanting into a larger pot.

It is a good idea to keep a new plant away from other plants for 2-3 weeks. This will protect the other plants from possible attack by any insects or disease you might have missed. Most houseplants are tropical or sub-tropical in origin. Often, they have been grown in greenhouse conditions or even outdoors in warmer climates. If the plants have not been acclimatized, they may go through an initial period of shock.

Often, plants drop some leaves or some leaves may yellow, when first brought into a new environment. This adjustment period should not last more than a few weeks.

During this time, keep the plant relatively cool to help minimize water loss through its leaves. Check the soil regularly to determine when to water. Also, do not fertilize at this time, since the plant is adjusting to lower light and humidity conditions.

Caring for Houseplants

Several factors influence your success with indoor plants. The key factors for plant growth are light, temperature, humidity and water.

• Light

Light is essential for plant growth and can be one of the most limiting factors for success with houseplants. Both the amount and the quality of light are important.

Indoors, the amount of light that enters the room is only a small compared to that found in your garden or outside. While most plants will perform best with bright light conditions, some plants can tolerate moderate to low light conditions.

Remember that light conditions change throughout the seasons. Several factors can influence your light intensity and duration. For example, the sun is higher on the horizon in the winter (increasing the brightness indoors) and lower on the horizon in the summer (decreasing the brightness indoors); surrounding trees and shrubs may block sunlight with their leaves in summer, but allow for more light during the winter after their leaves have fallen off.

The amount of light your plants receive during the day (24 hours) is important to its growth and general well-being. Ideally, a plant needs between 14-16 hours of light. Plants should not be exposed to more than this amount of light as they need to rest.

• Temperature

Most foliage plants prefer day temperatures between 65 degrees and 75 degrees with night temperatures usually 5 to 10 degrees lower. Avoid extreme temperature changes, such as cold and hot air blasts. Take special care near cold window panes as cold glass can damage foliage.

• Water

How much water a plant needs is influenced by a number of factors. Not only is the individual plant size and species important, but also its specific growing conditions. Light, temperature, humidity, container type, container size and soil type all influence the speed of growth and therefore the amount of water needed. It is best to look up individual plant types for their watering needs.

• Humidity

During the winter, most homes have less than 30 percent humidity and some plants may suffer. Humidity can be increased with a humidifier. Setting plants on pebbles in a water-filled tray can also increase humidity. Make sure the pots are not sitting directly in water. Another technique is to group plants together which improves the humidity immediately surrounding them.

Misting plants has also been used for increasing humidity. However, the humidity level is only increased for a short period and repeated misting maybe necessary. While some plants tolerate misting, other plants do not and too much misting, may increase the incidence of disease.

Symptoms of unhealthy plants