Healthy house
plants
If your indoor plants often meet an untimely
end, help is at hand. Pippa Greenwood has some
useful tips on their survival….
Any room looks better with a few house plants,
but they can be difficult to keep. To ensure success, you need to
choose the right plant for the conditions you have to offer. Before
buying, always find out what a plant needs in terms of natural light,
temperature, humidity and moisture. Although all require some natural
light and water, you should find some that you can grow even in
the more difficult spots. |
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In
a dark hallway, try Sansevieria (mother-in-law’s tongue),
Fatsia(false castor-oil plant), Fatshedera(ivy tree), Ivies or Aspidistra.
For a warm, centrally-heated room with plenty
of light, try Yucca, Cacti, Weeping Fig, Spider Plant, Pilea, Coleus,
Streptocarpus, Hibiscus, Clivia, Hoya or Hippeastrum.
A warm, centrally heated room with relatively
little natural light is trickier, but the following should to tolerate
these conditions; asparagus Fern, Asplenium(bird’s nest fern),
Aspidistra, Dracaena(ti tree, dragon tree), Philodendron, Billbergia(angel’s
fishing rod, queen’s tears) and palms.
In a steamy kitchen or bathroom, try Peperomia,
Maranta(prayer plant), Stephanotis, Philodendron, Anthurium(flamingo
flower), ferns, Begonias or Bromeliads. |
If
a plant needs moist air around its leaves, standing the pot on a
large saucer or tray of moist pebbles, misting with tepid water,
grouping plants together will all help.
Avoiding draughty or windy spots is a must,
too. Natural light is essential, so if levels are low, do not keep
plants with variegated leaves or which are grown for their flowers.
And if light comes in from one side, rotate
the pot regularly so the plant does not start to lean. |
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Most
plants need more water and fertiliser during spring, summer and
early autumn, and far less from about October until spring.
Almost all will suffer if kept too moist
at the roots, so allow the surface of the compost to dry out before
re-watering. It’s usually best to water with tepid water from
the base rather than from the top.
Fertilisers are easiest to apply as a liquid;
check your garden centre for brands specially formulated for cacti,
foliage plants, flowering plants and so on. |
