Indoor Gardening (4 page)

This is one of the most popular plants grown indoors the world over. There are many variants of the plant, which makes it a very attractive option. It has long, thin green leaves with a cream color strip running through its midst. These plants grow up to one foot tall and about 2 feet wide with thick, green foliage. The leaves are long, thin and very beautiful. The baby plants that grow at the end of the stems make the plant look like it holds spiders all around it; hence, its name.

T
EMPERATURE:

The Spider Plant is happiest in an environment that stays between 60-80 degrees. It can withstand a little more heat, but not cold. It requires medium sunlight. Hence, if there is too much sunlight in your areas, shade the area.

W
ATER:

This plant does not require too much water. You will need to keep the soil moist and evenly watered. Too much water and the plant will wilt. Water it once in 2-3 days.

S
OIL:

The spider plant requires high quality potting mix soil. Fertilize the soil once in 2-3 months or top it up every month.  Ensure that the soil is properly aired and drained.

P
ROPAGATION:

For propagation remove the plantlets at the end of the stem and pot them in good soil that is maintained with minimum moisture. The baby plants root readily within a week.

9.
E
NGLISH
I
VY (
H
EDERA
HELIX)

This is a most common outdoor plant in many areas. However, it can adapt very easily indoors as well. It can be grown easily in pot from where it can climb around the room or window. For best effect train the plant into topiary form. It grows fast, can be easily trained and requires very little pampering. Trim it if you want it to stay small. Most people prefer to mold it into wide variety of topiaries.

Beware that this plant’s leaves are poisonous; keep children and pets away from this plant.

T
EMPERATURE:

This plant grows best in environments that are 55-70 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a sturdy plant that does not respond too well to extreme heat. It loves sunlight but not too much direct light.

W
ATER:

This plant does not like too much water, but requires it steadily. The best is to always have water in the plate below the pot so it can pull up as much water as it requires. The soil should never become waterlogged.

S
OIL:

Use a good potting mix that can drain well. The plant needs water, but it requires the soil to stay moist not wet.

P
ROPAGATION:

The plant propagates easily through cuttings. Take a few cuttings and bury them in moist soil. You will have roots in a couple of weeks.

10.
S
NAKE
P
LANT (
S
ANSEVIERIA TRIFASCIATA
)

This is a handsome plant that has leaves shaped as long green swords with yellow outline. This plant is so unassuming that many compare it to plastic plants – that is how low attention it demands. It is almost indestructible and hard to kill. It grows to up to 4 feet tall and looks exceptionally beautiful.

T
EMPERATURE:

The best temperature for these flowers is 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit and requires low to medium light. However, it does not really complain if it is exposed to high level sunlight or heat.

W
ATER:

The best way to water these plants is once in 2-3 days for it does not need much watering. It would be good if you let the first 1-2 inches of the soil dry before your watering schedule. Overwatering would lead to root rot.

S
OIL:

The plant benefits from using high quality potting mix soil. Fertilize the soil once in 2-3 months or top it up every month.  Ensure that the soil is properly aired and drained. Too much water can kill the otherwise very sturdy plant.

P
ROPAGATION:

You can get new plants from leaf cuttings or from the offshoots (plantlets). When the plants produce these offshoots, you need to remove them and plant them in new containers.

C
HAPTER 3.
O
VERCOMING
T
HE 5
M
OST
C
OMMON
I
NDOOR
G
ARDENING
P
ROBLEMS

Starting your indoor garden will throw up a number of challenges. Of course, the benefits of growing a garden would far outweigh the inconvenience or problems it might generate. The good news is that most of the problems you would encounter can be managed with a little effort and ingenuity.

Here’s how to do it!

1.
I
NADEQUATE
L
IGHT

Most houseplants thrive even in low light with just enough indirect sunlight. However, there are some that require intense and natural light. For this challenge you have two solutions. One is to place the plant near a window or on a window sill. If that is not always possible, use artificial lighting that is available in most garden stores (or order it on the Net).

If you have no spots in your house with lots of natural light, then just focus on growing plants that don’t require lots of light.

2.
P
LANT
D
ISEASES

Plants like all living things are susceptible to a number infections, parasite attacks and diseases. You can solve this challenge by studying carefully about each plant you are growing in your home and learning how to fight each problem that these plants might encounter. Most garden shops will be happy to teach you how to use organic fungicides, pesticides, and other solutions that would help your plants stay healthy. The key here is to make a correct diagnosis as early as possible; especially if you have other plants in your home.

Most diseases can be avoided simply by following the maintenance instructions for each plant and making sure not to over-water or over-fertilize your plants.

3.
P
ROBLEMS WITH
H
UMIDITY

Some problems require a higher level of humidity to stay alive and happy. This can be a challenge in places where the climate is dry. To overcome this problem, you might like to use room humidifiers or just mist the leaves of the plant as often as it is necessary. Also, it is important that you keep the plants away from places such as heat vents or heaters that can suck the moisture out of the air and harm the plant.

4.
U
NDER OR
O
VERUSE OF
F
ERTILIZER

This is a very common problem with new gardeners. It takes a little time to understand what each plant needs. As a plant lover, you will be delighted to find that each plant has its distinctive needs and if you really love them, you will almost feel what they want – sunlight, fertilizer, and water. You will feel as if they are talking to you and telling you exactly what they want. When in doubt, you can always contact your local garden store for advice; alternatively there is a lot of information on the Internet just waiting for you to find and use it.

5.
I
NADEQUATE
W
ATERING

It is possible that in the beginning you would be watering your plants too often, too rarely, too much or too less. Too much water can kill a plant just as too less can. The solution here is learning all you can about your plant and watching closely about signs that it is not happy – such as wilting of tips of the leaves, dropping leaves, yellowing of the leaves, and so on.

A good measure that applies to most plants is to ensure that the soil of the plant is well drained. Unless the containers have proper drainage, your plants will always be in the danger of ‘drowning’ if too much water gets into the container and there’s no way for it to get out. One very effective method is adding pebbles or rocks to the bottom of the container before adding soil. That will ensure that water drains well while the soil remains moist.

C
HAPTER 4.
F
IGURING
O
UT
W
HAT
Y
OUR
P
LANTS
N
EED

There are many factors that a plant requires to grow well and stay healthy. The soil is one of the most important aspects for an indoor plant. Hence, it is very important that each plant has the best soil mix according to its requirement. Generally speaking, most plants would thrive quite well in a good potting mix, which has a 10-10-10 mix of nitrogen-phosphorous-potassium, also known as NPK; but occasionally some plants would require something more such as some plants need phosphorous to grow better and bloom. It is important that you know these little tricks if you want to get the best out of your plants – whether they are flowering plants, herbs, vegetable or fruits.

T
HE
S
OIL
Y
OUR
P
LANTS
N
EED

A veteran gardener would always mix his own soil. If you are not yet comfortable with the idea, do not worry; you will come to it in a while. This takes time to learn and plenty of experience; so, do not worry if at first you do not seem to understand much about soil and stuff. Stick to the ready-mix potting soils available in the garden store until you are comfortable to try mixing your own soil. There are plenty excellent commercial soils available for potted plants that will do just as well and save you the time and hassle of figuring it out.

Before you give it a try, you will need to learn about what each type of chemical in the fertilizer does and how it would affect your plant.

1.
N
ITROGEN

There are plants – especially those with deep green foliage – that thrive on Nitrogen. The best, in this case, is using the slow-release- fertilizer products. Look for the products that are especially designed for indoor plants. You will need to know at what rate your plant absorbs the fertilizer so you apply just the right amount. Too less or too less, and the plant will wilt.

2.
P
HOSPHORUS