Part one of a two part series...

Now that fall is here and winter just around the corner, it is a great time to think about growing some indoor plants to create cleaner air, besides adding something beautiful to your living space. Plants are living things and must be managed so that their life support systems function properly at all times. 

All houseplants live outdoors somewhere possibly the tropics or maybe even the desert.  When choosing a houseplant you must create an environment that is similar to that which they grow in normally.  For example, you would want to grow a cactus in a place that is warm, out of cool drafts.  Watering would be minimal, just like where it grows.  Always read the tags so that you can provide the best care possible.  I sometimes do a bit of research on the internet as well looking for info that is consistent with Master Gardener websites.

Currently, I am growing a Plumaria tree from a start (small branch) I purchased less than  a year ago in Hawaii.  It was basically a stick in a package.  I really questioned the likelihood of growing this plant, but the person I purchased it from says her sister (who lives in Alaska)  has been quite  successful. Her tree is now 5 feet tall...it enjoys a couple of months during the summer outdoors, the remainder of time indoors.  Mine is about 2 feet tall and shooting up new growth...had to repot about 2 months ago.  So, I am truly enjoying it!

When you decide to grown indoor plants, here is what to consider:

• What are the lighting requirements? Where in my home can I meet the requirement?

• What temperature is ideal for this plant? Can it survive if a draft hits it regularly.  Is your placement close to a heat register? Consistant temperature is ideal. Note:  Do you like to buy poinsettias for the holidays?

If so, they really need special care. First of all, do not buy one if the weather is cold and the store display is by the door. They are extremely sensitive to cold air.  When I purchase mine, a shopping bag goes over the top of it at the store and it stays there until the plant is in the house. A sign that the plant has been ruined by a draft would be the leaves start to fall immediately once you have it in your home.  Or if you have placed it by a door that is opened frequently or heat vent. 

•  Humidity is also a factor.  That can change in the home from season to season, much like outdoors. 

•  Water is the most important (and most abused)

So knowing that regulating Light, Temperature and Humidity are necessary...how do you make certain these needs are met? 

Let’s take a look at Lighting

• Light changes over the year as the sun gets lower in the sky during fall and winter, higher in spring and summer.  This means you may have to move your plants from time to time depending on the area they are in and the requirements of the plants. Not always necessary, but keep it in mind if you plant is not doing well.

•  Keep in mind that some plants prefer diffused light as opposed to direct light.  Or some enjoy indirect light, such as an african violet.

• Plants needing more light can be in a south or southwestern window...those needing less will do better in a northern or eastern window.

Next up, Temperature
Fortunately, most plants tolerate a fairly broad range of temperatures and thrive at normal home temperatures, if all other enviromental factors are satisfactory. 

• Temperatures vary greatly however if a plant is in a sunny southwestern window area or in a northern exposure.  Make sure you know what temperature the plant requires.

• Also, what type of heat do you have?  Do you use a thermostat.  Be sure to know the range of temp (day to night) that your plant can take.

• If you are away during winter....sometimes better to have friends take your plants into their homes. Just make sure it is someone who understands the needs of houseplants. 

Humidity, a necessity for those tropical plants!
Ferns, orchids and gardenias are a few of the plants that need humidity.  Sometimes orchids are placed in bathrooms in indirect light to receive the extra humidity that a shower provides. Place a tray with gravel in it (so plant is not sitting in water directly) add a small amount of water often so plant is surrounded by the moisture as evaporation occurs. Damp spaghum moss packed between several pots in planters acts as a wick to draw up and dispose of excess water in the bottom of a planter box.  Grouping plants together raises the humidity for all the plants in the room.  Humidity are watering are especially important if your heat source during the winter months is a wood or pellett stove. The air in your home becomes very dry...not good for plants (or humans for that matter)! Take special care if these conditions are present in your home.  You can spray the leaves of most plants...definitely not african violets or gloxinias.

Water, the most abused!
Watering is tricky...too little is bad, but too much can be worse!  Never water on a fixed schedule.  Here are a few of the main concerns when it comes to water:

• Be sure to research the needs of a plant when you first bring it home.(some like to dry out, others need to be kept moist, none like sitting in standing water)

• Water must be managed differently as the season’s change. Heating your home in the winter changes the needs for watering your houseplants.

• Make certain you have good drain holes in the bottom of your planter.

• Highly organic soils are difficult to rewet once they dry out completely.  It It will shrink away from the container and the water runs directly out the sides of the pot.  If this happens, submerge pot in water until medium if fully moistened, then drain on a rack for a couple hours.

• Flush soluble salts from pots on periodically.  (you will see a white buildup on the top of soil). Water (rinsing the soil) 3 times at 30 minute intervals to wash the salts out the drain hole. Set on a rack to drain out the bottom for several hours.

Additional factors to consider regarding water. 

• Chlorine in tap water will not harm plants
• Fluoride in tap water can damage sensitive plants
•  Room temp water is best.  Plants like african violets, gloxinias, and other plants of this family, prefer luke warm water or water that has been brought to room temp.

Stay tuned, my next posting will include plant nutrients, potting, propagation and an informative guide to houseplant problems!

- Marla Hovey