How to Chose and Keep Indoor Plants Alive

Here are some tips for choosing and keeping house plants alive. I have kept a variety of indoor plants alive for several years and this is how I have done it.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. The biggest mistake people make when getting a house plant is going straight to the store and buying one solely on its appearance. Your selection must start at home. Look around your living space and decide were you have space for a plant. In front of a window or hanging from the ceiling are always good locations that provide ample lighting. In a way the house plant becomes a part of your decor and it must not get in the way of your daily routine. For example, do not place one on your kitchen table if you have 4 seats and 4 family members, it will just get in the way.

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   Indoor plants are normally categorized into three groups based on their requirements. They are as follows high, medium and low light. Plants classified as high light are high maintenance, requiring a lot of natural light and higher temperatures. Medium and low light plants need less light and can survive in lower temperatures.

3. Research your area to learn your environmental conditions. I live in the North Eastern United States and my lighting conditions are as follows. All the windows on the southern and eastern side of my home allow high and medium natural light in, depending on the season. Western windows allow medium and low light into the room. And the windows on the north side of my home allow only low light into a room.

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   Okay, you have a idea what type of plant you can put in the space you have chosen, now you can go to the store. The garden center of most stores are divided into sections according to the lighting requirements. Make sure you stay within your needed section. Indoor plants usually always have information tags stuck in the soil or on the side of the pot. These tags state the plants' light, temperture, and water requirements. It also states the common and scientific name of each plant. Be sure to read over the information on the tag.

5. If you do not already have an extra, larger flower pot and potting soil at home, pick some up while your at store. Plan on repotting any store bought plants as soon as you get them. They are started in tiny pots and stores very rarely repot them. Stores figure the indoor plants will be bought before they out grow the pots. I have never gotten a house plant from a nursery so I am not sure what to except from their plants.

6. Repotting an indoor plant is not that difficult, just messy. Start by putting a little bit of soil into the bottom of the new flower pot, now loosen the plant from its original container by squeezing the sides of the container. With your hand, gather the plant at the base, near were it meets the soil and gently pull up on it. If plant does not want to budge squeeze the container sides again. Once you have the plant free from its container you will want to loosen the root ball by either tapping it on the side of container or by using your hand to fluff the soil loose. Do not pull on the roots, you must be gently so you do not break the roots. The roots became compacted in the smaller pot and will take better to the new soil and pot if you loosen them up. Once you have the roots prepped place the plant in the center of the new flower pot and fill around the plant with soil. Stop the soil an inch or so from the top rim of the container. Some of the branches and leaves toward the base of the plant may become covered by the soil and that is okay, but brush off any soil that has landed on any above the soil level. The only thing left to do is water your new plant in its new container. Slowly and evenly moisten the soil and then check it a few minutes later to see if it needs more water. Now the plant can be placed in the location in which you got it for.

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   The frequency in which you must tend to the new indoor plant will depend on the type you chose and your environment. Until you become familiar with your new house plant plan on checking it weekly. I have mostly meduim and low light plants and my routine is as follows. Every week and a half I water the soil and I also have a water spray bottle that I use to soak the leaves and branches with. I add liquid fertilizer to my water can every other watering that I do.

8. One technique to keep your indoor plants healthy is to wipe off all the leaves with a wet wash cloth. This will remove any dust or smoke build up that have collected on them. This is time consuming if a plant has a bunch of little leaves, but it is worth it to keep the plant growing and healthy. You should be able to smell the freshness of the plant when you get done wiping it down. Using the inside of a banana peel also works well for cleaning the leaves. I do this every six months or when there is a noticable build up. I have to do it more enough in the winter when we have our fireplace going, but not so much during the other seasons.

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   Other technique to is to place them into a bathtub and use the shower sprayer to soak them completely. Be sure to open or remove the drain plugs on the bottom of the flower pot to allow all the extra water run out. You will want to fertilize the plants in your next watering after doing this to replenish the nutrients that may have been washed away. I only do this once a year.

10. Once a plant is established after the initial repotting it should not need done again for several years. But keep it mind indoor plants are like trees, they are as big under ground as they are above.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are not sure about your indoor green thumb do not start with high maintenance house plants. Start with easier low maintenance, drought tolerant plants.
• I am a fan of Miracle Grow line of products, but use whatever you wish to grow your house plants.
• If you use liquid fertilizer, whether directly on a plant or in your watering can, never pour it onto the leaves of a plant.

[IcyCucky]

on 6/3/2009 Great advices on indoor plants!