Happy New Year! Now that the holidays are winding up, what do we do with these holiday plants? We might have poinsettias, amaryllis, holiday cacti, and the likes sitting around the house. And with these, I really don't want to throw them out - I'd almost rather slowly kill them in my dry, winter indoor climate, than just throw them out! But, in trying to be a better plant-owner, I thought it would be good to review some basics on houseplant care and specific care for these plants.
Basically, houseplants need adequate light, water, and food in the proper amount and quality. Too little or too much of any of these things can cause stress on houseplants. Other factors include humidity, ventilation, and temperature.
Light is usually a challenge with indoor plants. Most plants struggle to get enough light indoors. My best spot for sun in my house is a room situated on the southeast corner of my house. It is the brightest room for the longest time of the day. For these most common holiday plants, they will need as much quality light as possible. Regarding other common houseplants, it is almost impossible for a plant to get too much light inside a home or other building.
Watering is another essential in caring for indoor plants. According to the University of Minnesota Extension, houseplants are most commonly over watered. And this is the opposite of my problem - under watering. Some houseplants do better slightly with slightly drier conditions, where others do better with a little more water. The best advice I can give is to regularly check on all houseplants. As a general rule, if you push your finger into the soil by about one to one-and-a-half inches and you don't feel moisture, it's time to water. If you do feel some moisture, let the plant go another day and check it again. In our northern heated houses, it is very important to keep in mind that the indoor humidity is very low. Therefore, plants will dry out quickly.
I had a visitor on New Year's Eve who noted that my plants were very dry. I hadn't checked on them for two days and they seemed like they hadn't been watered for weeks! (Please note here that I am a recovering plant torturer and killer. I am really trying to do better, but need to change old habits!)
One problem with over watering, is that if a plant's roots stay wet all the time, most plants will develop root rot. This will lead to certain death of the plant. Poinsettias are especially prone to this problem. If left in the common decorative foil pot covering, make sure to remove it for watering purposes. Saturate the soil and allow it to totally drain out before returning the plant to the foil. This practice is a good rule of thumb for all houseplants. Water thoroughly and allow to drain out. If pots are set in saucers, empty the saucers after 10 or 15 minutes or the soil may draw the water back up, thus over saturating the plant.
This also brings us to a side topic of soil. It's important to have proper exposure to air, nutrients, and water. Also, the soil should drain well, but also retain some water for use by the plant. It's easiest for me to simply find a good potting soil at a garden center. Those more discerning can put together a custom blend of garden loam, organic matter, and sand. The North Dakota State University Extension Service has a great publication on houseplants, including details about building and pasteurizing your own potting soil. The web address is: http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/landscap/pp744.pdf.
And finally, it's good to give your houseplants some food once in a while, too. Plants do make their own food through the process of photosynthesis. Supplemental food can be given through use of a fertilizer. Fertilize only during the time when the plant is actively growing and not under stress. When using a commercial fertilizer, read all the label instructions, then mix the fertilizer to half-strength and feed. This information is recommended by the University of Minnesota Extension to help avoid overfeeding a plant. Symptoms of over-fertilization are not reversible.
Use these general guidelines for caring for those holiday plants and all houseplants. As time goes, I hope to post more about specific plants and customized care for them! Good luck and enjoy the new year!
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