Page 22 2015 Fall Home Improvement and Garden LINCOLN DAILY NEWS.COM SEPT. 29, 2015
a little fertilizer
they go gang
busters.
What is a
suitable
location?
Most winter indoor
conditions with
low humidity and
low light here in
the Midwest are
a harsh climate to
plants.
The first two
points to consider:
1) What are the natural growing conditions of a
particular plant? Is it a palm commonly found
growing on the jungle floor in low light and humid
conditions, or a cactus common to the desert sun
and dry heat.
2) Where has the plant been growing the past
couple of months?
If the plants you bring in have been in full sun
while out of doors, they will need as much light as
you can provide, maybe even some supplemental
artificial lighting.
Do not move a plant around to catch sunlight each
day, or from week to week, without good reason
such as realizing a heat source may be damaging.
Once you
choose an
appropriate
place, stick
with it.
Expect your
plant may go
through some
acclimation.
Healthy roots
You will want
to consider
repotting if
a plant is pot
bound, which
is easily determined by tapping the plant out of
a pot and you find a solid mass of roots and little
soil holding the pot shape.
Moving a plant up a pot size one to two inches
bigger affords a soil moisture buffer zone. With
this ratio of plant roots to pot size you should be
able to maintain a once a week watering schedule
where you check soil moisture, and if needed,
water until the water drains through, discarding
excess water about an hour later.
To off-set low humidity you might place the plant
on an oversized tray with pebbles and water.
Prevent moisture damage to your home
It is a good idea to add a layer of protection as
a moisture barrier beneath the pot tray where
condensation may occur. This is especially
important on wood floors. An inexpensive option
for floor plants is a carpet remnant.
Though a bit pricey, cork mats are attractive, last
a long time and are a great investment. Cork mats
come in all sizes, mediate temperature changes
and block moisture.
This is where an ounce of prevention may save
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