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"Houseplants have become a staple in
many homes," said Sharon Yiesla. "Since the home often provides a
less-than-ideal environment for these plants, it is important to
select houseplants carefully. Select those plants that will grow in
the environment provided."
Yiesla said there are important steps
to follow in watering, fertilizing, light, humidity and temperature
in caring for houseplants.
"There is no magic formula or timetable
for watering houseplants," she said. "Since temperatures, light and
humidity tend to change, it is not practical to water houseplants on
a set schedule. The best way to tell if a plant needs water is to
feel the soil and see how dry it is. When the top inch of soil is
dry, it is time to water."
Top watering and bottom watering are
both acceptable methods, she noted. With bottom watering, salts may
accumulate in the soil and need to be flushed out from the top
periodically. When watering from the top, apply water until it comes
out the drainage hole. Let the plant sit in the water in the saucer
about 15 minutes, then drain off the excess water.
"If all the water is applied in one
spot, a 'pipeline' might develop and water will flow through without
wetting the soil," Yiesla said.
Several types of fertilizer are
specially formulated for houseplants. These may be liquids, powders
intended to be dissolved in water, or slow-release products like
beads and sticks to be placed in the soil.
"Most houseplants do not need much
fertilizer," she said. "The best time to fertilize is when the plant
is actively growing. During the winter, houseplants are not growing
much and should not be fertilized. As the days grow longer, growth
resumes and fertilizer may be applied. Usually fertilizing ever four
to six weeks is adequate. Be sure to follow the directions on the
fertilizer package.
"Two cautions on fertilizing:
Fertilizer will not compensate for poor growing conditions, and
fertilizer should not be applied to a wilted or dry plant -- it
needs water, not fertilizer."
Light is often a limiting factor in
growing houseplants. Most houseplants grow best in bright, indirect
light, but many plants can adapt to various light levels.
"The amount of light in a house varies
from room to room," Yiesla noted, "depending upon the number of
windows in each room and the direction in which they face.
North-facing windows tend to provide the least amount of light.
Plants that are tolerant of low-light conditions may be able to grow
in north-facing windows, but they should be placed within one foot
of the sill. The light level may be slightly higher in summer when
the sun rises from the northeast.
"East-facing windows provide indirect
light through most of the day and cooler temperatures. Flowering
houseplants, which need cooler temperatures, often do well in
east-facing windows. South-facing windows provide the greatest
amount of light, especially in winter, when the sun is lower in the
southern sky. Plants that need direct light or high levels of light
do well in southern exposures."
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this article]
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While the light is intense in a
south-facing window, so is the temperature, she added. If a plant
cannot tolerate high temperatures, it can be placed to the side of
the window, where it can receive bright, indirect light. Sheer
curtains or mini-blinds can also be used to regulate the amount of
light received by plants in a southern exposure.
"West-facing windows provide indirect
light in the morning and early afternoon, but strong direct light
and higher temperatures in mid- to late afternoon," she said.
"Plants that need either direct light or bright, indirect light
would do well in front of or near a west-facing window."
Yiesla said there are signs to look for
that indicate a plant is receiving too much light or too little.
"Plants that are receiving too little
light may have stretched or leggy growth, abnormally small leaves,
or a yellowish-green color," she said. "Flowering plants may not
flower when light levels are too low. Plants with variegated leaves
may revert back to all green leaves under low-light conditions.
"Plants that are receiving too much
light may have leaves that appear bleached or scorched. The leaves
may also take on a pale yellow green color."
In terms of humidity, most houseplants
prefer humidity levels between 40 percent and 60 percent. Heating
the home in the winter can lead to lower levels of humidity.
"There are ways to increase humidity
around plants," she said. "A room humidifier would provide increased
humidity for the entire room, making it more comfortable for plants
and people alike. Grouping plants together will help raise humidity
in the vicinity of the plants. Plants give off moisture through
their leaves. Grouping the plants together allows the plants to
benefit from this evaporation.
"To increase humidity even more, place
the grouping of plants on a pebble tray. A pebble tray is a shallow
tray filled with pebbles or gravel. The pebbles are moistened, and
as water evaporates, the humidity is raised. The level of water on
the tray should be below the houseplant's pot, so that the plant is
not receiving excess water. Misting by hand is not recommended as
the amount of humidity produced is very small and short-lived."
Most houseplants are tropical or
subtropical in nature and thus must have temperatures above 55
degrees F. Temperatures below 55 degrees may cause houseplant leaves
to droop.
"As a rule of thumb, foliage plants
prefer temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees F,” she said.
“Flowering houseplants prefer 65-75 degrees F during the day and
55-60 degrees F at night. Very high temperatures can be detrimental
to all houseplants."
[University of Illinois news
release]
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