Don’t Drown Them
Over watering kills more houseplants than any other reason.
And although the watering technique is one of the most complicated things to
master, it’s also one of the most important. Eventually you will – through a
hands-on approach and a little education – get the hang of it. As time
progresses experience will come into play and one day you may even judge
whether your plants need watering or not by lifting up the pot and checking the
weight, by the overall appearance of your plant or by feeling the leaves
between your fingers.
When you water, don’t just give your plants little sips;
drench them thoroughly to make sure that the entire root system is covered.
Water enough to soak the soil (until you see water emerging from the pot’s
drainage holes). By watering heavily, you are also leaching excess salts that
accumulate in the soil and discouraging any dry air pockets from developing.
Make sure to dump the excess from the pot’s saucer below. Never leave your
plant’s pot sitting in water. Allow your plant to dry out appropriately before
soaking it again the next time.
For more information: Top Three Ways To Kill A Houseplant
Don’t Dehydrate Them
It is a lot harder to kill a houseplant from under-watering
unless you literally deprive it of moisture long past the wilting stage. Most
plants are tough enough to recover from minor water deprivation with just the
loss of a few leaves and premature bud drop. But if you take a plant past the
point of no return, you can kiss it goodbye; chronic under-watering results in
plant death.
Unfortunately, the symptoms of both under-watering and
over-watering fallacies are often similar, which makes it difficult to diagnose
properly and act accordingly. As stated above, you will eventually get the hang
of it. But one thing’s for sure: if you lift your plant and the pot is heavy,
it’s a clear sign that the soil is saturated and there’s no need for more
water.
For more information: Top Three Ways To Kill A Houseplant
Don’t Keep Them In The Dark
When plants are not receiving enough light they tend to
stop growing or grow very slowly. If they do grow, they usually grow tall and
spindly and their leaves stretch pathetically towards the light. The plant will
look weak and straggly, and the new leaves will be smaller than they should be.
The foliage becomes a pale green, mature leaves turn yellow and drop, lower
leaves are discarded and flowering plants won’t bloom. Variegated plants turn
all green, and if your light-deprived plant miraculously puts out flowers, they
will probably fall prematurely. When you deprive your plant of appropriate
light, it is slowly starving to death. It will put out enough signs of distress
to tell you that it needs more light.
For more information: Top Three Ways To Kill A Houseplant
Don’t Give Them Sunburns
There is such a thing as too much light or too much
‘direct’ light. Signs of too much light can include bleaching of leaf and
flower colour, leaves curling down and away from the light rather than
stretching towards it, pale yellow or white spots from being exposed directly
to the sun and leaf burn from the intensity. The growth can be compact and the
plant may wilt during the day due to rapid water loss. Yellowish-brown patches
develop on some leaves and flowering may be inhibited on plants such as
poinsettias and orchids. Other flowering plants may not bloom at all, and for
those that do manage to pop up a few buds, they may drop without opening, or
the flowers may be too small or short-lived if they do open. Washed-out, limp
and clearly in distress, your plant that prefers shadier corners will scream for
mercy if you leave it sizzling in the midday sun. Unless you rescue it from
its red-hot location, it’ll burn to a crisp and end up in the trash.
For more information: Top Three Ways To Kill A Houseplant
Don’t Let The Dust Settle
It doesn’t take long for a plant’s leaves to be coated
with a layer of dust, grease, oil or any other airborne particle, making them
unattractive and dull. The type of residue and the amount that gathers depends
on where your potted beauty is situated. A dirty plant is an unhappy plant.
Dirty leaves can’t absorb as much light as clean ones. Inadequate light
diminishes the ability to photosynthesize (your plant’s way to feed itself).
This causes stress. Substances that accumulate on the leaves can also clog up
the plant’s breathing pores, which can also disrupt optimal growth. And cause
stress.
Dust on outdoor plants is washed away by the rain and
insects are kept in check by being blown away by the wind. Since those
beneficial elements of Mother Nature are not available indoors, it’s up to us
to meet those needs for our houseplants. Hose down your large plants outdoors
or in the shower, rinse smaller specimens under running water in the sink, wipe
leaves with a sponge or clothe, dunk foliage in a bucket of water and swish it
back and forth, or sweep the dirt away with a soft brush on fuzzy-leaved
plants.
If you make it a habit of cleaning your plants regularly,
they’ll grow better and look great. Make sure to always shower and clean your
plants early in the day so they’ll have a chance to dry before nightfall.
Leaving a plant wet at night can encourage fungi and disease.
For more information: Add Houseplants To Spring Cleaning
Don’t Feed Them To The Bugs
No houseplant is immune to infestations; they are all – to
some degree - susceptible to attacks by an assortment of insects and pests,
especially in the winter when the indoor environment of an insulated heated
home generates dry and stale air – elements that encourage pests to flourish. Some
infestations are just an unsightly nuisance while others can cause considerable
damage to a plant, even its untimely death. How you deal with unfortunate
invasions depends on the infected plant, the pest involved and the magnitude of
Plants give clear signs if something is ailing them – by
means of symptoms – so peek in on them from time to time to check on their
progress. This will reveal the emergence of insect problems in their early
stages, way before they spiral out of control, giving you the opportunity to
nip them in the bud and restore your plant’s health quickly and efficiently.
Take a close look at your plants every time you water them. Inspect their
leaves, stems, growing medium and surrounding area for signs of trouble.
Observation is the best method of control.
Keep your plants in tiptop shape by watering them properly
and providing them with adequate light and humidity. A healthy plant will
utilize its own resources to defend itself against infestations while a plant
under stress is much more vulnerable to them. By improving cultural practices
and maintaining the right environment for your plants, you’ll be one step ahead
in controlling pests.
For more information: Bug Off
Plants serve a purpose in our lives but that purpose can’t
be fulfilled unless we satisfy their needs accordingly. In reality, we serve
them, they don’t serve us.
So, ask not what your plants can do for you, but what you
can do for your plants.
