Indoor Plant Care 101
When you meet someone with a green thumb, do you turn green with envy? Do you spend money on houseplants to brighten up your home only to have them whither and wilt? If you're one of the millions of people who weren't born with an innate ability to keep plants healthy, you should take some tips in the basic care and feeding of houseplants.
Ruthann Spears is the manager of Cincinnati Parks' Krohn Conservatory, a vast campus of greenhouses housing horticultural displays ranging from tropical rainforests to deserts. She holds a degree in Ornamental Horticulture and has many years experience working with plants and flowers of all types. Her she offers an introduction to houseplant care:
- Watering is key.
One of the keys to successful indoor planting, and the thing that many people find mysterious, is watering. Spears recommends watering plants thoroughly.
- Soak plant thoroughly.
Make sure there are drainage holes in the bottom of the pot so the water can run completely through. Let the plant sit a little bit so it soaks that water back up, and then wait up to two weeks before watering again.
- Don't move them.
Plants often do well when they are left in one place, so if you have a ficus tree that's happy, don't move it. When you move plants around it can actually shock them.
- Buy 3 at a time!
You shouldn't feel bad if a plant dies, because they can die for many different reasons. The important part is to learn a lesson and do better next time. Spears suggests buying three plants of a particular variety, so if one dies you've only lost a third of your collection.
- Offer cuttings to friends.
It's great when you learn to take care of plants and keep them healthy and thriving. Once you have a green thumb, you can share your plants with all your neighbors and friends by giving away clippings and pruning.
For more information about caring for plants, check out the following website:
Plant Care.com
www.plantcare.com
| 
){kind=logo}
)
