The use term âPlant Parentingâ has become prevalent over the past five years. It was coined by millennials to describe the caring for houseplants. Although I have tried to adopt it, I really do not like the term. Until a Boston Fern needs me to wake it up repeatedly, make breakfast for it, find its favorite shirt, sign a field trip form, finish packing its backpack, yell at the top of my lungs that the school bus is coming, and cheerfully smile and wave goodbye all before 7:45 a.m., I am not its parent.
Although I do recognize and even appreciate all of the care houseplants require, I donât want one calling me âMom.â My daughters, however, may have a different view. They are passionate houseplant parents.
Caring for houseplants does involve the basics such as watering and fertilizing but also a whole lot more. This column will address the intricacies of successfully growing a variety of houseplants as well as a few of the many benefits of having plants in your home.
The benefits of houseplants are many and varied. Houseplants help to reduce fatigue, improve focus, boost healing, improve your mood, lower stress and increase pain tolerance. Houseplants are virtual filters for many air pollutants. During a process called photosynthesis, they take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Want to reduce the amount of dust in your home? A recent study showed that houseplants can reduce the amount of dust in a home by up to 20%. NASA, which has done quite a bit of work regarding houseplants, actually recommends 15-18 houseplants be kept in an 1800 square foot house.
Improper watering is probably the most common reason why houseplants die. A calendar cannot tell you when a houseplants needs to be watered. Determining if a plant needs to be watered is a learned observational skill. Touching the potting soil, evaluating its color and if possible, lifting up the plant to gauge the weight will all help you to determine if a houseplant needs watering. It is better to error on the side of a houseplant that is slightly dry than too wet. When watering, water thoroughly and deeply. Water the houseplant until water starts to drain out through the bottom of the container. Lightly misting plants occasionally not only gives them a bit of water, but also helps to clean the dust off of their leaves. Daily misting during the winter months, when the humidity level in our homes drops can be especially helpful for many houseplants. For some plants, like African violets, it may be better to set the plants in a shallow dish of water and let them absorb the water from the bottom of the container.
Most houseplants do best in temperatures that range from 65-75 degrees during the day and slightly cooler at night. Make sure to keep houseplants away from cold drafty doors and windows during the winter.
Placing a plant in an area where it will get the correct amount of light is crucial. For plants that need high light that would be 6 hours or more a day, medium light 4-6 hours a day and low light less than 3 hours a day. Flowering indoor plants usually thrive near south or west windows. If plants donât get as much sun as they would prefer, they may not necessary die, but they may fail to thrive.
Specially formulated water soluble fertilizers are readily available for houseplants. Most houseplants will benefit from being fertilized once a month. You may want to skip a few fertilizer applications during the winter months when plants tend to grow less.
Repotting a plant, depending on its age and size, can be quite a chore. Repotting is necessary though when the root system of a houseplant has outgrown the original container. Be sure to choose a high quality potting soil that consists of peat moss, vermiculite and perlite. Carefully remove the plant from the existing container, place in the new container that has been prepared with the appropriate amount of potting soil. Backfill with additional potting soil, making sure to leave about 1â of room above the top of the soil to allow for easier watering.
Regularly inspecting your houseplants for diseases and insects will help insure that you catch any problems early and allow you to diagnose and treat problems effectively. Spider mites, scale and mealy bugs are three of the most common insects.
Propagating houseplants helps to rejuvenate older plants as well as encourages them to exhibit new growth. Many plants can easily be propagated by cutting. Other plants send up new shoots near the base that can be divided and planted in new containers. Spider plants are well known for sending out runners with new smaller plants on the ends.
Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc., and a landscaping company. She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or emailing her at Kathleen@thegrowingscene.com. Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She may address it in an upcoming column.
