Estabrook's Garden Newsletter

Houseplant Care Guide

Make sure not to over-water your houseplants!

The most important thing to remember when selecting houseplants is to choose plants that will be suited to the light levels and temperatures of your home. Most houseplants require little attention apart from regular watering and feeding, so for the most success, choose houseplants that will fit into your conditions.

Light

A moderate amount of bright, filtered light is best for most plants. Low light levels can lead to a decline in health as insufficient food is produced to replace older leaves as they die, leaving pale stunted plants. On the other hand, too much light can lead to scorching of the foliage with many tropical houseplants.

Temperature

Although many houseplants require warm rooms, they generally prefer an even temperature. In winter this becomes a problem when central heating creates large fluctuations between day and night temperatures. Avoid placing plants near radiators, in drafts, or on windowsills at night.

Water

Indoor plants more commonly die of over-watering than from drought. Overwatering eventually leads to root death and collapse of the plant. Try to keep your plants moist and avoid letting the compost dry out completely. Water from below allowing the plant to take up water as it is needed, but allow excess to drain away. Brown tips and margins of the leaves often indicate that the compost or atmosphere is too dry. Always use tepid water to prevent temperature shocks to the roots.

Feeding

Liquid feeds are generally the best for houseplants. Choose one high in potash for flowering pot plants, a more balanced one for foliage plants, and use a special fertilizers for certain groups of plants such as orchids.

Repotting

After a year or two plants may need repotting into a larger container to maintain healthy growth. Choose a clean pot one or two sizes large than the old one, then water the plant before potting and allow to drain. Repot using a similar type of compost to the old one.

Storing Summer Flowering Bulbs

Summer flowering bulbs should be dug and stored in a cool, dry place

Most summer flowering bulbs should be dug and stored when the leaves on the plants turn yellow. Use a spading fork to lift the bulbs from the ground.

Leave the soil on achimenes, begonia, canna, caladium, dahlia and ismene bulbs, but wash other varieties. Store these bulbs in clumps on a slightly moistened layer of peat moss or sawdust in a cool place.

Drying

Separate your bulbs by species or variety and spread the washed bulbs in a shaded place to dry. Inspect your bulbs for signs of disease and keep only large, healthy bulbs that are firm and free of spots. Discard any undersized bulbs.

Storage Areas

Once the bulbs have dried, store them away from sunlight in a cool, dry basement, cellar, garage or shed at 60 to 65 degrees. Avoid temperatures below 50 degrees or above 70 degrees unless different instructions are given for a particular bulb.

Try to keep the humidity in the storage area as low as possible, and never store bulbs in an area where ethylene gas produced by fruit is present.

Containers

Large numbers of bulbs can be stored in a container with peat moss, sand, perlite or vermiculite. If you have only a few, you can keep them in a very loose knit sack or paper bag and hang them by string in a sheltered, cool area.

Be sure that air can circulate around your stored bulbs. Deep piles of bulbs generate heat and decay, so never store bulbs more than two or three layers deep.