House Plants.

There are thousands of varieties of indoor house plants that can create a veritable paradise in the interior of your home. Especially in areas where it is not possible to have the benefit of an outdoor garden, the wide choice, spectrum of colors and lush foliage of indoor house plants will create a wonderful outside environment in your indoor area. The selection of suitable indoor house plants and the simple and efficient procedures that you follow with proper house plant care will create a satisfying, beautiful, peaceful and tranquil area within your home.

Selecting an indoor house plant:

• Select only those indoor house plants that appear to be insect and disease free.

• Select indoor house plants that look sturdy, clean, well-potted, shapely, and well-covered with leaves.

• Select indoor house plants with healthy foliage.

• Select superior quality indoor house plants that have new flowers, leaf buds and young growth.

Transporting indoor house plants:

• Do not transport indoor house plants during the hot summer or cold winter months.

• Do not transport indoor house plants in a closed vehicle because the temperatures will rise too quickly and destroy the plant. Transport the house plant in a comfortable temperature and shield the house plants from direct sun.

• On the other hand very low temperature will also damage the indoor house plant. Wrap the house plants with newspaper and maintain a comfortable temperature in the vehicle.

• If an extended trip is needed when transporting indoor house plants maintain a warm temperature between locations.

Acclimatization:

• The original growth of the house plant is determined by either growth in the full sun or growth in the shade.

• You need to acclimate the house plants to a new location and either gradually reduce the light levels or increase them if the house plant is being placed in a different light pattern from its original growth area. Acclimate the indoor house plants gradually over a 4-8 week period.

Environmental factors:

Light, water, temperature, humidity, ventilation, fertilization, and soil are chief factors affecting plant growth. For correct indoor house plant care make sure that any one of these factors in incorrect proportions will prevent proper plant growth indoors.

An example of house plant care for an indoor house plant is the Ficus and these are some basic environmental factors requiring attention:

• The Ficus is one of the most commonly grown indoor house plants. There are over 800 species and 2,000 varieties most of which are native to the Old World tropics. In their native habitat the Ficus plant can be found growing in the dense forest in full sun.

• New varieties of the Ficus plant are developed and improved for durability of the versatile indoor house plant.

• Water - Over- and under-watering account for a large percentage of house plant losses.Moisture level is the area of house plant care that requires the most attention. This indoor house plant requires a consistent environment and the house plant care requires moist soil but it must not be soggy. Water the house plant pot until water runs out of the bottom. Do not let this house plant’s soil dry out between waterings. In fact the best indoor house plant care water regimen for Ficus is a sub-irrigation system.

• Light – Light is necessary for all plants because they use this energy source. Ficus survive low interior light but the best house plant care is bright filtered light. Position this house plant near a south window. The Ficus, a popular indoor house plant, needs to acclimate to its location.

• Fertilizer – this is almost not needed for this house plant care. Indoor house plants like the Ficus grow slower so the food intake capacity is lower for these plants.

• Temperature – Most house plants tolerate normal temperature fluctuations. This indoor house plant enjoys warm conditions, but cooler temperature at night is actually more desirable for plant growth than higher temperatures. However cold, drafty conditions will slow the Ficus’s growth considerably.

• Humidity and Ventilation - This indoor house plant needs about 25-30% humidity for the house plant care to be at its optimum level. Another way to raise humidity is to group house plants close together. House plants like the ficus and especially flowering varieties, are very sensitive to drafts or heat from registers. Avoid this for appropriate house plant care.

• Insects and Disease – the best house plant care for the Ficus regarding the common indoor insects is to clean the house plant’s large leaves regularly. This type of house plant care not only enhances the plant’s appearance but removes the pests. High soluble salts also damage the Ficus’ roots directly which results in root rot if this area of house plant care is neglected.

• Propagation – Ficuses are house plants that root easily from cuttings and many new varieties are being produced from the tissue culture being done on these indoor house plants.

Other areas in which you can enhance house plant care and make sure that your indoor house plants give you pleasure for many years is to make sure:

• The potting soil or media in which your indoor house plant grows must be of good quality.

• Select containers that provide enough room for the soil and roots of your house plants. There are a variety of containers that are most attractive but for proper house plant care they need to provide enough headroom for proper watering and bottom drainage. The healthiest kind of pots for house plant care and excellent drainage are clay pots. Some other pots that are available for indoor house plants are ceramic, brass, plastic and fiberglass containers.

• Actively growing indoor house plants require occasional repotting. Foliage house plants require repotting when the roots of the house plant have filled the pot and are growing out the bottom of the pot.

Training and grooming indoor house plants are a number of minor house plant care activities that distinguish the beginner from the more experienced house plant grower. These minor house plant care activities include:

1. Pinching is the removal of new stem and leaf growth which leaves the house plant attractive and stimulates new growth.

2. Pruning is a similar activity, that includes the removal of an entire branch or section of the house plant, that keeps the indoor house plant compact, but well filled out.

3. Disbudding is another related house plant care activity where certain flower buds are removed either to obtain larger blooms or to prevent the physical drain of early flowering. Another related house plant care activity is training house plants in a formal pattern or training them on trellises.

Some examples of house plant care for special potted gift plants:

Too little light, too high a temperature and improper watering are the usual causes of failure in caring for gift plants. These gift house plants are grown in ideal greenhouse conditions and then these house plants are brought into a home maintained for human comfort without due consideration for the house plants. Results are disappointing so enjoy the indoor house plant while it is attractive in season and then discard the gift plant.

Some examples of these gift house plants are:

• The house plant care of Pointsettias requires bright light, well watered and kept away from drafts. There is a lot of house plant care required to allow pointsettias to bloom the next year.

• Azaleas require direct sunlight to remain healthy. This house plant requires acid soil and a night temperature of 60o F to yield the best results. Optimum house plant care is needed and unless you have the proper growing conditions for the azalea, you should not attempt to carry the plants over.

• Indoor house plant care for Gardenias need specialized treatment. These indoor house plants also demand an acid soil and should receive the same nutritional care as azaleas.

• The secret of growing the house plant amaryllis is to keep the plant actively growing after they finish blooming. Bring the house plants into a warm light room and water moderately to begin new growth.

• The Christmas cactus has become an increasingly popular indoor house plant with the development of several new varieties. The secret of good bloom seems to be one of house plant care that involves temperature and photoperiod control. Christmas cacti bloom best when somewhat pot bound.

• Cyclamen is an indoor house plant that requires full sunlight and must be watered whenever the surface of the soil is dry. If the night temperature is too high or if light is poor, the flower buds will fail to develop so good house plant care of the cyclamen is necessary.

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