Archive for September, 2008
Plants for people who over water their houseplants
Are you one of those people who just must add water every time you walk by a plant? Consider growing some bog plants inside. They are easy to grow and they are far more exotic than your average house plant.
Carnivorous plants: These bog plants love sun So you’ll want a sunny window for them. They average about 6″ some more some less.
Umbrella plant: Would love a sunny window but will do fine in an east or west bright window. These grow to about 2′ potted up inside but can reach 4′.
Alocasias: Most of these do not want direct sun. They will grow 1′ to 2′ talk and you’ll feel your in the jungle.
All of these plants can be grown in sphagnum moss or peat moss, the only stipulation is that carnivorous plants can not be grown in soil that has had fertilizer added to it.
Pot up your plant and put the pot in a dish of water. Any 1″-2″ saucer will do just fine. Water them from the bottom, just top off that saucer when ever you feel the urge to water.
What to do when your peace lily refuses to bloom for you
( or any other non-bulb plant )
The number one reason plants do not bloom indoors is they need more light. More light should always be the first thing you think of when ever a house plant has a problem.
So first try to find a sunnier location or put a fluorescent light over the plant several hours a day.
If the plant is still being difficult about blooming, try a balanced fertilizer, say 10-10-10 or so.
The second number is phosphorus and this is usually what is needed when a plant doesn’t bloom because of a nutritional problem. If you can find a fertilizer that has a higher middle number than the other two numbers try that. Because so much phosphorus is out in the environment and because of the harm it does most fertilizer companies don’t sell high phosphorus fertilizer any more.
If the plant stubbornly refuses to respond to light or fertilizer try giving it less water than it wants. You don’t want to dry it out, you just want to stress it a little. I find this almost always works if sun or fertilizer doesn’t.
If the plant still refuses, you must either learn to love it for its foliage or dump it and try a different plant.
