Archive for the ‘over’ tag
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.
Oh no I drowned my plant!
What do you do when you have over watered your favorite plant?
The first thing to do is to get it out of the pot and re-pot it in fresh soil. It is not the damp soil that kills the plant but the bacteria that grows in the damp soil. So un-pot the plant, rinse off the roots in the sink and scrub out the pot if you are using the same pot. Dish soap and hot water work just fine.
There are several products you can buy in the nursery or online to treat bacterial problems with plants. If you have a plant you can not easily re-pot you might try one of those remedies first.
If you have a plant that gets over watered or is just prone to root rot try this:
Unpot the plant. Take a small clay pot, about 1/3 the size of the main pot, and place it upside down in the larger pot. This takes away the part of the soil that remains wet the longest. Cover with a little dirt. Place your plant over the upside down pot and guide the roots to the section between the two pots. Finish filling with soil. Just remember to keep a closer eye on the soil moisture now.
And remember when in doubt -> wait don’t water.
