Indoor Plants
Indoor Plants create a calming, relaxed atmosphere, bringing living spaces to life.
AT A GLANCE
- Need a well-lit, but not direct sunlight, position indoors
- Require regular watering, but allow the mix to dry out in between watering
Selection
Indoor Plants bring a restful ambiance even to the smallest room in the house. There are plants to suit every situation. Indoor plants enjoy warmth, soft light and high humidity. There are two main types. Flowering and non flowering.
As a general rule, foliage plants (including ferns) will tolerate rooms with low light and fluctuations in temperatures. They require less watering in winter and more frequent watering in summer.
Popular foliage plants are:
Popular Houseplants for Style & Texture are:
Watering Flowering indoor plants require a well+ lit room with a more even temperature and regular watering.
Popular flowering plants are:
When to Plant
Indoor plants are available all year round. The pot they are purchased in is usually adequate for the first year, or for short term plants, their entire life.
Where to Plant
Place your indoor plant in a well lit spot away from direct sunlight. Your plant will have come from the nursery growing in a quality potting mix, but you may wish to change the pot it is growing in to suit your decor.
AFTER CARE
Watering
A common mistake made with indoor plants is either too much water, or too little. Water regularly, especially in summer, and less in winter.
Let the surface of the potting mix dry out between watering.
To test if the plant needs watering push your finger into the mix - if it is moist, do not water, if it is dry water the plant.
Take care not to wet the leaves of plants with hairy leaves, such as African Violets, as water marks the leaf surface and it can develop disease.
Feeding
Regular feeding will keep your plant looking lush and flowering for months. How you feed your indoor plants depends upon what is convenient for you.
Slow release fertiliser such as Osmocote can be applied around the base of the plant. This can be done every 3 to 4 months.
Regular fortnightly feeds using a soluble plant food, such as Phostrogen, Thrive, or Baby Bio, make food instantly available to the plant.
Repotting
The best time to repot indoor plants is October to March.
Repot your plant if the plant dries out quickly between watering, the roots are through the bottom of the pot or the plant topples over.
Part fill the new pot with a quality potting mix, place the plant into the new pot. Fill around the plant with potting mix firming as you go and tapping the pot several times. Repot the plant to the same mix level of its original pot. Water well and drain.
Polishing Leaves
Keep the leaves dust free by using a leaf shine. This keeps the plant looking lush and healthy. Do not polish plants with hairy leaves.
Pests and Diseases
Scale Insects suck the plants sap and appear as small brown lumps on the stems and foliage. Spray with Bug Oil.
Mealy Bugs are small white fluffy sucking insects that appear on the stems, in leaf nodes and around the base of the plant. Spray with Kiwicare Gro Sure Houseplant Insect Control.
Mites are minute insects that cause leaf distortion, yellowing and speckling on the leaf leaving a fine webbing. The leaves eventually drop off. Spray with Bug Oil or Mavrik.
Botrytis is a grey mould that appears on flowers and leaves, and especially affects African Violets. Keep the foliage dry
Brown leaf tips and edges are caused by lack of humidity. There are two ways to increase humidity:
- Stand the plant in a saucer containing small pebbles. Pour water over the pebbles. Do not let the plants roots sit in water. Top up when necessary.
- Spray or mist the leaves with water every 2—3 days.
Other Uses
Indoor plants can be grown in hanging baskets, in terrariums or bottles.
Some indoor plants can be grown as standards - Ficus Ben is especially good for this.
Ask your garden center adviser for more advice on the best varieties.
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