Plant A “Green” House!

Planting indoors for comfort and beauty

 (Part 1)  

     

                                               

Parlor Palm

Even if you live in a warm climate like southern California, you may want to embellish your interior with plants. There are many relatively easy to grow “indoor” plants and in the “Pages” section I have a list of easy indoor plants.  If you live in a colder climate, you may want indoor plants to remind you of coming spring, give you an emotional lift, supplement your spices or even use them to help purify the air.  (More on that in another blog.)

"Zebra Plant"

Now, I put the indoor word in quotation marks because if you really think about it, there is no such thing as “indoor” plants! ALL plants originated outside; whether in soil, hanging in trees (epiphytic), in rock crevices or in water. The plants that we typically use as indoor plants are plants that can survive and possibly thrive in lower light; shade plants are a good example of this. If you look at where the shade plants originate, you’ll see that they are usually understory plants which are plants growing in the shadow of another plant or in a jungle or forest setting. There are even cacti & succulents that grow in the shadow of bigger cacti & succulents to protect them.

   

Dracaena deremensis

The first step in figuring out the best plant for your interior is to determine not only where you want to place it, but to determine how much light you have in the area and for how long. You don’t need any fancy light meter, although if you have access to one, use it!  Watch the area throughout the day and determine what times the area has the brightest light. Then I place a piece of white paper on a surface in the area (floor or table, it doesn’t matter) and hold my hand over it. If I see a shadow of my hand, then this is roughly equivalent to 100 foot candles,( a “foot candle” is the unit of measurement used to determine the intensity of light) enough for your basic indoor plant.  This is a really basic test and I advise it if you are going to be happy with simple plants. If you are going to want something showier I advise you use a light meter of some sort if you are unsure of how much light you have there. (If it is bright enough to sit there during the day and read then you probably won’t need a light meter!) You can take chances on plants if you feel you have sufficient light for showier foliage. There are times that I try out a plant, just simply because I fell in love with it and figured if it didn’t work there, I’d have another place for it! Be aware that if you decide to grow an edible plant (like herbs or fruit) indoors, the criteria is a bit different. They need more light and a bit more warmth, but definitely you want to protect them from drafts, hot or cold.

Once you have determined what your basic light is, now you can figure out your plant needs/wants. The list on “Pages” is a good place to start or go to a reputable indoor plant nursery and ask questions. Be prepared to answer questions about light, basic temperature of home, office or building you will be placing it, drafts, window proximity and possible plant locations. They ask questions so they can better direct you to the proper plant.  I prefer going to a nursery that utilizes a staff that is not only knowledgeable but passionate about their craft. This type is more likely to be interested in making sure you get the proper plant for the area and the info you need to take care of it. If you don’t have a nursery in your area like that you can research the plants yourself, use one of the houseplant books I suggested or contact me, I’d be happy to answer questions for you!

"Soilless" potting mix

In selecting your soil, you may want to use a soilless mix or you can go with a basic indoor potting soil. You want a soil that will drain well but not too fast. Potting soils typically have some peat, some organic compounds and some perlite for drainage as well as a soil (or dirt). A soilless mix is one that utilizes raw materials such as peat, coir or compost in addition to other organic materials and possibly fertilizer. The advantage of a soilless mix is that you don’t bring in any bacteria as you would with bagged or garden soil and can be lighter than a typical potting soil. As long as the potting medium is good quality, you should be okay with either. Try to stay away from any that have fertilizer mixed in already. Until you know what your plants needs are, the added fertilizer may not be the best for it, or it may not be dispersed at the best time. Many of the “enhanced” soils use a basic 12-12-12 fertilizer that is released every time you water. This is okay for plants that actively grow and flower throughout a season, but indoor plants may not flower at all, have different needs when it is time for them to flower (like orchids) or utilize an acidic  fertilizer. The constant use of fertilizer can compromise the integrity of the cell walls within the plant and create other issues. In my experience, this holds true for outdoor plants as well. Plants have a cycle for a reason and disruption of it can cause it to weaken or become susceptible to disease. An example is holiday plants or novelty plants; they are force grown to look the way they do and unless you really want to be vigilant with them, chances are they won’t last too long since you are not duplicating the conditions  they are used to.

Blue enameled pot

The next step, once you have selected your plant and the soil, look for a pot that gives that last touch to your plantscape! Whether tall, short, bushy, vining or hanging, you must have the appropriate pot. For tall plants I recommend to get a pot that has a wide base so that it isn’t easily tipped over. Normally I recommend wider bases on all potted plants, indoors or out because the plants’ root system will benefit from more room at the base of the container as it grows. Your typical “V” shaped container is okay for slower growing plants, such as succulents & cacti or outdoor annual type plants (pansies, for example). Make sure it has a drainage hole and get a saucer of some type for it. Whether it is matching, clear or contrasting, you want something that will hold some of the runoff water. Too deep and you create a situation for a smelly pot, too shallow and it may run over and stain what it is sitting on. The exception to the deeper saucer is if you have a plant that needs a bit of humidity and it is recommended you place the pot on a bed of pebbles and add water occasionally to create some humidity. (Humidity to a plant is much lower that what we consider humid. Often they only need a bit of extra water in the air around their leaves a few times a week to be happy. YOU won’t feel a thing!)

Bronzed ceramic pot

Now, if both your pot and plant is large, pot it in place. You’ll want to put down some kind of tarp or paper so that you don’t get soil everywhere. (Even with my best intentions, I spill a little…) Make sure you have a scoop or something to help add the soil around the root ball. Start by measuring the root ball height (base of pot to top of soil line while in the container you bought it in) and measuring the inside of the pot from 1-2 inches below the lip. I use a piece of chalk to mark the inside of the pot to show how much soil I will need to put in before I set in the plant. Then I pour soil into the container to just at the chalk line, tamping lightly as you add soil (so the level doesn’t drop when you water.) In doing this, you aren’t taking the plant in and out of the pot several times trying to get the height correct. I place the plant on top of the soil and make sure that the top or crown of the root ball is about 1-2 inches below the lip of the pot. If it is, then loosen the root ball a bit so that the roots can move outward as they grow. Now use your scoop or hands and start placing soil around the root ball. Lightly tamp it down as you go. You want it compacted but not hard. The reason you leave an inch or two at the top is when you water you don’t want it running off the soil over the edge of the pot. Now water your new plant well until you have water coming out the drain hole. Always water at the base of the plant to avoid splashing water on the leaves (this is how fungus & burn marks can happen) and enjoy!

Check the soil every few days initially. Stick your finger in the soil; if it is dry to about 2 inches below the surface, you may want to water lightly. This is the time you’ll be getting to know your plants and determining how often they need to be watered.

If you start getting brown margins on the leaves it could be either not enough water or you haven’t been allowing the water to set before using it to water with and it has created a salt burn on the leaf edge. Another issue may be that it is in the path of a draft and it is drawing the moisture out of the leaf.

African violet

It would be advantageous to look into purchasing a houseplant guide. There are symptoms that the plants will show you that may only need minor corrections in its care. I can’t list them all here, and some are dependent on the type of plant.  One of my favorite houseplant books is “The House Plant Expert” by Dr. D.G. Hessayon. Another good one is Simon & Schuster’s Guide to House Plants.

Happy INDOOR gardening!

Mary