Plants surround us at home and in offices. They enliven the interior, delight with flowering, give rest from working at the computer to our eyes, purify the air of harmful toxins. It does not matter what plants you have in your home — luxurious orchids, delicate daisies or prickly cacti. It is important that they look good in the interior and be healthy and well-groomed. Take proper care of indoor plants and they will thank you with a luxurious view.
1.The right choice
When buying, consider the area and layout of the apartment, the time that you can devote to caring for home plants. Green giants (palms, yuccas, dieffenbachia) have no place in a cramped room. It is unlikely that they will like that you touch and disturb their leaves. And very soon you will feel like not the owners of the apartment, but oppressed tenants. Pick up compact plants, place on window sills or whatnots. If you have little time to care, choose those that do not require regular watering and top dressing — Decembrist, aloe, sansevieria, crassula, fat woman. They are easily distinguished by their fleshy leaves and stems.
2. Proper watering
Houseplants should be watered with warm settled water. Consider the volume of the flowerpot, the size and age of the plant, and the time of year. Waterlogging the soil is just as detrimental to the roots as overdried soil. In winter, watering should be reduced — the plants are resting. Don’t water all the flowers on the same day — they have different needs. You can focus on the drying of the topsoil. But in voluminous flowerpots, moisture can remain in the lower layer for a long time. Tap the pot with your knuckles — dry soil makes a ringing sound, wet soil makes a dull sound (this method is only suitable for ceramic containers).
3. Temperature regime
Place heat-loving tropical plants on sunny windowsills. Avoid sudden changes in temperature by opening windows for ventilation in cold weather. Surely in the apartment there is a place protected from drafts. There are plants that love the cold. Among them, everyone’s favorite begonia, which feels best at T 18-20 ° C. Learn about your pets’ natural habitat and create conditions as close as possible to their habitat.
4. Humidity
Succulents, cacti and plants with fleshy leaves do not need humid air — they can store moisture. Citruses, orchids and other inhabitants of tropical forests need moist air. Put a humidifier nearby. When growing bonsai, the Japanese place containers with miniature trees on flat trays with hydroballs. This is a great way to humidify the air. Unfortunately, we have a problem with hydroballs. For lack of it, you can cover the tray with a layer of expanded clay or gravel and fill it with water. The plant will receive personally humidified air. Do not forget to add a new portion as it evaporates.
5. Pest control
Houseplant care includes the timely detection of pests. If the leaves have changed color and growth has stopped, check for the presence of spider mites, aphids, mealybugs, whiteflies, etc. Wipe the leaves with soapy water, treat the crown with appropriate insecticides. Disinfect the soil with a few drops of potassium permanganate. If the measures do not help, consult a specialist.
6. Timely transplant
Plants in tubs are rarely transplanted, in small flowerpots — once every 1-3 years. The smaller the container, the more often a transplant is required. When the plant completely wraps its roots around an earthen ball and extracts all vitamins and trace elements from the soil, growth stops. It is necessary to change the substrate to a fresh, nutritious one. It is important to choose a soil that meets the needs of the plant.
7. Seasonal care
At the transition to the dormant stage, watering should be reduced. During the period of active growth, indoor plants need regular feeding. Some require a cool wintering for abundant flowering next season (most bulbs). To maintain a compact crown of trees and woody shrubs (citruses, camellias, euonymus, laurel, coffee tree), shoots are cut by one third in spring / autumn.
It remains only to recall that most indoor plants come from the tropics and subtropics, where they grow in comfortable conditions all year round. In our climate, they are in for a lot of stress in winter. This is due to the short daylight hours, low temperature on the windowsill, dry air and scorching heat from the batteries. All these problems are completely solvable, you just need to want. And we will tell you how to properly care for indoor plants in winter.