To many people with disabilities and the elderly, a home can't be complete without having a good amount of potted indoor plants scattered around on shelves and corners, bringing light to everyday life.
The nurturing of plants pay off every season with their beauty, being a sight that bring joy for both the owners and their visitors. Taking care of indoor plants is not a difficult task and it only gets easier as you get used to the basics.
There are a few things one must learn before being able to master the art of gardening which then results in the biggest and healthiest plants in the end. It starts from the seed and every day forward, starting by when and how it is planted.
Most of the flowers you purchase at a florist have been grown under ideal conditions inside greenhouses. So when you then proceed to bring them to your house they are then inside an environment fit for people, not for flowers. You must make sure you help the plant adapt to these conditions by being well supportive, especially in the first weeks.
When it comes to watering, if you have gotten used to watering all your plants at the same time week after week, you should try to break the habit. The reason being that not all plants need the same water, nor at the same frequency. It entirely depends on the size of the plant, the country it originates from, the time of year, the room temperature, the light medium and the type of medium it is potted with. If ever a plant seems stressed one should not assume watering it will fix the problem, in fact a water logged plant will suffer as much as a plant that is dry of it as the roots need as much air as they need water.
A plant that suffers from root rot will have difficulty fending off pests and fungal disease. To avoid over watering make sure the drainage holes on your pots are always kept clear, one thing you could do is placing pebbles in the container before adding the soil. Proper watering is essential for the plants health, always examine the soil in which it is planted to see if there is sufficient water. If you over do it the soil will become sticky and slimy, when not enough water the soil will lighten of color and crack under continuous drying.
Some suitable plant types for indoors include:
Braided Ficus Tree Attaining heights from 24 inches to 6 feet the Braided Ficus Tree is one of the most popular foliage plants grown due to it's ability to live healthy in an indoor environment. The plant produces dark green leaves and the branches are semi weeping. The plant needs consistent moisture and the best growth is achieved when provided with bright indirect light.
If you have a braided tree, you may decide to keep the braid or not. It is braided like a typical 3-strand braid. Either prune off side branches or incorporate them into one of the three main strands.
The ficus tree is a vigorous tree that tolerates relatively low light conditions encountered in indoor settings. If the tree receives sufficient sunlight, it grows and soon becomes too large, reasonable pruning should not cause problems.
Cactus Combo Bonsai Their unusual plant forms and low maintenance make these cacti worth a place in your home. They usually get to grow 6 to 10 inches high and grow well in bright light. The most dangerous thing for the cacti's health is over watering which will always result in the plant rotting. Overall they are perfect for a windowsill or tabletop.
Cacti are one of the most famous indoor plants since they can survive on low levels of water and sunlight for many days, the bonsai will also grow to have a nice foliage.
Chamaedorea Palm Place this popular palm where it can receive a good dose of bright indirect light and it will grow anywhere from 24 inches to 6 feet. The Chamaedorea Palm has it's graceful composure manifested in bright arching branches which give an almost tropical flavor to any house.
It is important to provide Chamaedoreas with humidity. In their native environment they receive high humidity. The humidity level inside buildings is usually so low that the palms develop brown tips on the end of their leaflets. To increase humidity around the plant, mist the foliage generously and often with clean, tepid water. Another option is to use a pebble tray. This is an over-sized saucer full of small pebbles to which water is added. The water level is kept below the bottom of the plant’s container. The water will evaporate from the surface of the pebbles, adding moisture to the air around the plant.
Chinese Evergreen The Chinese evergreen grows from 6 inches to 8 inches and is one of the easiest plants to maintain. It does not require more light than the light you would need to read a book and does not need much water either. The leaves are silvery grey and dark green, the plant itself prefers warm temperatures and will yellow or blacken if exposed to temperatures below 45 degrees F.
Miniature Herb Standard Topiaries Growing to approximately 11 inches in height these topiaries have high light requirements and must be watered frequently. Although not to make the soil soggy.
In winter simply put in a cool room exposed to bright, direct light. Free-standing shrubs and trees are pruned and sheared into specific shapes. This works best with geometric forms such as balls, squares or rectangles, and is not well suited to creating complex shapes.
Standards are just a single stem, selected early, and pruned up. Herb topiaries, especially rosemary, thyme and lavender, are commonly plants pruned into a standard.
Many landscape plants can be sculpted into recognizable shapes. Yew is one of the most common in northern gardens for shaping into balls, cones, or squares.
Moth Orchid, Novelty Stripes Orchids are known as one of the best air purifying plants that can be grown in a home. Not only does it enrich the air around it, but it also is quite a sight.
They are native throughout southeast Asia from the Himalayan mountains to the islands of Polillo and Palawan of the Philippines and northern Australia. Orchid Island off Taiwan is named after this orchid.
Having white petals along with beautiful stripes of fuchsia, the orchid blooms once or twice a year and lasts for two or three months. It is truly an amazing sight when bloomed, making them definetely worth having around.
Tropical Combo Bonsai A combination of plants that will bring a touch of the tropics to your home. Usually grown inside a ceramic bonsai container which controls growth. The plants make a colorful addition at a desk in the office or on a tabletop. They always look good because the leaves are so striking. Although when in the ceramic container it will dry out quickly because of the limited soil space.
Amaryllis, "Yellow Goddess" Known as a Goddess among flowers its color is a breakthrough in amaryllis. When grown it stands approximately 20 inches tall and the flowers bloom to be about 7 inches in width. The bulbs bloom 6 to 8 months after potting and are some of the most beautiful trumpet-shaped flowers there is.
Amaryllis were originally discovered in South Africa and South America. The South American plants hail from the Andes Mountains of Chile, Peru, and Bolivia as well as from Brazil, Argentina, and Venezuela. Amaryllis bulbs can be found as far north as Mexico and the West Indies.
Ponytail Palm The Ponytail Palm can live an entire year without water, the abnormally swollen trunk can absorb enough water to maintain it's health. All it really needs is a good source of light, it can even tolerate direct sun making the overall maintenance very low. Very old plants may produce clusters of creamy white flowers.
The Ponytail palm should be watered thoroughly once every 7 - 14 days. It is native to desert areas therefore, having a root system similar to cactus in that the roots go deep in order to store water for long periods of time. The only downfall to the Ponytail palm is that it is an extremely slow grower.
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