Interior Gardening

• Research shows that a pot-in-a-pot set-up for irrigating houseplants is better than capillary action through water wicks. By using a small, unglazed clay pot placed inside a larger, glazed clay pot with a water reservoir in between, plants are better irrigated, and have higher visual quality, greater plant leaf area, and improved root growth.

• Although tomatoes, peppers and eggplants self-pollinate, to insure ample fruit set in home greenhouses, take a cotton swab or a fine paintbrush and transfer the pollen from one flower to another. Swirl the swab or brush lightly inside each flower, one after the other. Repeat this process the next day. Don't wait too long after the blossoms appear to pollinate them. For most plants, the most successful pollinating can be done the day after blossoms open. If successful, you will be able to see tiny fruits as the flowers wilt.

• To prolong bloom, protect poinsettias from drafts and keep them moderately moist.

• Turn and prune house plants regularly to keep them shapely. Pinch back new growth to promote bushy plants.

• Check all house plants closely for insect infestations. Quarantine gift plants until you determine that they aren't harboring any pests.

• Overwatering indoor plants encourages root rot. Water when the soil is dry to the touch.

• Keep winter fertilization of most houseplants to a minimum as plant growth is now at its slowest.

• House plants and holiday gift plants should not be placed on top of the television. This location is too warm and in most homes too far from windows to provide adequate light.

• Thin-leaved plants are very sensitive to transplant shock. If a plant wilts after repotting, encase the entire plant in a plastic bag. Twist the bag shut and punch two or three holes in it. Allow the plant to recuperate out of direct sunlight in this protected environment for two or three days. Resist the urge to water a wilted plant if the soil is moist.

• The low light levels of winter call for some adjustments in the placement of houseplants. Bring house plants that normally thrive on the north side of the house to east windows, while allowing the plants from the east more sun on the south. Also, give the plants that usually are set on the tables away from direct light a short midwinter visit to one of the less-exposed windowsills.

• When extremely cold nights prevail, draw the window shades or slip lengths of protective cardboard between plants and the glass. Move the most tender plants away from the window panes on the coldest nights.

• If you potted bulbs of daffodils, crocus, tulips, or hyacinths in the fall, bring them indoors now to force them into bloom. Place pots in a cool window that receives direct sunlight for at least a few hours each day. Allow soil to dry partially between each watering.

• Fluorescent tubes lose intensity with age. If you are using quite a few fluorescent lamps, change a few tubes at a time to avoid plant damage by the sudden increase in light intensity.

• Mealy bugs on your house plants can be killed by touching them with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol.

• If you are considering installing supplemental lighting for your indoor plants, the 48-inch, 40-watt fixture with two fluorescent tubes is the industry standard. Spare parts are readily available and high production volume assures lower costs for 48 inch than for other size tubes. Use one cool white and one warm white tube to obtain a light mix most beneficial to plants.

• When dusting the furniture also consider dusting the plants. With the short days of winter, light reduction must remain at a minimum. Wipe dust from broad-leaf plants at regular intervals using a cloth dampened with clear water.

• Give your holiday gift plants the best care so they can retain their original, attractive appearance. Keep them cool with a temperature of 70 degrees F during the day and 60 degrees at night. Set the pots on a tray of moistened gravel to maintain higher humidity.

• During the winter, most houses are too dry for house plants. Humidity can be increased by placing plants on trays lined with pebbles and filled with water to within one half inch of the base of the pot. If you heat with wood, keep a pot of water on the stove. The added moisture will be healthier for you as well as your plants.

• Force pips of lily-of-the-valley into flower; approximately three weeks at 60 to 70 degrees F are required.

• Plants grown under lights need a nightly rest. An automatic timer is ideal to turn the lights off at night.

• Maidenhair ferns need high humidity (at least 50 percent) so they are ideal for cultivation in terrariums.

• Hold cacti with kitchen tongs as you repot them and you won't get stickers in your fingers.

• House plants with large leaves and smooth foliage (philodendrons, dracaena, rubber plant, etc.) benefit if their leaves are washed at intervals to remove dust and grime, helping keep the leaf pores open.

• Transporting house plants this time of year without protection for even "just a few minutes" can be detrimental. Wrap plants with 3 or 4 layers of newspaper or paper sleeves and staple the newspaper shut over the foliage.

• Spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) need to be mature and to have short days (8 hours or less of light) to produce flower stalks, the runners on which the plantlets form.

• Leaf tip burn of spider plants can be caused by soluble salts build-up due to improper watering and too much fertilizer. Never allow the plant to dry out excessively; and when you do water, water thoroughly from the surface allowing plenty of water to drain out.

• Amaryllis bulbs may not bloom if they are in too large of a pot. There should be no more than 1 inch of space on each side of the bulb. At least one third of the bulb should be above the soil line.

• Always cut off the faded flowers of your amaryllis so no seeds form. Producing seeds robs the bulb of strength that should go to next years flowers.

• To insure next year's flowers on amaryllis, keep the plant growing strongly until mid-July before allowing it to go dormant.

• Very few conifers have been studied for potential use as house plants. For many years, the Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla) and the Australian bunya-bunya (A. bidwillii) have been the only needled evergreens commonly suggested for growing indoors. Several cypresses, however, are proving equally good in home environments. Two are already appearing in plant shops. The columnar Italian cypress (Cypressus sempervirens 'Stricta') is a graceful, very narrow tree, probably the most narrow and rigidly upright of all conifers. The other, C. macrocarpa 'Goldcrest,' a cultivar of the Monterey cypress native to California, is widely grown there and in Europe in coastal gardens as specimens, hedges, windbreaks and topiary. Both these plants are hardy only to about 10 degrees F, so they are grown outdoors only in warm climates.

• The brilliant and velvety flowers of cineraria are shaped like daisies and come in shades of purple, red and blue. It is a plant that will flower brightly, but should be discarded when its show is past. Potted cineraria will last best in a cool, sunny window.

• The Chinese evergreen is a foliage plant that will survive even in a dark, basement apartment. Its silver-splashed leaves will grow well at very low light levels and it takes a minimum of care, as long as night temperatures don't drop much below 65 degrees F.

• Allow cacti to go semi-dormant in the winter. Water only to avoid shrivelling. Place in full sun with a maximum day temperature of 65 degrees F. and a night temperature of 40 to 50 degrees F.

• Philodendron 'Red Venus' has uniquely shaped leaves with pronounced lobes that are distinctly hooked. The color, reddish to rich green with mahogany-colored petioles, adds to the overall beauty of the plant. In an 8-inch pot, this plant reaches a height of 18 inches with a spread of 24 inches. Ask your local nurseryman or florist to stock this special plant.

"Though an old man, I am but a young gardener." -- Thomas Jefferson

Want to

Get back to where you were?