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 Troubleshooting Symptoms and
The majority of the gardening questions I receive pertain to problems and insect pests related to house plants. |
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Temperature, Humidity and Fresh AirHouseplants, even though they may be of a tropical nature would rather sacrifice a few degrees of temperature in the home than the moisture in the air which they need to survive.Even though your plant may prefer a warmer situation, sometimes it comes down to accepting the lesser of two evils... cool temps or low humidity. Heated rooms, by nature tend to be dry rooms, especially if they are heated with forced air, or fire. Even rooms that have steam or hot water radiant heat will be somewhat dryer. If you want your plants to succeed, keep your temperatures as low as possible, while still remaining comfortable for yourself (never below 50°). Once the temperature goes above 67° F. the humidity in the air begins to drop dramatically. Keep in mind that because glass is a poor insulator, the temperature near windows will be considerably colder. At night, be sure to close the drapes or move the plant to a warmer part of the room. There are exceptions to the rule, of course. Succulents being the most notable, which prefer warmer and drier conditions. At temperatures below 60°, African violets will stop blooming, Poinsettias may drop their leaves, and the leaves of Gardenias may turn yellow. |
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Leaf loss or yellowing is often caused by lack of humidity. The majority of houseplants do best with a relative humidity of between 50% and 70%. Plants create a certain amount of humidity themselves through transpiration through their leaves, from the soil, and even their pots if they are porous. The more plants you have in a room, the higher the humidity will be, and the closer the plants are together the more they will be able to benefit each other. Setting the pots onto a bed of small pebbles and gravel in a shallow tray will allow you to add water to the tray, raising the humidity without giving the plants 'wet feet'. Placing water filled containers around the room will also add considerably to the humidity. With the exception of fuzzy leaved varieties, houseplants enjoy a daily misting with room temperature water. Plants need to breathe and enjoy a little fresh air, just as you and I do. It isn't necessary to have constantly changing air, but lightly moving air can often make a difference in the plants growth and health. A few plants may suffer when they grow in the presence of natural or coal gasses. The effects of gas heat may range from failure to bloom to a complete loss of leaves. Others may just appear to look unhealthy for no apparent reason. Do you ever talk to your plants? No.... I don't believe that they understand you, but plants breathe CO2 which we exhale, and in turn they exhale oxygen which we need. I've heard of oxygen bars where you PAY? to breathe canned oxygen. It seems to me to be much more prudent to have a chat with your Philodendron, and give each other a boost! Lighting and WateringThe most important elements needed for plant health are water and light. Most plants have dormant and active cycles. Watering, just as feeding your plant differs greatly from season to season.Plants sense the natural shortening of daylight hours and may go dormant as they would in their natural habitat. This is usually a time when the amount of watering is decreased. On the other hand, many plants actively begin to grow or bloom, so they must have more water, and be fed. While plants are dormant they should only receive a minimum amount of water each time and only then if the soil becomes dry to the touch an inch below the surface. During periods of active growth the plant should be thoroughly soaked as soon as the soil dries. There are no hard and fast rules to watering, because every situation is different, according to temperatures, and soil types etc. It is better to keep a plant on a slightly dry side than overwatered. More houseplants die from overwatering than any other cause. City water is treated with chemicals for your safety, however plants don't like chlorine or fluoride, so it's a very good idea to allow the water to sit in an open container for 24 hours prior to using it on your plants. This is enough time for the chemicals to dissipate and evaporate from the water. Even though my water comes from a mountain spring, I still keep a couple of gallon milk bottles filled for watering, so that it is at room temperature when I use it. The amount and the intensity of the light that the plant receives dictates much of a plant's life cycle. Even though a plant that originated in a jungle (where it thrives in the shade of trees) appears to be getting plenty of light, the intensity of the light indoors is going to be much lower than what it needs. Insufficient light usually manifests itself with paler foliage, lanky growth, and general lack of luster. When this happens you must do whatever you can to increase the light intensity for that plant. This can usually be rectified by moving the plant closer to the window, or moving it to another room with different light exposure. When you change the light drastically for a plant do it gradually to accustomize to the brighter light. Plants will sunburn if they are put into too bright of a light after their skins have become tender from lack of light. Plants should never be placed between a curtain and the window if the nights are cold, even if they are sun lovers. It is better to have a sheer curtain which will admit the light, and have the plant in the heated area. It isn't necessary for your plant to even know that it is winter. You can dictate many of your plants functions by giving them supplemental artificial light. There are 'grow lights' on the market today that successfully imitate natural sun. These lights aren't perfect, and if they are the sole source of lighting, it is necessary to have them on for 12-16 hours each day. It is best to have them set on a timer so that the light hours are regular for the best results. If your intent is just to fool your plant into thinking that it is a certain season for blooming or whatever reason, you can set the timer to come on as the light begins to fade, and make your plants day as long as you'd like. Many flowering plants and foliage plants actually do better indoors when grown under artificial lights. Keep in mind that plants like to rest now and then too, so if you are using the lights, cut back the hours now and then and let your plants have a temporary period of dormancy. Problems and possible causes
It is essential that you always read and follow the product recommendations for fertilizers, or any other garden chemicals. Have a great gardening day!  TheGardenHelper is created, written and maintained by The Garden Helper and is © 1997-2009. The Garden Helper may not be reproduced or distributed for any commercial purpose without our written consent. Please direct all advertising enquiries to Ads by Google! |
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