The Green Thumb Guide to
Healthy Houseplants
 How many times have your houseplants died
on you and you had no idea why? Or what about those
pitiful looking specimens you can't make perk up no matter
what you try? Maybe you've lost hope when it comes to
green things. Understanding a little bit about your
plants can help you get to the root of the problem.
Growing in the confined space of a container, your plants
depend completely on you to supply all of their needs, the
most important being water, light, and fertilizer.
Often, they'll let you know what they need.
Watering
Lots of people feel most anxious about
when and how much to water a plant. Too much kills it and
too little kills it, so what's just right? When you touch
the soil with your finger and feel no moisture, that's a
good sign that your plant would appreciate a drink,
especially if the leaves look slightly wilted. Pour
room-temperature water into the container until it
dribbles out the bottom. Make sure you have something
underneath the container to catch the excess water.
There is one caveat: when potting soil
dries out too much, it may become hydrophobic. This means
it won't absorb water very well. You will notice that
most of the water just runs out the bottom of the
container almost immediately after you apply it and the
container won't feel heavier after you water. To solve
this problem, add small amounts of water a
little at a time until the soil holds onto it.
Of course, if your plant looks droopy when
the soil feels soggy, that means that the roots are
drowning and may be rotting. Cut back on your watering
and test the soil with your fingertip before
you do give your plant another drink. If the container is
small enough, pull the plant out and check the roots.
They should look white and crisp. If they appear brown,
slimy, and smell bad, the roots have already begun to rot.
In this case, try cutting away all rotten parts and
repotting the plant in fresh, slightly damp potting soil.
Light
Another essential element for healthy
houseplants is sunlight. Different plants have different
light requirements so try to choose plants that best fit
the light conditions of your living space. Knowing which
direction a window faces can help you figure this out. South gets the longest and strongest
light, east and west get a little less exposure, and north
gets the least. For example, Chinese Evergreen and the
Cast-Iron Plant don't need all that much light and would
grow in north-facing windows. A rule of thumb: if your
plants don't seem happy where they are, move them around
and try different places until they respond positively.
Fertilizer
Houseplants require one more important
ingredient besides water and light which is fertilizer.
Plants need nutrients to stay healthy just like we do.
Choices abound from concentrated liquid and powder you
mix into water to small beads or sticks which remain in
the soil and slowly release nutrients over time. It's a good idea to fertilize your plants
from March to October about once or twice a week when they
will do most of their growing.
Finally, keep in mind that you win some,
you lose some. Even the most green-thumbed people
sometimes can't revive a plant that has made up its mind
to go
to the great compost heap in the sky. Nothing lasts forever, but in return for a little water, light, and
fertilizer, your plants can thrive for years to come.
Some hardy houseplants:
Cast Iron Plant. Yes, it's as
strong as cast iron, as it can survive and even thrive
on neglect. For best results, water at least once in a
while.
Chinese Evergreen. This
shrubby-looking plant adapts to any light level and
requires little care other than a periodic dusting and
watering.
Devil's Ivy. This vining plant
can take over a room if you don't keep an eye on it.
It can grow to great lengths even when in a small pot.
It tolerates over-watering and under-watering and
varying light levels.
Mother-in-Law's Tongue. While
this plant does look like a bunch of long, green
tongues growing out of the pot, it is humorously
purported to be as tough
as a mother-in-law. It grows in any light, needs
little watering or fertilizer, but grows slowly.
Pepperomia. Many varieties of
this plant exist. Easy to grow, these short
plants do well even with only small amounts of light
and water.
Spider Plant. This plant has long strap-like
leaves and produces long, thin stems with tiny spider
plants on the end. It prefers bright light and needs a
moderate amount of water, however, it quickly forgives
neglect.
-Viveka Neveln
Viveka Neveln has a degree in Horticulture from Iowa
State University and a degree in Plant Pathology from
Cornell University. She has worked with the Iowa State
extension service, the Chicago Botanic Gardens, a
landscaping company, and a garden center. Her writing
has been published by various magazines, newspapers,
and Web sites.
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