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Houseplants usually will grow well if they
are watered and fed properly. You may not be able to provide
the proper conditions for some plants, and others may come with
insect pests or diseases from the store. Do not be discouraged
if a plant dies. Try another kind. Eventually you will which
kinds of plants will grow well in your house.
For the beginning indoor gardeners, here are some easy-to-grow
houseplants to choose from:
-
Asparagus Fern: like bright light and high humidity. Keep soil
moist spring to fall. Fertilize in spring and summer.
- Corn Plant; moderate light preferred. Keep soil evenly moist,
not soggy. Fertilize once in spring, summer and fall.
- Cactus; bright, direct sunlight. Water sparingly. Fertilize
through fall. Keep cool and dry in winter.
- Wandering Jew; moderate light brings out the best coloration.
Keep soil barely moist. Fertilize once every 3 months.
- Ivy Aurem; tolerates low light well but not direct sunlight.
Soak soil, then dry out. Feed frequently spring to fall.
- Peperomia; Moderate light (turn plants regularly). Tolerates
dry air. Keep soil on the dry side, especially in winter.
- Spider Plant; moderate light but tolerates low or bright light.
Keep soil moist. Thrives in moderate to high humidity.
- Chrysanthemum; likes bright, indirect light and moist soil
(not soggy). Cool temperatures will prolong the blossoms.
- African Violet; moderate sunlight or artificial light. Keep
soil moist; do not wet leaves. Moderate to high humidity.
Succulents
Some succulents, like cacti, have strange and interesting forms.
Others, like hoyas, have pretty flowers. Succulents are so named
because they store water in their stem or leaf tissue. This
ability usually has evolved in plants that grow in very dry
areas. To be grown as houseplants, succulents should be planted
in potting soil that has a large portion of sand in it. They
should be watered only after their soil becomes thoroughly dry.
Cacti should be handled carefully because they have spines,
sometimes very tiny spins, that can hurt if they get in your
skin. You can wrap a folded paper towel around your cactus plant
when repotting to protect you from spines.
Indoor
Bulbs
Many outdoor bulb plants also have varieties that can be grown
indoors during the cold months. Paperwhites, daffodils, crocuses,
and amaryllises can all be grown indoors. These need almost
no care at all. Fill a clay saucer with gravel. Out the bulbs
in the gravel, filling in with more gravel so the bulbs stay
upright, but not covering them. Fill the saucer with water just
to the base of the bulbs but not so the bulbs actually touch
the water. Place the saucer in a sunny place and add water as
needed. Within two to six weeks, you will have wonderful flowers
inside while outside it may still be bleak and cold. |
