Houseplant care Part 2

Last week, we took a look at some of the things that can go wrong with your houseplants and some things that you can do to solve these problems. This week I would like to review those from last time and offer a few additional suggestions.

First, we said to LEACH. Leaching removes excess soluble salts (fertilizer material) from the soil. This is a cleansing action and should be done on a regular basis for all plants. Once per month or so will be sufficient.

Second, we said to PROVIDE MORE LIGHT. Among the more commonly grown plants, only aglaonemas, corn plants, peace lilies, snake plants, pothos, philodendrons, and a few others can thrive in very low light. Light is measured in foot-candles, and “low” light is intensity from about 50 to 200 foot-candles. The majority of plants require more light than this to grow properly.

Third, we said to INCREASE HUMIDITY. Plants that are suffering from too low humidity may develop brown edges and tips and generally grow poorly. Ways to increase humidity are to group plants together, mist them, or to set plants in shallow trays containing gravel and water.

Fourth, we said to WATER LESS OFTEN. Many plant problems can be avoided by keeping the soil volume on the dry side, which serves to starve disease-causing pathogens such as bacteria and fungi.

Another thing which can be done is to REPOT the unhealthy plant. Try removing the plant from its pot. If the root system appears to be rotting or is in bad shape, there are no fungicides that will correct this problem. Healthy roots will be pearly white in color.

Dark roots are suspect. However, if you will wash all the old soil from the roots and remove the rotten roots from the plant and repot it in a clean, loose soil in a clean pot the plant has an excellent chance of starting new growth and regaining its original vigor.

ADD LIME. Many of the soil mixes used to grow houseplants are low in pH. Similarly, most of the fertilizers we use on houseplants tend to acidify the soil over a long period of time. This is significant because the pH of the soil determines the availability of the nutrients your plants need in order to grow properly. A slightly acid pH of between 6.0 and 7.0 is desirable for most plants. Adding one teaspoon of dolomitic, or agricultural lime, per six-inch pot should increase the pH to a desirable level. Add one tablespoon to larger containers up to the size of a hanging basket. This can be done twice each year.

One last thing you may consider is to SPRAY FOLIAGE WITH MAGNESIUM SULFATE. If the plant’s leaves are a pale green, a light foliar spray of “Epsom Salts” (magnesium sulfate) will sometimes green up the plant. An application of one teaspoon in one gallon of water will temporarily solve the problem, but after a couple of weeks it will need to be done again. On the other hand, a complete fertilizer containing magnesium will provide a more long-lasting solution.

I hope that these pointers will help you in your quest for healthy, attractive houseplants.

HHJ News