Care for Your House Plants
Helpful information for growing beautiful plants indoors

The cool temperatures and snow brings most gardeners indoors. These gardeners continued desire to see plant growth and blooms will encourage some gardeners to purchase houseplants. Care of houseplants will provide some satisfaction to the true gardener. However, new challenges will face the gardener and the conditions surrounding the plant must be considered before purchasing the plant. The following should be considered: watering, lighting, temperature, humidity, and overall care.

Watering: Houseplants are more likely to be damaged or destroyed by too much water or not enough water. Humidity, temperature and light influence how the soil in a pot dries out. When to water should be gauged by the color and feel of the soil. Too much or too little water will destroy the roots of your plant. Water your plants with tap water (allow water to set out overnight) or rain water.

Houseplants can be watered from either the top or the bottom of the pot. Normally, water your plant from the top until water comes through the bottom drain hole. Add Monty’s Joy Juice to the watering can or in the container holding water under the pot. If the plant’s leaves turn yellow or drop, this will be a sign that the water has become stagnate. Allow the soil to dry because it has become too wet.

Lighting: Improper lighting can be just as harmful as watering. Determine where your houseplant will be placed and observe the lighting for that area. An example would be the south view which would provide bright sunlight. Foliage plants require low light and some moderate light areas. Do not move foliage plants abruptly such as changing the amount of light. Moving plants will sometimes slow the efficiency of light absorption. Flowering plants require moderately to bright light. East, west, and south windows are the best location.

Temperature: maintain a temperature between 65 and 75 degrees. High temperatures will shorten the life of your houseplant. Prevent hot air from blowing directly on your plants. This will cause the leaves to turn brown on the edges and eventually drop off.

Humidity: The best relative humidity for houseplants is between 40 and 60 percent. During the winter months you may want to place a saucepan with water under the pot. If you have a plant that requires high relative humidity. Place these plants in the kitchen or bathroom.

Overall Care: The overall care should be the last determining factor on how much care that you want to spend caring for your houseplants. Most plants come with a care standard. The most likely rating would be easy to maintain, moderately easy and challenging.

Fertilizing: It is essential in continuing the life of your plant. Most houseplants are grown in greenhouses with the best environment and sufficient fertilizers. Changing the environment for the plant will produce some stress. To reduce the stress of the houseplant, place the plant in the correct area and feed with a chelated fertilizer. Feed most plants every two to three weeks. Monty’s will provide efficient growth to your houseplants. Low salt levels will ensure that your houseplant will lack a build up of a white accumulation that restricts oxygen to the root zone.

The houseplant will thrive better if these conditions are considered. Some plants are more resistant to problems and some cannot tolerate a small problem.