Tips for Keeping Your Home Plants Healthy

If you are a new plant parent, all the care that keeps your houseplants happy may feel a little overwhelmed at first. However, most of your plants do not require constant attention to stay healthy. Aside from remembering to water, there are plenty of simple maintenance houseplants that require only minor maintenance a few times each year. When you need pruning or pruning some of the leaves that are starting to turn yellow, these tips will give you the knowledge you need to maintain your plants with confidence.

1. Water your houseplants

All houseplants have slightly different irrigation requirements, depending on how they have grown and the changes in plant growth over the seasons. It is better to water on a regular basis than on a specific calendar table. Generally, when 1/2 to 1 inch of soil feels dry, water the plants growing in a container of suitable size in well-drained soil. Cactus and succulent plants need less water; Flowering plants usually require a little more. Excessive watering is one of the most common causes of death of houseplants. If you do not know how much water to pour, it is better to make a mistake on the dry side than to give your plants too much moisture.

2. Fertilize houseplants from time to time

As with irrigation, there is no easy rule for how much fertilizer to apply: it depends on the growth rate of the plant and the age and time of year. Most houseplants stimulate growth in spring and summer, so this is the best time to fertilize them. During the short days of autumn and winter, most houseplants do not need much fertilizer. Follow the label instructions to find out how much plant food to use.

As with over-watering, it is important to avoid over-fertilizing your houseplants. Excess fertilizer burns their roots and inhibits their growth. For flowering varieties, use fertilizer in which the three numbers on the label (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, respectively) are relatively equal. If the nitrogen content is high, the plant can grow a lot of leaves, but few flowers.

3. Spread houseplants when needed

Many types of houseplants benefit from one-time division or another method of reproduction. This helps to rejuvenate the excess plant and encourage new growth. In addition, it is a cheap way to get more plants from the plants you already have.

Some houseplants, such as bromeliads, send new shoots or offsets to the base of the plant, which you can divide and place in new pots. Climbing houseplants such as Philodendron and Pothos form new roots where their stems interact with the soil, so they are good candidates for starting new plants from cuttings. You can distinguish fresh African violets from one leaf; Soak the tip of the stem in a little water for two weeks.

Other houseplants, such as spider mites and strawberry begonia, eventually reproduce by sending runners with new plants. These are very easy to differentiate to start new plants; Usually, you need to soak the roots of the plants in water for a few days and then plant them in the soil.

4. Place overgrown houseplants

Not sure if you want to replant your houseplants? Check the root settings. If the roots circle around the inside of the container, it is time to replant the plant. If the plant is larger than its pot, you can transplant it into a slightly larger container. If you want to keep it in the same pot, cut some roots with a sharp knife and replant them in the container using fresh potting soil.

When replanting your houseplant, this is a good time to separate the ones with multiple stems to create new plants. Spring and summer are the best seasons to replant your houseplants.

5. Remove dust from plants

Almost all houseplants will look good with regular cleaning. Dust collects on the leaves, so wash them with lukewarm water at room temperature or brush them with a soft brush if the plants have hairy leaves (which can catch moisture and cause disease). For plants with smooth leaves, a cloth can be used to gently wipe off the dust that accumulates on the leaves. This will improve the appearance of your plant and help it absorb more light.

6. Prune and Finch Houseplants

You can prune at any time of the year, but autumn is a natural time to break your scissors after summer growth. The main reason for pruning houseplants is to show them well and take care not to overgrow. Just like breeding, pruning overgrown houseplants to a height of 4 to 6 inches can help revitalize them. This technique is useful in promoting new growth for backward plants such as Swedish ivy and potash. Try to make your cuts above the buds or side shoots on a stem you want to cut. This is where the new development begins. Also, remove dead or diseased leaves and stems to help prevent the problem from spreading.

Pinching is the removal of the ends of the stem with your fingernails or pruners. Pinch a stem and upper leaves to promote the growth of side buds. Fast-growing plants are best pinched frequently to keep them compact and full.

7. Remove deadhead flowers and dying leaves

Pruning faded flowers from your plants will also help promote flowering and prevent disease complications. When you are in it, be sure to remove the yellow, brown, or withered leaves. Use a short knife-hand pruner or sharp scissors to cut the plant clean without tearing the stem. It is a good idea to wipe your pruner's blades with alcohol before moving to another plant to prevent the spread of pests and diseases.

8. Control insect pests

Many pests usually attack houseplants. Insecticide soap is an easy-to-use, effective treatment for mild body pests such as aphids and spider mites. Forced spraying of water from the tap also helps to reduce the number of these pests. Alcohol rubbing may be helpful for insects with waxy coatings such as scale and milieux; Rub it with a cotton ball.

No matter what treatment you use, be consistent. For fast-breeding insects such as aphids and spider mites, to get rid of the pest, you should treat the plants once a week for a month.

Fungal mosquitoes are small black flies that roam around the soil, and they are often confused with fruit flies. You will usually see a large number of fungal mosquitoes when the plants are over-watered. Allow the soil surface to dry between waterings and be sure to remove dead leaves from the soil surface. In extreme cases, you can try transplanting your plant into fresh soil and a clean container.

9. Consider houseplant diseases

Remove and destroy diseased houseplants or infected leaves or stems to prevent the spread of the disease. Some diseases are transmitted by insects, so controlling the number of insects can help prevent these problems. Powdery mildew (powdery white spots on leaves), fungal leaf spots (yellow, brown, or black spots on leaves), and root rot (may be black, or dark). Roots are usually caused by excessive watering).