house plant care tips

 Ponytail palms

 

 

 

Ponytail palms get their name from their ponytail like appearance. The Ponytail palm is one of my top 10 easy to grow houseplants. It requires very little attention. The only downfall to the Ponytail palm is that it is an extremely slow grower, so don't expect great growth spurts from year to year.

The Ponytail palm should be watered thoroughly once every 7 - 14 days. The Ponytail palm is native to desert areas therefore, it has a root system similar to cactus in that the roots go deep in order to store water for long dry spells. Be sure to let the soil become dry to touch 1" to 1-1/2" deep before watering again. If you notice the lower foliage is starting to turn a yellow or brown color you may be under watering the plant. The Ponytail palm requires bright light so be sure to place it near a window where full sun is received.

 

 

The African Violet

 

The African Violet is an extremely common houseplant. The African Violet is characterized by low-growing, heart shaped hairy leafed foliage remaining fairly oval in overall shape. African Violets are available in many varieties with flowers ranging from pink to blue to the traditional violet. Foliage can range from dark green to variegated.

African Violets prefer moderate to bright indirect sunlight. Keep them near an east or west window for best results. Aim to provide your African Violet with at least 8 hours of sunlight a day. If your African Violets foliage begins to yellow and the plant seems to be reaching, it is probably not getting enough light. On the reverse side, if the foliage begins to have brown spots or the foliage curls, the plant may be receiving too much light.

African Violets prefer their soil semi-moist. Allow the soil to slightly dry out in-between watering for best results. one trick with watering African Violets is you want to avoid getting water on the foliage. Water either from the bottom, such as a water tray in which the water can be seeped up or directly on the dirt. Either way the goal is to avoid getting the foliage wet. If water does get on the leaves it will usually leave white spots. Be sure to try and use room temperature or warm water instead of cold.

African Violets prefer higher humidity levels and usually do well in temperatures between 62° and 75°. Try not to let the temperature drop below 60°. Also, as with most houseplants, keep them away from vents and entry ways.

This houseplant also prefers its own special soil mix. Most garden centers have African Violet soil mixtures already pre-packaged for you. This houseplant also prefers some root for its roots, so make sure it has enough space to prevent becoming root bound.

As like their soil, there are also special fertilizer and plant food mixtures for this plant. I have always just used my normal Miracle Gro houseplant food but that's just me.

To encourage new blooms, pinch off dead blossoms and their stems.

This houseplant is known to have some pest problems. Mealybugs and red spiders are the most common pests. If you begin to see a problem on your plant, I would suggest using specific insecticides labeled for African Violets. I personally haven’t had a pest problem with this plant so I cannot say if my homemade soapy dishwater mixture works or not. If you have solutions, please post comments below and share with other readers.

 

 

Spider Plant

 

 

The Spider Plant is characterized by its long shoots of thin foliage with off shoots at the ends of many of the leaves. The Spider plant's foliage is commonly known to be variegated with a white stripe, however some may have the white stripe to the outside or the foliage may be entirely green. The Spider Plant is one of my top easy to grow houseplants as well as one of the easiest to reproduce.

The Spider Plant requires only light watering. Allow the soil to dry completely in between waterings. You only need to water the spider plant once every two weeks. If the foliage begins to show black tips or a yellow halo, you are probably over watering the plant. If the foliage begins to drop, the plant is ready for a drink. If the foliage begins to brown, try watering with distilled water. The Spider Plant has been known to have problems if there are chemicals in the water.

Spider Plants prefer natural light, but do not place them in direct sunlight. If the leaves begin turning brown, try moving the plant out of the direct light. If the plant is kept within 5 to 8 feet of a window it should grow fine.

The off shoots can be removed and placed in soil or water which will then grow into its own plant in very little time. It is actually good to remove these off shoots from the main plant. Too many off shoots can cause the main plant to strain.

Pests and mites are not a problem with this houseplant. I personally have never had any problems with pests on my spider plants, however if they should arrive simply spray a soapy water mixture over the plants a couple of times a day.

 

 

 

The Pothos Plant on A Pole is an easy care indoor house plant for everyone. This is a truly easy to care for plant. The Pothos Plant on A Pole will tolerate low light with less water and high light with more water, the variegation of the plant will depend upon the light that it receives. The regular Pothos Plant on A Pole is delivered in a six inch container, the premium Pothos comes in a 8 inch diameter planter. The Pothos Plant on A Pole is available throughout the USA and Canada and can be sent online free of extra wire service charges. The Container will vary by region.

The Pothos Plant is a vine plant that is trained to grow on the pole, once established the Pothos plant is easy to propagate in water or directly in soil. Clippings will easily root and establish new plants. When you send a gift of a green living plant your gift will continue to extend your wishes.

 

 

 

CARE OF PEPEROMIAS

Grow peperomias with all green leaves in bright light, but not direct sunlight. A west window or an east window shaded by a transparent curtain works best. Peperomias with variegated leaves can tolerate more light and need more light to generate bright colors. These plants can be grown in an unshaded east window or a shaded south window.

 

Treat a peperomia like a tropical plant. It is important to remember that peperomias, despite the fact that many have thick, succulent leaves, are not in fact succulents. They are more like tropical plants and require high humidity. Placing the plants on trays of pebbles and misting the foliage once a week will help give them the humidity they need.

Water peperomias sparingly because over-watering will cause them to drop leaves. This is one area where peperomias differ from a lot of other tropical plants. They should be watered only when their soil has dried out. If growing in a west or east window, they will need water once every 2 weeks and perhaps slightly more often. If you can not feel moisture by sticking your finger most of the way down to the bottom of the pot, it is probably safe to water a peperomia.

Group peperomias together in shallow rectangular pots and hanging baskets. Because they have shallow roots and stay small, peperomias do well grouped together. Grouping several different varieties makes an attractive planter and also helps give the plants the humidity they need. Care for grouped plants as you would individual peperomias.

 

Heart-Leaf Philodendron(Araceae)

The Heart-leaf Philodendron is a great vining houseplant. I have had mine for over 6 years now and as you can see it has gotten quite large. Keep in mind, I have given this plant many "haircuts" as I call them and yet it is still healthy and big. The Heart-leaf Philodendron is characterized by heart shaped leaves growing off of vines from the plant. Leaves can be anywhere from 2 to 6 inches in diameter. The Philodendron requires little care but not none. This plant requires pruning care to keep its full appearance. one caution to be aware of, those with children. Some Philodendrons are toxic if eater, so be sure to keep them away from your pets and children.

 

Philodendrons prefer moderate to low light. If new foliage begins to develop smaller or the distance between leaves is larger in distance, your plant is most likely not receiving enough light. However, please be careful. Direct sunlight can burn the foliage.

This houseplant requires moderate to low water requirements. Try and keep the soil moist but do not allow it to dry out completely in between watering. If the foliage begins to turn yellow, you are probably over watering the plant. on the other hand if the foliage begins to turn brown you are not providing the plant with enough water. The Philodendron does not seem to mind lower humidity levels, however if you give a daily dose of misting to it, the plant will provide you with an even more beautiful appearance. Be sure to also keep the foliage clear of dust by washing regularly.

 

Many varieties of Philodendrons like to vine. As you can see from my pictures, vines can grow quite long, so trimming the plant back will not harm it. Trimming will help you shape this plant to the size you have for it. If you are looking to keep your plants current shape, be sure to trim back new growth. I have used small pins to hold my vines into place however some varieties of Philodendrons will actually product small roots, which will cling to your wall.

 

 

 

 

Hoya

 

CHARACTERISTICS:

Hoya's are great hanging plants. They have thick waxy leaves, which can store water. It is best to let these plants get dry between watering. The foliage will wrinkle if not enough water and if too much, light brown spots and or whole thick yellow leaves will occur. If dry pieces of vine appear this is often due to not enough water cut it back to soft foliage or top of soil where ever it ends. once they become root bound they will bloom and grow constantly. In some cases this can take two years. Blooms are really neat; they are clusters of stars. They will continue to bloom from the same areas (spur) so when the flowers die off don't remove the part they came out of if you want lots of flowers. They will continue to Bloom if they get good sunlight for most of spring and summer. I have plants that have over ten bloom clusters at once. Their new growth can be deceiving when it first comes out, because it first appears as a leafless vine. The leaves slowly come out from the vine so be patient. You can take cuttings from these plants, if you are trying to root them with out rooting hormone then try it in the spring. Take cutting 3-4" long and give them sunlight; it can take several months. When these plants are growing feed once a month.

 

PRUNING:

Hoyas can grow very fast and will wrap around them selves other plants or what ever they can find. Keep them turned for even growth. These plants like to grow wild and take up space; you can keep them under control by cutting them back. Make your cuts flush with the next leaf don't leave stubs. If you chose to keep them small and compact they will not bloom very much if at all.

 

This is a verigated Hoya

 

Get a Hoya

No question about it, a Hoya can not be killed. They are semi-succulent and don't need much water at all. I let my dry out to the bone, then sit it in the sink, fill it up, let it drain and put it back. I only do this about 1 x month. (When I notice the leaves are curling up.) I've had it 27 years! The cool thing is, you can propagate it by simply breaking off a leave and putting it in water. Roots will grow right out of the end of the leaf.