How to Keep Your Indoor Plants Healthy
Houseplants are a lovely complement to any room, and organic gardening isn’t only for vegetables; it’s also terrific for your houseplants. Knowing the cultural requirements of the plants you’re growing is the first step toward good houseplant maintenance. Find out how much light it like, how much water it requires. If it requires more humidity than your home provides. Watering is frequently a houseplant grower’s Achilles heel.
Most houseplants have the majority of their roots in the bottom two-thirds of the pot. So you’re definitely overwatering if you water when the top of the soil is dry. A moisture meter, such as this one, or a good old finger test are both better indicators. Only water the plant if the tip of your finger feels barely moist when you poke it into the pot up to your middle joint.
Allowing the topsoil to dry out aids in the prevention of pests such as fungus gnats. Watering can be done in two ways: top watering and bottom watering. Top watering is when you water the plant until the saucer is full of water. After that, you should discard the water in the saucer because you don’t want the plant to be sitting in it.
Bottom watering involves submerging the pot in two to three inches of water and waiting for the water to wick to the top of the soil. Tropical plants and citrus cultivated inside like a slightly humid environment than what you’ll find throughout the heating season in the winter.
I’ll show you how to make sure these plants get the humidity they require. It is critical to fertilize your house plants. Fill a saucer with pebbles or rocks, add water, and place the pot on top. Because they live in such a small amount of soil, it’s critical to replenish the nutrients. Use a balanced fertilizer for indoor plants.
From March to September, houseplants should be fertilized every one to three months. Synthetic fertilizers frequently cause salt build-up, but organic fertilizers eliminate this problem entirely. I also give my plants a fair dose of liquid kelp to ensure that they get all of the vitamins they require. You can either spray it on your plants for immediate uptake, known as foliar feeding, or you can produce a soil drench. Pests might infest your houseplants as well.
Prevention is the first step in dealing with them organically. Choose the correct plant for your location, water and fertilize on a regular basis, use organic potting soil rather than garden soil, and keep an eye out for pests. This Peaceful Valley organic potting soil is one of my favorites since it stays fluffy, retains moisture well, and is organic! Washing the leaves of your smooth-leaved plants can also help, as it will ensure that any dust accumulation does not obstruct the sunlight. Clean the leaves with a soft, damp cloth on a regular basis.
Take the plant outside and rinse it off with lukewarm water if it has little leaves. Use a duster sparingly since it can spread plant pests and eggs.
It’s sometimes advisable to simply prune out certain heavily contaminated areas. These adhesive traps, such as these gnat sticks that just stick in the soil, are also available. This aids in the control of pests such as aphids, fungus gnats, and houseplant lice. If you’re still having problems, there are organic plant pesticides available. Read all of the labels to make sure they’re for the pest you’re trying to get rid of and that your label is for the plant species you have.
Grow plants indoors and go organic for the rest of your life.
