Every house-plant lover should have a kit containing the materials necessary for keeping their plants healthy and well-groomed.
Three Major Components For A Gardener
The three major components of such a kit should be plant food, an insecticide, and a leaf cleaner and shiner.
Proper use of all three will give more beauty and longer life to house plants.
House Plant Food
As a rule, plants recently purchased from a florist do not require an immediate application of plant food.
They will usually flourish for several months on the fertilizer applied by the commercial grower before they leave their greenhouse.
After this period, however, the plants must be fed if they are to thrive.
Although there is no rule of thumb to follow in feeding houseplants, one important point to remember is that they should be fed just before or during the time they are growing actively.
They should not be fed when they are making no growth. The inactive period varies with each plant, but as a rule, most foliage plants make the least vegetative growth during the winter months.
Because house-plant fertilizers are more effective when applied in solution, the best kinds to use are the high analysis, completely soluble kinds such as:
- Ra-Pid-Gro
- Hyponex
- Miracle-Gro
- Gro-Stuff
- Garden-Life, etc
The amount to use varies with the brand. Therefore, the manufacturer’s directions should be followed carefully.
Fertilizers such as 5-10-5 or 4-12-4, commonly used on outdoor soils, can also be used for house plants.
The usual amount is one level teaspoonful for each plant growing in a container of 6 inches or larger.
Because some of their ingredients are only slightly soluble, this type of fertilizer is applied dry and then scratched lightly into the soil and watered in.
The application frequency depends on the plants’ size, growth status, and season.
In winter, foliage plants should not be fed more than once a month. When they are growing actively, they can be fed every two weeks.
Fertilizer tablets, sold under several brand names, are also available for house plants.
They are most effective when dissolved in water and applied in solution rather than pressed dry into the soil.
I have observed several cases of root burning when the tablets were applied dry.
Some people frequently prescribe feeding house plants with liquid manure prepared by soaking cow manure in water.
I see no reason for resorting to this ancient method in these days of high-analysis, quickly soluble chemical plant foods, which are clean and easy to handle.
A final word of caution: do not overdose house plants with chemical fertilizers. Follow the manufacturer’s directions to the letter.
So remember that the mere application of plant food will not remedy ills that are due to poor growing conditions such as:
- Lack of light
- Improper soil drainage
- Unfavorable temperatures
- An excessively dry atmosphere
House Plant Insecticides
The second component of a houseplant kit is a good insecticide.
It may sound discouraging, but the fact is that no matter how carefully the gardener watches house plants, sooner or later pests of one kind or another are bound to infest them.
The pests are brought in on newly acquired plants or even on cut flowers.
Others can fly in through open windows or doors during the summer. In any case, one must examine the plants periodically for telltale symptoms of insect damage or the presence of the insects themselves.
Among the more important insect pests of house plants are aphids, white flies, mealy bugs, scales and thrips, and such closely related pests as spider mites and cyclamen mites.
Aerosol Sprays
The newest and most convenient way to apply small quantities of insecticides is with pressurized aerosol bombs or dispensers.
There is a special knack for using these properly. The nozzle of the can must be held 12” to 18” inches from the plant before the release button is pressed.
This allows the propellant to evaporate before it reaches the plant but still permits the deposition of the insecticide.
The contents should be applied in short, one-second bursts to avoid overwriting the plants.
Holding the nozzle too close to the plant may also result in some plant damage.
It is advisable to read the directions on the aerosol cans carefully because the aerosols cannot be used on all house plants.
Cyclamen and maidenhair ferns, for example, may be damaged by the ingredients in some of the aerosol bombs on the market.
Some also contain materials that will soften, stain or discolor certain plastics, asphalt tiles, and furniture finishes.
Hence, such materials must be protected when the plants are being sprayed with aerosols.
Among the aerosol bombs now available are the following: Acme, Antral, Bostwick, D-X, Kill-Ogen, and Red Arrow.
Hand Spraying
Insecticides can also be applied with hand-operated pressure sprayers of one-pint or one-quart capacity. The better kinds deliver a continuous spray.
The materials used in this type of applicator do not come ready-mixed and so must be diluted beforehand.
The best insecticide for house plant pests is malathion. It is obtainable in liquid or wettable powder form and must be diluted or dissolved in water.
Although malathion is considered a relatively safe insecticide to handle, I suggest that plants sprayed with it be moved to the basement or garage for spraying.
My reasons for suggesting this procedure are to make doubly sure that people and pets are not affected in any way and to minimize the discomfort produced by malathion’s odor.
Several insects include the larval stage of fungus gnats. Springtails and syphilis frequently infest soil in which house plants are growing.
These, as well as other lower forms of animal life, can be easily controlled by dusting the soil surface lightly with 5% percent chlordane or 1% percent lindane dust and lightly watering it.
Plant Cleaner And Shiner
Because the leaves of houseplants last for long periods, they are excellent dust collectors.
To keep foliage plants looking their best, leaves should be freed of dust periodically.
Old-fashioned mild soap and water will do the trick, but it does not leave the shiny bright color that is most desirable.
Special leaf-cleaning and shining materials are on the market for just this purpose. Some of the better kinds contain either lanolin or plastic as the active ingredient.
I have used the product sold by Glow Plant for several years and found that it does a good job. Others on the market are Plant Shine, Floraglo, and Black Magic.
No matter which cleaner is chosen, it is important to use it only on the upper surface because this is the surface that collects dust and needs cleaning and because the breathing pores, or stomates, are relatively few on this surface. Most of the stomata are on the lower surface.
Hence, nothing that might clog or disrupt their functioning should be used there.
Hairy-leaved plants like African violets, gloxinias, and the Chinese velvet plant, Cynara aurantiaca, should not be treated with leaf-shining materials.
The leaves of such plants should be dusted with a small camel’s hair brush.
44659 by P. P. Pirone