House Plant Care - Questions and Answers

House Plants - You Have Questions, I Have Answers, But...

Rhapis Excelsa Palm on My Model Home Account

Hi Plant People, hope you all had a nice October. Hard to believe it is already November 2016.

Just realized that since I started working as an interior landscape technician in 1986 and it is now 2016, I have been taking care of, installing, warehousing, replacing, selling or unloading indoor tropical plants and flowers for just about 30 years.

Most of that was direct, day to day care of different types of tropical plants in many different locations, from the west coast to the east coast.

There has been a break here or there for a year or two but for most of the past 30 years I have been involved in all aspects of the interior landscape industry. That's a lot of plants!

On my website, I offer simple, straight forward advice on caring for your indoor plants. As you can tell from the first few paragraphs, I have had lots of experience to work from.

I do offer to answer questions for readers and they sometimes ask things I could not possibly give a definitive answer to because, with indoor plants, you need to be the person standing right there in front of that plant, taking care of it every week, to be able to figure out what is causing any problems it may be having. That is why I ask people to read the pages about lighting, watering and root health before they send a question. Those things are really all you need to know if you started out with a healthy disease and insect free house plant.

HOUSE PLANTS CARE QUESTIONS OR PROBLEMS? You can send an indoor plant question but before you do, please read this information on watering your indoor houseplants, how to help keep your house plant's root system healthy and lighting for your houseplants. These are most important for your house plant's health and this is some of the information I will refer you to when you send an email.

So, please read those pages, and if you still have a question, I will try to answer but please remember, I work during the day taking care of plants so sometimes it takes a little while for me to get out the answers to your emails. So please be as patient as you can and thanks for visiting my website, I do appreciate it and I hope it is helpful to some of you...

Laura The Plant Lady

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Indoor Plants and Gnats! So Annoying...

How to Combat Those Little Flying Bugs - GNATS!

Although fungus gnats can be a problem with indoor plants at anytime of year, they can be a bigger problem during the warmer months as they are also outside in greater numbers and, no doubt, plotting an invasion of your home...  :)

Not a Fungus Gnat-Just One of My Plants

Here is a little information about fungus gnats:

• Fungus gnats are small flies, about 1/8" long, black or dark colored. Adult females may lay up to a few hundred eggs in a 7-10 day period. And they will lay them in the moist topsoil of your indoor plants, if they get a chance.
• Fungus gnat eggs hatch in about six days, producing small, white maggots.
• Larvae will grow to about 1/4" in two weeks and then form pupae.
• Then adults will emerge from plant media in a week or less. And the cycle begins again!

While adult fungus gnats do not damage your indoor plants, they can be very annoying. You may see numbers of them about your plants, if they are disturbed. They also seem to be attracted to lights, computer monitors, etc.

The larvae feed on organic material, including your houseplant's roots and can cause damage to your houseplant's health. This damage can allow disease to enter plant tissue.

Your plant may or may not show signs of decline. It is possible to have leaf loss, stunted growth and yellowing of foliage.

Properly watering your indoor potted plants (not keeping plant media constantly soggy) can help ease the problem to some extent. Using sub-irrigation containers for your plants is also a good way to keep these little pests from becoming a problem.

If you are having a problem with gnats in your indoor plants, one of the things you can do is remove the top inch or so of soil from your plants and replace with fresh, sterile soil. Gnats reproduce mainly in the topsoil of your plants so removing this and replacing with sterile potting soil should remove a large part of the problem.

It is best to use sterile soil for your indoor potted plants. Here are some ideas for sterilizing your own potting soil:

• Place slightly moist potting mix in an oven proof tray. Cover with foil and bake for about 45 minutes in a 200 degree oven. Turn on the fan! Remove and allow to cool before using.
• During the hot summer months, you can sterilize using the energy from the sun. Dampen soil and place in black plastic pot. Cover any drainage holes with plastic first. Set in the sun and cover with a sheet of clear plastic.This will adequately heat the soil and it should be ready to use in about a week. Saves electricity too!

One other helpful, non-chemical way to fight fungus gnats that are already present is to use sticky trap cards. These attract the fungus gnats, they get stuck and can not get away. Basically just fly paper in card form. I use these in my interior landscape accounts by placing them just inside the grow pot, usually stuck to the side. This catches the fungus gnats and keeps them from bothering anyone and from reproducing.

Hope this helps you with any problem you may have with these little, flying creatures.

Come visit my website for more information on care for your indoor plants

Happy growing everyone!

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House Plant Care - How to Have Great Looking Plants

Watering for Healthy Plants

Watering Rules, House Plant Care

Working in the interior landscape business for more than 20 years has gotten me lots of questions about how to care for indoor potted plants.

Customers ask about their own plants at home...why does my plant have yellow leaves... what causes brown leaf tips...how come the new growth on my plant is dying...I water my plant everyday but it still isn't doing well...how much should I water my house plant?

It can be hard to diagnose every indoor plant problem when you do not have access to the plant itself. So I generally find myself asking them questions about how they care for their plants. Most often, the problems are solved by changing watering habits. 

In almost every instance, changing the way they look at watering their indoor plants gives them positve results with their houseplants.

I care for indoor plants as my job and I know that there are not many plants that I care for that always use the same amount of water or need watering on a rigid schedule. Many different things influence a plants water use.

Customers turn off the lights, leave the lights on, turn off the air conditioning, turn up the heat, close the blinds, open the blinds. All of these things, and many other things, influence the way you need to water an indoor plant.

There are many things to consider when you are watering your house plants. Read more about watering properly for good results with your indoor house plants... 

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One Very Popular Houseplant-Dracaena marginata

Dracaena marginata plant

Dracaena Marginata Plant Care

The marginata plant is one of the most popular houseplants. It is one of my favorites and I get so many emails asking questions about Dracaena marginata that I have to think it is one of everyones favorite indoor potted plants.

One of the care questions that I get most often about this beautiful, indoor plant is about pruning. Is it alright to cut it back if it is too tall? Where should I cut the stem?

The answer to the question is yes, you can cut back the stems or canes of dracaena marginata. You should cut the stem just above the height that you want new growth to start. It is best to do this in the spring time when most plants do much of their growing.

If you look closely at the stem you will see rings that encircle the stem. This is where the leaf nodes are and where your dracaena marginata will push out some new growth. You will most likely get a few new "heads" starting before you know it.

It is best to do this before your plant gets so tall that it needs support to stay upright. Also, it may be a shock to you when you see your plant cut back so far. It also encourages healthy new growth and keeps your plant fuller and healthier looking. 

Read more about dracaena marginata plant care and about other indoor plants....

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Best Indoor Houseplant For Beginners

Snake Plant - Houseplant

As an interior landscape technician, I get a lot of questions from people during the work day. Some want to know why their plant is not doing well. Others ask what the little bugs on their plant are and how to get rid of them. Some people want to know the best way to prune or propagate their houseplants.

Another common houseplant question is: What is the best houseplant to get if I have never had an indoor plant before?

That is one of the easiest questions to answer as it doesn't require finding out alot of other information. The answer to this question is undoubtably...The Snake Plant!

Snake plants are great indoor plants as they will tolerate an owner that doesn't pay them much attention. They will live in lower light but they will become thin and leggy over time if the light is not sufficient.

However, if you are one of those people that likes to water their plants everyday, you should not get a Snake plant! There are not many indoor plants that will last long with everyday watering!

Snake plants are known as Sansevieria. The long tall foliage looks something like a snake and that is no doubt where the name Snake plants come from. Another name is Mother-In-Law Tongue. Someone will have to explain that one to me.

Anyway, if you are looking for a houseplant that does not need a lot of attention, try a Snake plant. Read about Snake Plant care, Sansevieria houseplants...

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People Are Funny - And They Love Houseplants

House Plants at Gate C7 - Airport Adventures

Sure a lot of people that really like to ?#?grow? ?#?houseplants?! 

I was at the local international airport on Friday, taking care of plants and replacing some #Pothos with Hoyas. The new plants were so full that I had to drastically prune them to fit in their new containers. 
I left all of the cuttings on my cart on the concourse and when I came back there was a woman stuffing all of the ?#?Hoya? cuttings into one of her pieces of luggage.
I just had to laugh. Nice to know that so many people ?#?love? #houseplants. 
Hope she made it to her flight on time!

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Orchids, Fragrance and Bonsai

National Orchid Garden-Singapore

If you live in or are travelling in Southeast Asia and you are a plant lover, you might want to take in the wonderful flora and fauna at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. The botanic garden, an oasis in the highly urbanized Republic of Singapore, boasts a diversity of plant life for visitors to enjoy.

There are many sections of the garden including the Rain Forest, the National Orchid Garden, Bonsai Garden, The Healing Garden and the Fragrant Garden.

The National Orchid Garden has over 1000 orchid species and 2000 orchid hybrids on display. Orchids have been associated with the gardens since 1859 and many of the Orchids are products of their orchid breeding program, which began in 1928.

Showcasing over 400 medicinal plants, the Healing Gardens was designed as a tranquil respite. The main focus is on medicinal plants used traditionally in Southeast Asia. Come in and enjoy the peaceful serenity of the garden.

Located near the Healing Garden is the Fragrant Garden. The name says it all. A boardwalk runs through the garden and is beautifully lit at night. Breathe, relax, enjoy.

Don't forget to visit the Bonsai Garden and the many other areas of this wonderful urban sanctuary. You will find something for everyone at the Singapore Botanic Garden.

Whether you are in Singpore, the United Kingdom or Las Vegas, Nevada, come visit at PlantAndFlowerInfo.com for help, information and care tips for your indoor house plants. We are always here to help. Thanks Plant People!

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Contest Winners-Peace Lily & Art

Crystal's New Peace Lily & Container

Hi There Plant People

The PlantAndFlowerInfo.com contest ended July 31, 2014. The grand prize was a new, beautiful houseplant and container, delivered by a local florist.

The winner of the Grand Prize was Crystal G., University Place, Washington. She posted a picture of the gorgeous Peace Lily and container that she received on our Facebook Page. Here it is! The picture of her new plant. ------>>>>

There were 2 other winners, Emily M. of Pittsburg, PA and Joshua P., from Dorchester, MA. They each won a botanical themed art print to help decorate their homes. Unlike Crystal, they will not have to water their prizes!

Thanks to you guys that entered and I hope the winners enjoy their prizes. Have a great Labor Day holiday everyone!

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PlantAndFlowerInfo.com Contest

Hi Plant People,

The PlantAndFlowerInfo.com sweepstakes/contest ended on July 31, 2014. Thanks to all of you that entered the contest to win a beautiful, new interior houseplant and container. The winners have been drawn and notified. They include two runner-up winners who will receive a botanical themed decorative art print for their home.
I am so happy to be able to send a few of our readers these great prizes. Winners will be announced as soon as their eligibility has been verified.
Thanks again to everyone! Visit the website if you need some assistance with your indoor houseplants!

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Tropical Orchids - House Plants and Care

Orchids - Tropical Houseplants and their Care

Orchid Flowers

Orchids are beautiful and unique flowering plants that you can keep in your home. Often considered difficult to care for, there are varieties that can be grown in the home. They do require good light, some humidity and proper temperatures but most anyone can keep one of these gorgeous tropical house plants with a little care, proper watering and some patience.

There are thousands of types of Orchids but only a few can be kept successfully in the average home. These include Phalaenopsis, Cattleya, Cymbidium and Dendrobium orchids. You will find one or more of these types of Orchid available at most stores that sell indoor plants. 

Phalaenopsis Orchids, or Moth Orchids, are the type generally found in local stores that do not specialize in plants and flowers, such as your neighborhood grocery store. That is because they are one of the easiest to care for Orchids. Read more about Orchids and their care...

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Creative Houseplant Container Ideas

Creative Container Ideas

It can be difficult to find that perfect container for your #indoor plants and even your #outdoor #plants. Some of us like to use the old standards such as terracotta, ceramic and plastic or even those old oak barrel containers.

However, sometimes it is fun to be really creative. I have seen plant enthusiasts use an old porcelain toilet or tub to display their pretty plants and flowers in the front yard. Recycling old items is a great way to avoid waste and creatively contain your houseplants and exterior plants. Just be aware of concerns with water leakage. You may need to line some items to avoid drips, leaks and water damage.

Here are some cute and creative ideas for planting that you may not have thought about before. Take a look at these interesting ideas and pictures for planting succulents and cactus from LagunaDirt.com ...

One of the favorite succulents for use as an indoor houseplant is the Sanseveiria or Snake Plant. Come read more about this fantastic, easy-care indoor plant at PlantAndFlowerInfo.com. There are lots of ideas for caring for your houseplants and keeping them healthy. Personal houseplant care help is also available, if you need some specific advice. Thanks for visiting and have a great day!

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Houseplants and Spring

It is just about a week since the first official day of 

Suzy's www.WorthingCourtBlog.com

spring but, as usual, the weather tends to be quite fickle during March and April. It still feels like winter in so many places. Check out this blog with some cute ideas for bringing some spring into your indoor space. Even when it is still a little chilly outside, you can enjoy your lovely indoor plants. Thanks for the great blog Suzy!

If you need some help with your houseplants or are trying to find one that is just right for a certain spot in your home, come on over to PlantAndFlowerInfo.com for #houseplant ideas that can help brighten up your indoors and for some great houseplant care help and advice. Have a great Spring!

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Houseplants and Design

Do you love #houseplants but you're not really sure how to place them in your home? Take a peek at this blog for some interesting ideas for different containers and interesting placement ideas.http://www.designsponge.com/2013/04/sneak-peek-best-of-indoor-plants.html Then come take a look at www.PlantAndFlowerInfo.com for help in deciding which plants you are going to use...

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Houseplant Care - Schefflera Arboricola

Arboricola is a common houseplant and is sometimes referred to as an 'Umbrella Plant'. The Schefflera Arboricola and Amate are the two types most commonly used as interior houseplants. They are most often grown in a bush form but sometimes can be found in a standard or braided trunk form.
Pictured to the right is the Schefflera Arboricola. Arboricola is also known as Dwarf Umbrella tree or Parasol Plant. In some plant information it is named as Heptapleurum arboricola but it is usually sold as Schefflera arboricola.
Schefflera is best in bright, indirect light but can be acclimated to medium light placements. Very low light is not recommended. Read more about Schefflera Arboricola plants and their care...

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Water and Light = Houseplant Health

Healthy Houseplant

If you want your houseplants looking great, you need to know that the available light and how you water your  indoor plants relative to that lighting is more important than any other factor.
Forget the fertilizers, the re-potting, pinching and pruning and concentrate on learning how to water your plants properly. This alone, if done right, will make more difference than anything else you can do for your houseplants.
Watering indoor plants correctly can be tricky. Improper watering is the main cause of death with indoor plants. Usually this would be from over-watering but if you are not caring for your plants on a regular schedule, under-watering can be a problem. Advice that give you watering intervals, amount of water, etc. are really not reliable.
Having cared for thousands of plants as a Plant Lady, I know that the only way to determine if a plant needs water is to check the moisture level in the soil at regular intervals. Every plant is different and only you can tell if your plant needs to be watered. I know that you love your plants but too much love (i.e. water) can kill them! Read more about houseplants and light and watering correctly...

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Happy Healthy Pets and Houseplants Too!

Houseplant Eater! Meow!

Being an animal lover as well as a plant lover, as many people are, I thought it would be helpful to add this link for those with pets. The ASPCA list of toxic and non-toxic plants...I also put a link to the list on the homepage of my website Plant And Flower Info.com for future reference, if needed.
A few emails have come to me with questions about pets and pets that eat houseplants. I have had many animals and plants, all in the same house, for many years and have not had too many problems.
The houseplants usually seem to be the worse off if any close encounters do happen. They often end up on the floor with broken leaves and dirt everywhere! The cat somewhere nearby, licking his paw and giving me that, 'You need to tell your plants to quit jumping off the windowsill' look!
 I always make my best effort to keep houseplants out of the reach of pets. That can be difficult, especially with cats, as they seem to be able to get just about anywhere they darn well please! Of course, dogs can be quite resourceful too, if they really want to get to that plate of brownies you left on the counter...ummm, yes you, Gracie May, bad dog! Have a great day, enjoy your houseplants and your pets!
Read more about houseplants and their care...

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Healthy Roots Healthy Houseplants

Healthy Houseplant

When caring for your indoor potted plants it is helpful to have a basic knowledge of plant functions. This can aid in determining what is needed to help keep your houseplants green, growing and gorgeous.

The root system is an important part, really the most important part, of the functioning of your indoor houseplants. Unlike an exterior landscape plant, your potted plants rely on you to provide the correct amount of water to the root system.

The leaves, stems and flowers are the most obvious parts of a plant. They are above the soil level and it is what we see when we look at a plant. I have been in the interior plant care industry for a few decades and have cared for and maintained thousands of interior plants in almost any kind of environment that you can imagine and I know that the most important part of any plant is the root system.

The way that your plant looks above ground is determined by the health of the root system,
the part of a plant that is not so obvious to most people.
Read more about watering your houseplants and a healthy root system...

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One of My Favorite Houseplants, Marginata

New Marginata

A Favorite Houseplant, Dracaena Marginata

Dracaena Marginata is one of my favorite houseplants. That might be because it is one of the first large indoor plants that I ever owned.

I was the Plant Lady at the huge Xerox Research Center in Palo Alto, California. They had a 6 foot tall Dracaena Marginata in lower light that was getting a little leggy and it was decided with my contact person, Gary, that it would be replaced with a brand new plant.

He did not want to keep the old plant and told me that if I wanted it, I should take it home. That is exactly what I did! 

The Marginata did quite well at my house, placed next to a large sliding glass door in bright light. Ever since that time, Marginata has been one of my favorite houseplants.

They are really easy to care for once you know how. And they are very beautiful and graceful plants when they are grown in the home. You can let them grow large or easily keep them at the size you want them.

Read more about Dracaena Marginata plants and their care... 

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If You Like Your Plant, You Can Keep Your Plant. Period!

Birds Nest fern

Birds Nest Fern The Clean & Easy Fern

Well, its my blog and I can use whatever title I like. I have heard the words, "If you like your plan, you can keep your plan. Period" so many times over the past year, it has kind of stuck in my head and morphed into "if you like your plant, you can keep your plant! Maybe this will get it out of there. (Out of my head that is). By the way, I did not get to keep my plan.(Insurance, that is...but that is another story for another blog)

However, I did get to keep my plants! This post is about Asplenium nidus, or Birds Nest Fern. There are a few types, the two most common being the Japanese and Victoria Birds Nest Fern. The Victoria has thinner, more ruffled fronds than the Japanese. As far as ferns go, this is one of my favorites, along with Button Ferns and Pteris fern.

One of the easiest ferns to care for as a houseplant is the Birds Nest Fern or Asplenium Nidus. It is more likely to let you get away with a few mistakes than many other ferns. An added attraction is the leaflets that often fall from other ferns, creating quite a mess, are not present on Birds Nest Fern. This makes it a clean fern in my book, unlike the messy Boston Fern. With a Boston Fern, you spend more time cleaning up after it than you do taking care of it! Not so the Birds Nest Fern.

Light green fronds surround a fibrous nest, explaining the name Birds Nest Fern. The fronds are long and blade shaped with a dark midrib. Birds Nest Ferns can grow quite large and the plant pictured here was well over 3 feet tall!

Read more about Birds Nest Fern and houseplant care...

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Houseplants and Flowers For Christmas

Best Wishes To All - Christmas Plants

First of all, just want to wish everyone, around the world, a happy holiday season! Merry Christmas and Happy 2014...

Just wanted to remind any of you that know folks with a Plant Passion, that indoor plants and flowering houseplants make great gifts for Christmas. They are also gifts that last (unlike that Fruitcake) and NO extra pounds (unlike those chocolates)!!!

So, if you need a gift for the Plant Person in your life, I have compiled some of my favorites from an affiliate and put them together on my website. These are gifts that can be delivered for you and any person that you know who enjoys indoor plants would love one of these!

And I receive a small commission to help keep my site running and me eating!

Anyway, Check out these great gifts for the Plant Lover in your life...

Thanks and have a happy and safe Christmas and New Year! And don't eat too much!

Laura 

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