Not only ourselves, but also our indoor green spaces should become fresh and blooming by summer. How can this be achieved? 5 useful procedures for indoor plants – in the material Woman`s Day.
Houseplant care
Over the long winter, potted plants become thick with dust (even if you spray them regularly). And the dust clogs the “stomata” on the leaves, disrupting the normal “breathing” of your flowers. As a result, the plant not only fades, but may even begin to shed its leaves. To prevent this from happening, we wipe the leaves with a damp cloth, or rather arrange a refreshing shower for them. We put the pots in the bath, turn on the water at room temperature and adjust the stream of the shower head so that its pressure does not break fragile sprouts and twigs. After that, we irrigate the plants with water. For greater effect, lather the leaves with ordinary laundry soap, lightly with three hands and rinse. Let the water drain into the pan and put the cheerful green creature back on the windowsill.
Plants with fluffy, velvety leaves like Saintpaulia (violets) and geraniums should not be washed. It is not recommended to spray them. Such flowers do not tolerate high humidity – water procedures can lead to leaf rot.
If you want to renew an old and ugly plant or divide an overgrown bush – the best time for this is just spring – early summer, before the onset of active growth. Each flower has its own favorite breeding methods – baby bulbs, shoots, layers, whiskers, rhizome division and others. Study the preferences of your green pets in advance, and in order not to lose your favorite flower in case of failure, plant several shoots at once. It’s safer this way.
- All about the propagation of indoor flowers
Most plants need replanting every two years. The earth, which contains all the nutrients for the growth and development of flowers, is depleted over time. And your flowers begin to suffer from “hunger”. The transplant is prescribed for those specimens that still grow in plastic containers (you bought them in them six months ago), as well as for plants that are discouraged in an excessively small pot.
First, you will have to purchase new pots and potting mix (it should be different – depending on the type of flowers). Expanded clay will also come in handy, which will need to be poured onto the bottom of the pot so that excess water does not lead to decay of the roots.
Not all flowers like transplanting: amaryllis, for example, blooms only in a cramped pot, and can grow in one pot for many years until it bursts.
Even those flowers that do not require annual transplanting, spring feeding is absolutely necessary – in order to grow thicker and bloom more abundantly. In any flower shop, fertilizers for indoor plants are sold – most often they are available in liquid form. They are diluted in water (in the proportion indicated on the label), and the flowers are watered with the resulting solution.
As a kind of top dressing – replacing the top layer of the earth with a fresh one, which means it is more nutritious. This procedure is especially recommended for large plants that have been sitting in the same pot for many years.
Different flowers require different regularity of feeding. It is best to find information about each specific species on the internet. This will allow you to more accurately and timely meet the essential needs of your favorite flowers.
No flower will give up on an outdoor vacation. If you have a loggia, or a balcony, or a veranda, house the plants there for the summer period (of course, when the threat of frost has passed and the temperature does not drop below 15 ° C).
Just be careful not to place flowers in direct sunlight. Burns are guaranteed on the leaves.
And another danger is a glazed loggia on the sunny side. At noon, such a sunbath will turn into a real sauna – your plants will not be happy in the heat and dry air.
- Taking care of plants during summer vacation
If you have not yet acquired a spray bottle for spraying flowers, be sure to do it before the onset of hot days. Many plants can hardly tolerate dry air – in the summer you have to spray them at least twice a day.