Contents
In order for your indoor plants to always please you with a healthy appearance, you must follow the basic rules for caring for them. In this article we will talk about such an important aspect as the hygiene of indoor plants.
Influence on the state of the plant
Keeping your houseplants hygienic will help keep them clean and healthy. Since indoor dust remains on the leaves of flowers, the process of photosynthesis and gas exchange is disrupted, and plants cannot function normally. Also, if the flower pot is in a stuffy room (for example, in the kitchen), such procedures help to increase the level of humidity.
In addition, timely inspections and spraying help to detect pests, if any. So do not underestimate the importance of hygiene for indoor flowers.
Video “Do-it-yourself fertilizers for indoor plants”
From this video you will learn how to properly feed indoor plants and how to make fertilizer.
Necessary procedures
So, what are the procedures you need to follow so that your plants are always clean and healthy, and how do they differ?
Wet cleaning
Wash your flowers from time to time to keep them looking fresh. In the warm season, the plants must be washed every two weeks. In winter, this procedure is carried out quite rarely, since the plants are at rest.
How are the flowers washed? You can wash the leaves in the shower (under a weak jet pressure) or gently pour them from a watering can. Water should be at room temperature, and in no case should it be cold. During the procedure, the soil must be covered with a waterproof film. Also wipe the sheets with a dry cloth if you washed them with tap water (otherwise lime stains will appear).
If the leaves of the flower are heavily soiled, it is better to wash them with soapy water. You should not be afraid, such a procedure will not harm your plants and will be able to remove all dust and dirt, if there is too much of it. It will also be an excellent prevention against pests.
After washing the flower with soapy water, be sure to wash it with clean water. Such a procedure is allowed to be carried out no more than once a month, and carefully ensure that the solution only gets on the leaves, and not on the soil.
You can also periodically wipe your plants with a damp cloth or sponge. Gently wipe each leaf without pressing on the sponge. It is also not recommended to rub the leaves with great force, since this can cause mechanical damage to them. Wipe the foliage from the outside and from the inside, carefully placing the leaf plate in the palm of your hand. This is a good alternative to a shower that will help get rid of dirt on your flowers.
Dry cleaning
This method is used before washing flowers, as well as for those plants that cannot be washed or sprayed with a spray bottle. These, for example, include cacti, as well as plants with pubescent or folded leaves. The procedure is carried out using an ordinary blush brush, which is very convenient to brush off dust particles from the leaves.
Spraying
You can spray all plants, except for those that have pubescent foliage. For spraying it is necessary to use soft settled water at room temperature. When using ordinary tap water, lime stains form on the leaves of the flowers, which can affect the health and appearance of the flower.
When spraying, a spray bottle is used, and the smaller the droplets, the better. If you are spraying during the flowering period, you must carefully ensure that the buds do not get wet.
Frequency and time for procedures
Spraying and washing flowers is carried out in the warm season, about once every two weeks. In winter, flowers have a dormant period, so it is better not to carry out such procedures.
If your flower is on the windowsill, then spraying is carried out either early in the morning or in the evening, after sunset. In any case, it is highly undesirable for the sun’s rays to fall on wet leaves, because this way the flower can get burned.
For dry cleaning, any time of the year and day is suitable. The frequency of the procedure is determined by the degree of contamination of the leaves.