Remember I'm in a pot. (House Plant Care)

Name: MarianNt5

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Product:	House Plant Care
Date:	19/05/01 (1146 review reads)
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I love plants, any plants. I must have about a hundred house plants indoors and in my conservatory in various stages of happiness. Some I have had for years, some temporary guests having a holiday from their owners.

When caring for your house plants remember they are in a pot, if you overwater them there is nowhere for it to go but in the saucer and most plants, with a few exceptions don't like standing in water for any length of time. Let the plant be your guide as they will soon tell you if you are going wrong, unfortunately sometimes by dropping dead on you.

With a Cheese Plant I usually water about once a month in winter and once a fortnight in summer, I feed all my plants once a fortnight in summer. This plant likes bright light but not direct sun which I have found scorches the leaves. Wipe the leaves once a month, or when they look dusty, with a damp kitchen roll, I don't like leaf shine products on any plant.

With an Urn plant you should ensure that the centre is topped up with water regularly ideally rain water.

Dragon Tree plants like a lot of water I do mine at least once a week in summer sometimes more depending on where they are. I have found that if these plants don't get enough water they wilt fairly quickly and then start to drop their leaves at an alarming rate.

African Violets love bathrooms and toilets, they don't like bright sun or conservatories.They hate water on their leaves and should be watered from below when they start to wilt. I was told about the watering by an African Violet grower.

Umbrella plants should be stood in water all the time or they will wither up very fast but, if you are quick enough they will usually recover, rather like lazarus.

Cacti love bright, direct sun, loads of water in summer, I sometimes do mine every other day, and no water at all from October to April. This will stimulate flowering, mine flower every year.

Succulents should
be watered regularly in summer and rarely in winter, only enough to stop them shrivelling up.

Aspidistras and Mother-in-Laws tongue are ideal for the person who forgets they have plants as these can usually be ignored for long periods of time between waterings.

Christmas and Easter Cactus should have copious water only while actively growing.

Provided plants are well looked after and are happy there should not be any trouble with pests in the house, but any that do occur can usually be dealt with by natural means, ie. picking pests off by hand.

If you do happen to overwater a plant it can usually be salvaged by standing it on thick newspaper until the excess has been soaked up and then not watered until the compost feels dry below the surface, the only reliable way to test is with your finger.

Remember a healthy plant is a happy plant.

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