How To Care For Indoor Plants Indoor plants are great for enhancing your décor. They can liven up or soften a space with minimal effort. They’re also pretty simple to maintain but there a few things to think about to ensure they remain ... Read The Full Guide More Popular Guides ... How To Deal With Weeds How To Grow From Seeds How To Container Planting How To Lay Paving

If your plant does completely dry out then fill a container with water and immerse the plant in the container taking care not to immerse the foliage of the plant. Hold it there until bubbles stop coming to the surface, then lift the pot out and let the excess water drain away.

 

 

LIGHT

Plants need light to create their energy and survive, so if a plant isn’t getting enough light it’ll exhibit some tell-tale signs; look out for pale growth and weak flowering. If your plant shows these signs move it to somewhere that has more light.

Plants may also need to be moved to new places as the seasons change because as seasons change so do light levels.  In summer, when the sun is much stronger be careful not to expose your plant to very harsh sunlight as this will burn the plant creating scorched brown patches on the leaves. Too much sunlight can also cause plants to wilt and fade. Positioning the plant a little further back from the window is a good way to protect it from harsh exposure.

Also, remember that different plants need different levels of sunlight for example flowering plants tend to need more light than foliage plants.  Be sure to check the plant label or with a Mitre 10 staff member in store to find out what level of light exposure your chosen plant prefers.

 

	Handy Hints To stop your plant looking lopsided due to constant movement towards the light source regularly rotate the plant pot to even out plant movement.

 

 

HUMIDITY

Most indoor house plants originate from sub-tropical rainforests where humidity can be as high as 100 per cent. To provide similar conditions, spray the foliage of plants with warm water regularly; ideally a few times a day. An alternative is to place the plant on a saucer filled with pebbles and add water to the saucer. Keep the saucer topped up as this will raise the humidity around the plant.

 

FEEDING

Fertilisers help to keep the plant healthy by ensuring it gets the nutrients it needs. Newly purchased or recently re-potted plants should not be fed with fertiliser until they are a couple of months old as it can burn the roots because they are not well established.

Fertilisers mostly contain nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which aid the plant in different ways. Nitrogen is good for developing foliage growth while phosphorus supports the roots and potassium helps the plants to develop overall strength. Generally most indoor house plants will respond well to an all-purpose fertiliser. However, if the plant needs added help choose a high-nitrogen fertilizer for foliage plants and a high phosphorus fertiliser for flowering plants.

 

POTTING AND RE-POTTING

When selecting your plant make sure you also choose a pot suitable for the plant. Plastic pots and other impermeable containers tend to dry out slowly so help to keep soil evenly moist while clay pots encourage water to evaporate so are suited to plants which prefer a drier soil.
All pots need to have holes at the bottom so that excess water can drain. If you want a more decorative pot that doesn’t have drainage holes then place the plant in a smaller pot with holes inside your decorative pot.

Re-potting is best done in the warmer months from August through to March. Remove any dead, damaged or unsightly foliage. Water the plant well before re-potting. Select a pot that is one size bigger than the existing one. Tip the plant out of its old pot and gently tease the roots to stimulate new root growth. Half fill the new pot with fresh potting mix and place the plant into the new pot. Fill to 1cm below the rim of the new pot. Always re-pot the plant to the same level as the previous pot. Water well to settle the mix.

 

	Handy Hints Don’t choose a pot that is much bigger than the old pot or that is not proportionate to the size of the plant. Too large a pot will increase the chance of root rot as the pot will hold more water than the plant needs.

 

 

PESTS AND DISEASES

By keeping plants well watered and regularly fertilised you will ensure they grow strongly and reduce the chance of pests and disease. Even with the best care problems can arise but most can be eradicated using a specific insecticide, fungicide or organic spray, designed for use on indoor plants.

 

 

DIAGNOSING PLANT PROBLEMS

 

PROBLEM	CAUSE	REMEDY
Leaves are smaller and paler than normal, with lower leaves turning yellow and falling off. Spindly growth, long spaces between leaves or variegated or lack of colour in the leaves.	Too little light.	Tidy up the plant, feed and move to an area with better light exposure.
Leaves have gone limp and soft spots have appeared. Leaves and stems are limp and tips have fallen.	Too much water.	Prune away affected growth, cut right back on watering and don’t leave water in the saucer.
Spindly growth even in good light conditions. Flowers are short lived and lower leaves have gone brown.	Too hot.	Prune away affected growth and move to a position with an even temperature.
Leaves fallen after rapidly yellowing.	Sudden change in temperature.	Ensure a position that has even temperature – move away from draughts.