Using House Plants for Living Color Arrangements
by Plant Pro · 3 Comments
Have you ever used house plants as a living color arrangement?
Arranging living house plants and flowers like bromeliads and orchids, can be used just like cut-flower arrangements. It’s always a matter of personal taste - there are no rules or restrictions except those imposed by the space available, and the needs of the particular plants you want to use. You can literally fill a room in your home with plants or satisfy your urge for an indoor garden by growing a miniature jungle in a terrarium.
Plants Preferences to Consider
Every plant has its preferences as to light, humidity, soil, etc. These are the first factors you need to take into consideration before you decide what plants or seeds to buy.
Analyze the space you plan to utilize. Is it a north window?
Do you want a spot of green:
- On the mantelpiece?
- On an occasional table?
- In the kitchen?
The home you give your indoor plants determines to a great extent which of the many house plant varieties you can use. Some plants need a good deal of direct sunlight, others will grow and even prosper for years in a spot that is never exposed to direct rays.
How’s Your Indoor Climate?
The next most important angle for you to evaluate is climate.
Is your home generally humid? Dry?
Do you live in a warm moist area?
Is the air in your house cool?
Never fear, wherever you are and whatever the conditions, there are plants which, given the proper care, will prosper under your green thumb.
Apartment Plants - 5 Easy Care Houseplants for a Touch of Nature
by Plant Pro · 2 Comments
Living in an apartment or dorm can pose some interesting issues for those wanting houseplants to bring a little nature indoors. The space doesn’t allow for lots of big plants, plus with space being tight usually giving up the precious real estate is not at the top of the “must have” list - although easy care is!
The limited amount of light available can also be major consideration. However, just having a few houseplants offers a little “getaway” from the concrete jungle even with limited access to the outdoors.
In our fast-paced society, who wants to take a lot of time caring for a plants, we all want houseplants which are easy to care for with little time investment. We want plants that fit our wash and rinse lifestyle , we want to leave home for a week, and the plants will still be alive when we walk in the door.
So here you go - Five suggestions for easy-to-care-apartment house plants:
Peace lily - The plant handles lower light levels common to apartments and when the Spathiphyllum is thirsty it tells you with wilting leaves.
Soft succulents - These toughies require some indirect light, do well in small pots, store water like a cactus and come in a variety of sizes and colors.
Pothos or Philodendron - Most of the varieties grown for indoor use grow downward like an ivy. Lots of colors, although with lower light the colors will not be as vibrant, few pest problems and require limited quantities of water.
ZZ plants (zamioculus zamiofolia) - The ZZ can survive in just about any setting. They are slow growers and have little demands for water and light, a very unique plant.
Aglaonema - One of my favorite groups of plants. Lots of color choices, many new Aglaonemas handle cold much better and tough!
Aspidistra - Also know as the cast-iron plant. This tough as nails houseplant was a favorite in Victorian times along with the Kentia palm. Back then houses were anything but bright and airy - much like apartments! In the Southern United Statesyou can find Aspidistra growing completely carefree as a groundcover in dense, dark shade.
One note - The Peace lily, Pothos or Philodendron, ZZ plant and the Aglaonema all come from the Araceae family.
Sorry that was six not five choices for apartment plants. Now that you know which plants to look for - go get’em!
Lawn Care Treatments - Does Rain Effect Them?
by Plant Pro · Leave a Comment
Since we’re in the middle or a tropical storm here in Florida the question must be asked - What about the lawn? Lawn care treatments are usually performed using granular products. This granular treatment many times is done with a fertilizer spreader or equipment similar. Once these products are applied they normally need some form of irrigation in order to be effective and begin “release the chemicals they hold.
Rain during or after a lawn treatment will be beneficial and will usually be enough as the necessary irrigation. It depends of if it is a quick shower or an good soaking rain.
Many of the products utilized for the control of weeds and some pests (like Trugreen) are systemic. Systemic products get absorbed into the plant’s system (yes grass is a plant) both by spraying, where the the leaves absorbing the spray material or by saturating the root system. Systemic products are usually preferred more effective because once they enter into the system of the plant they cannot be washed away.
Rain or irrigation is needed to help “push” the treatments into the lawns system but too much water can cause havoc in the landscape.
Mandevilla Over the Winter - A Houseplant It’s Not!
by Plant Pro · 6 Comments
Mandevilla is a beautiful plant which shares it’s hot pink and red flowers with many of us all through the summer months. Some like to keep it running up a trellis or cover and arbor with it. Whatever and however you want to show off your Mandevilla is fine with me. I just love the color!
The problem comes around every year around and my email begins to get filled with the question of what to to with the Mandavilla throughout the winder months.
Sorry to say you cannot turn your Mandevilla into a houseplant, but I’ve shared these overwintering tips for years and find people who continue to enjoy their Mandevilla year after year by following these guidelines. It starts with fertilizer and expectations! I hope they help you…
Read the Overwintering Mandevilla Tips here
Sago Palm Enjoys Coffee Pests Control
by Plant Pro · Leave a Comment
The Sago palm makes for a handsome yet rugged plant in the landscape. In reality it is not a palm at all but a cycad.
The Sago can be used indoors as well. Over the last few years the Asian cycad scale has wiped out a very large percentage of the old established plants in the Florida landscape. Chemical pest control has not worked very well.
With the “green push” being made on everything from solar lighting, water use, building materials it’s sad plants do not seem to fall into the overall “green boom” or discussion.
I recently read an article in one of the ag magazines with intrigued me very much - plus it’s all natural.
Tom Broome in Lakeland, Florida the owner of The Cycad Jungle could not sit still and watch all these cycads decades old find their demise from the Asian scale. As all good growers do he tested and played.
After some observation and reading he decided to try a favorite morning beverage to battle the scale and it wasn’t milk! Tom used coffee grounds! Coffee is organic and has been used in gardens for decades.
He first tried controlling some scale and mealy bugs. Within days the results were in - death to the mealy’s and scale.
The problem is when you get on a larger scale drinking that much coffee to get enough coffee grounds is impossible. However, he found the local Starbucks as the perfect place for excess coffee supply.
Basically he mulched large Sago’s with coffee and the plants recovered.
I like the idea so much I decided to try it out on some neighbor’s cycads to see what happens. Maybe you should give coffee a look as a natural pest control option like neem oil.
One thing you may want to try is to make yourself a “coffee tea” by letting the coffee cook in the sun just like sun tea is made but do it for a few days… then try spraying some outdoor plants with it.
Great more ways to enjoy Java!
