Houseplant Checklist for January

With winter in full motion here is a checklist for your house plants!

Watch for insects on your house plants. Buy a bottle of a natural house plant insecticde (neem oil) and keep it handy to “handle” any house plant bugs.

Go easy with the watering on your cactus, succulents, and plants in semi-dormancy this month, such as the wax plant (Hoya) and orchid cactus (epiphyllum).

Icy water from the faucet used to water your plants is likely to cause trouble. Frigid water is often responsible for giving black rot to gloxinias and it causes little white rings to appear on the leaves of African violets. Don’t mistake me… these hairy-leaved plants benefit from a good bath to take the dust off their leaves, but make it in water which is slightly warm, and keep them out of bright sunlight until they are dry.

When outdoor temperatures drop to zero, remember that the area in your home next to the window panes may be very cold at night. House plants should either be moved away from the window.

Be sure your plants in active growth are not starving for water. Geraniums do not wilt in a manner that is obvious, but in a few days the leaves will turn yellow and drop, leaving you with bare-stemmed plants.

In the Greenhouse

Head your list of “do’s” with a reminder to give your greenhouse a thorough house cleaning this month. Throw out plants which no longer seem to merit space… you will want plenty of room for starting your outdoor bedding plants later this season.

Sweet peas sown in January make a good showing for spring. They are excellent for a delicate touch of color and fragrance in the small greenhouse.

Snapdragons sown in January give flowers in May. Local nurseries who grow snaps should be able to recommend greenhouse varieties to you which will do well in your locality.

Lilies are necessary items for the content of your greenhouse in the spring. Pot up bulbs in January and February for spring flowering.

Impatiens seed sown in January will give you bedding plants of just the right size in May. You can’t beat Impatiens for window boxes, planters and bedding in moderate to deep shade.

Gerberas are among the most worthwhile of greenhouse plants. Order seeds now for planting in February. They will bloom next winter.

Related Articles

• Greenhouse Checklist for November - Avoid overwatering Christmas cactus this month; toward the end of November put in sunny window and give more water and start regular feeding with a well-balanced plant food. On the 1st and 15th give a feeding of fertilizer to budding cyclamen. Plant some geranium seeds. Germination is rapid, the seedling are varied and they bloom in a
• August Houseplant and Greenhouse Checklist - Make cuttings of geraniums. Root in peat moss and sand. Pot in a good well draining potting soil or make your own soil composed of equal parts compost, good garden loam and clean, sharp sand. Add a tablespoon of steamed bone meal to each five-inch pot. Cineraria and snapdragon seeds started now will give winter greenhouse