This list includes plants commonly grown as houseplants. The temperature given refers to night temperature. Daytime temperatures should be 10° to 15° higher.
Suggested means for control of insects and diseases follow the plant list.
House Plants
AFRICAN-VIOLET Soil: 1/2 soil, 1/4 sand, 1/4 peat or leafmold. Temp: 65°. Light: full light and sun in winter, less as days grow brighter; very compact growth with light green leaves indicates too much light; long stems indicate insufficient light. Growth Problems: for foliage spotted due to splashing of cold water, use tepid water; failure to flower due to improper light. Insects: aphid, cyclamen mite, mealy bug, root nematode, slugs, springtails. Diseases: mildew, stem rot. More on African Violet Care
AMARYLLIS Soil: 1/2 soil, 1/4 manure, 1/4 peat or leafmold. Temp: 65°. Light: full sun except light shade in summer for plants either outdoors or indoors. Bloom Requirements: failure to bloom due to poor growing conditions after previous flowering; during this time buds are formed in the bulb for next bloom; keep plants growing after flowering until late fall, when water should be withheld and plants allowed to die back; start into growth in January and feed regularly. Insects: mealy bugs, bulb flies. When maggots of bulb flies eat out the center of the bulb it is best to discard the bulb. Diseases: Virus disease causes red spots on leaves; remove and burn infected parts; generally not fatal.
BEGONIA (house plant varieties not including Christmas and tuberous begonia) Soil: 1/4 each: soil, sand, manure and peat or leafmold. Temp: 60°-65°. Light: protect from bright sun during spring and summer. Growth Problems: drying of leaf margin generally due to lack of humidity; leaf drop due to too heavy or too wet a soil; failure to flower due to environmental conditions such as lack of light or too dry an atmosphere. Insects: aphid, mealy bug, cyclamen mite, leaf and root nematode, thrip, springtails. Diseases: botrytis, mildew, damping-off. More on Begonia care
CACTI & SUCCULENTS Soil: 14 each: soil, sand, manure, leafmold. Temp: 65°. Light: full sun. Insects: mealy bug, scale, red spider mite, cyclamen mite, root nematode, slugs and snails. Diseases: stem rot (may be caused by overwatering). More on cacti and succulent care
CHRISTMAS CACTUS Soil: 1/4 each: soil, sand, manure, leafmold. Temp: 65°. Light: full sun except for light shade in summer. Bloom Requirements: buds will not form when the night temperature is high, 70° to 75°; buds will not form except during short days, and an electric light near the plant in the evening is sufficient to prevent bud formation. Insects: mealy bug. Diseases: stem rot (avoid overwatering). More on Christmas Cactus care.
COLEUS Soil: 1/2 soil, 1/4 sand, 1/4 peat or leafmold. Temp: 60°. Light: full sun. Growth Problems: leggy growth due to insufficient light; leaf drop due to poor light, dry air, or natu-ral causes on old woody plants. Insects: mealy bug. Diseases: blackleg. More on Coleus care.
FOLIAGE PLANTS (including ivy, philodendron, crassula, dieffenbachia, dracaena, sansevieria, peperomia and others) Soil:’ 1/2 soil, 1/4 sand, 1/4 peat or leafmold. Temp: 65° to 70°. Light: will tolerate poor light but grow better in good light with protection from bright sun. Growth Problems: leaf margins turn brown when the atmosphere is too dry; spotting of foliage may result from too much sun. Insects: aphids, mealy bug, red spider mite, scale, springtails, slugs and snails. Diseases: stem rot.
GERANIUMS Soil: 1h soil, 1/4 sand, 1/4 peat or leafmold. Temp: 60°. Light: full sun. Growth Problems: red color in leaves due to low temperature or root injury due to excessive dryness; lack of flowers usually due to insufficient light especially during winter; light leaf margins which become brittle due to lack of potash, so use fertilizer high in this element. Insects: white fly, cycla-men mite, mealy bug, red spider mite. Diseases: blackleg, stem rot, crinkles, botrytis. More on Geranium care
GLOXINIA Soil: 1/4 each of soil, sand, and peat or leafmold. Temp: 65°. Light: full light except protection from hot sun in late spring and summer Growth Problems: spindly growth indicates insufficient light coupled with too high a temperature; bud blast due to several factors such as overwatering. sudden temperature change, or too dry an atmosphere. In-sects: red spider mite, cyclamen mite. thrip, root nematode, slugs and snails, springtails. Diseases: stem rot, mildew, botrytis.
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