RX for Healthy House Plants-Part-2

Trouble-Shooting Guide For Indoor Gardeners

Part 1 in this 4 part series

This list includes plants commonly grown in the house, followed by those more generally grown in the greenhouse. 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, manure, 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.

Part 1 | Part 3 in this 4 part series

by Charles H. Potter

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• RX for Healthy House Plants - Part 4 - Insects and Diseases Read part 1 | 2 | 3 in this 4 part series Insects The materials listed below for the control of insects and diseases are basic ingredients and not trade names. Check contents and recommended use on manufacturers’ labels before making purchases. Combination sprays containing a good insecticide such as malathion with a good fungicide