If you’re a small-scale home gardener, chances are you already have at least some indoor plants. Some of them may even be healthy and robust enough to start your own organic garden. Others, however, just don’t fare well in such a cold, unheated space.
There are a few things you can do to get your indoor plants into shape and to start enjoying the benefits they offer. The first is to use cool or warm water. You can water plants that are new to your home by either letting them dry out completely, or by putting them in a very humid room with a tray of water.
If you are going to put your indoor plants in a room with low light, you should certainly not water them by the hour, but rather, you should leave the plant in its pot until the sun has gone down. The additional light this provides for them will help to accelerate the evaporation process, allowing more light to reach the soil. If your lights are kept dim, then you should avoid misting the plants because it is simply too harsh on their foliage.
Next, you should not use plexi-glass or light bulbs. These “shine” down on the interior of the glass, causing it to crack. The problem is that the low lighting will make this happen more often than not, so you’ll end up replacing your glass with another cheaper material.
Another trick you can use to make your plants live longer is to place them on a raised surface such as a table or countertop. This makes it easier for them to breathe and will also limit their exposure to direct sunlight. It also prevents them from getting too hot or toasty inside the pot.
A great idea is to keep your plants in a nighttime position. This means that the bottom of the pots should always be facing upwards, away from the doors and windows where the natural light won’t be able to reach. This is important because of the effect it will have on the roots of the plant.
Another common mistake is to leave the window curtains on in the rooms where the plants are. If you put an old pillow over the plant, it will absorb all the excess moisture that would normally escape through the screen. Doing this will also kill off the roots that grow along the edges of the plants.
One of the best things you can do for your indoor plants is to use a few simple tools. These include: pots with raised edges, containers that allow the root system to grow out and transparent “green” walls or windows. Make sure that the room is well-ventilated, and the temperature fluctuates, and your indoor plants will be well cared for.