Ed’s Book: ‘GARDENING WITH ED HUME’

Want to know what Ed’s book is all about! Here is his chapter on houseplants that ended up on the editing room floor simply because there wasn’t enough space in the book to include it. It’ll give you a great idea of the kind of information you will find in this very informative, easy to read gardening book. Over 400 pages, it’s 17 chapters, provides wonderful information which will really help ‘MAKE YOUR GARDENING EASIER’.

Over 400 pages of valuable gardening information written for the northwest gardener. Finally a book that says it, like it is! A book you can take into the garden with you! Each paragraph stands on it’s own, so you can get the information you need without reading the entire chapter!   Order your ‘GARDENING WITH ED HUME’ book today!

HOUSEPLANTS

Interest in houseplants has increased tremendously in recent years, due in part to their beauty and the desire to bring a bit of the outdoors, indoors. Houseplants have also become a popular part of interior decorating because of their interesting leaf colors and textures that can be used to soften or highlight various areas of the house. Possibly the most important feature of houseplants, and the one most often over-looked, is that many help purify the air in the home. So in this chapter, let’s look at some of the easiest ones to grow and try to dispel the mystery of houseplant care:

MOST HOUSEPLANTS THRIVE ON A BIT OF NEGLECT

It has been my experience that with a little common sense, and even some neglect, houseplants are more likely to thrive. In fact, in a recent survey it was revealed that approximately 93% of all houseplant loss is caused by over-watering. Likewise, another of the most important factors in successfully growing houseplants is being certain that they are placed in a spot where they receive proper exposure to light and heat.

LOCATION – ONE OF THE MAJOR FACTORS IN HAVING SUCCESS WITH HOUSEPLANTS

Later in this chapter, you will find lists of plants that grow in low, medium or high light exposures. Here are some key points to consider when placing plants in your house:

  • Keep the plants away from heating (ducts) registers. Most tropical houseplants need humidity, not hot dry air.
  • During the winter months, keep your plants away from doors that open to the outdoors. As cold temperatures could damage or even be fatal to them.
  • Place your houseplants in a spot where they will get good air circulation.
  • If areas are too dark, provide artificial florescent lighting for them.
  • The higher plants are placed in a room, the air becomes hotter and dryer. Consequently, soil will dry out more quickly when a plant is hanging near the ceiling than it will when the same plant is on the floor or on a low table. So the need for more humidity also increases with height.
  • Once you find a place where your plant does really well, leave it there. Avoid continual moving of your plants.
  • Occasionally turning your plant one-quarter of a turn will keep it from growing lop-sided toward the light.

WATERING – THE BIGGEST PROBLEM ONE HAS IN KEEPING HOUSEPLANTS ALIVE

As mentioned earlier, it is estimated that 93% of all houseplant loss is due to over-watering. Yet, by experimenting a little you can develop a regular schedule for watering each of your houseplants. Here are a few of my ideas, that I think really work:

  • One of the easiest methods of testing moisture in the soil is to simply lift the pot; when it is heavy, the soil is wet; when it is lightweight, water is probably needed.
  • Several types of watering meters are available to help you determine when more water is needed.
  • My favorite method of testing moisture is to insert a toothpick three quarters of its length into the soil (much like when you insert a toothpick into batter, to see if a cake has finished baking.) Use a long wooden matchstick for plants in large containers. The condition of the toothpick (matchstick) when you pull it back out of the soil will provide you with the information you need. If soil particles are clinging to it, the soil is still moist enough, if it come out clean, the plant is dry and needs to be watered.
  • Some folks let a plant wilt just a little, then water; and keep a record of the time until the plant wilts again, and use this as a guideline of how frequently that particular plant needs to be watered. That’s not my recommendation, and I certainly would not make it a habit of doing it.

Using one of these methods, you soon will be able to develop a regular timetable for watering each individual plant. Use room temperature water. Avoiding the extremes of hot or cold water.

ED’S FINAL COMMENTS ABOUT WATERING

Do not be fooled by pot size or same type plants. Today, growers are using many different soil mixtures, and some retain water for a long time, others dry out quickly. So the old idea that you could water all your houseplants once a week (on Saturday?) is probably not a good idea, unless you vary the amount of water given each plant. There’s where a little experimenting with the methods covered above will help you get it right! My guess is that when you take the time to find out the water needs of a plant, you will end up watering a lot less frequently than you thought necessary.

HUMIDITY – THE THIRD KEY FACTOR IN SUCCESSFULLY GROWING HOUSEPLANTS

Remember the indoor tropical houseplants that you purchase have been greenhouse grown where humidity is kept at an optimum level. Such plants are bound to suffer if you take them home and subject them to the hot, dry air of the average house. However, there are easy ways to provide the humidity these plants need:

  • I have found one of the best ways to provide humidity is to fill a plant saucer (like a pie pan) with gravel, then add water halfway up the gravel. Next, place the plant on this bed of gravel, being certain that the base of the pot does not come in contact with the water. This provides an island of humidity around the plant.
  • Another method of providing humidity is to simply place a glass or decorative container of water near the plant. As the water evaporates it helps provide some humidity for your houseplant. If the container isn’t decorative; hide it around the backside of the plant.
  • Houseplants create their own mini-climate when clustered together, so this is another way to help solve humidity problems.
  • Of course, the ideal way to increase humidity is to have a humidifier installed on your furnace or place a portable humidifier somewhere in the home. It’s not only better for the plants, but better for you too!

I do not recommend misting plants. I think this technique does more harm than good in the average home. Misting the foliage of plants with water is apt to cause disease problems and often creates water spots on furniture, carpeting or drapes.

FEEDING HOUSEPLANTS – THE RIGHT WAY

Establish a regular schedule for feeding houseplants, but change the frequency by the seasons. For example: during the growing season (spring and summer) houseplants can be fertilized as frequently as once a month. But, during the winter dormant season (fall and winter) those same plants should only be fertilized once or at most twice, because they are not in their growth cycle. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. African Violets and several other flowering houseplants will benefit from monthly feeding year-round, because they are growing and flowering non-stop. Here are a couple of hints that will help you:

  • Acid loving plants like Gardenias and Citrus should be fed with and acid-type fertilizer. Most other tropical houseplants can be fed with one of the all-purpose houseplant type fertilizers.
  • If you find a whitish or grayish substance on the pot or the soil, this is often a sign of a build-up of fertilizer salts and indicates over-feeding. However, the whitish substance could also be a build-up of salts from Fluorides or Chlorine in the water. This indicates a need to change to rain, well, stream or drinking water. If the build-up is extreme, you should consider re-potting your plant.
  • Be certain the soil is moist before applying any type of fertilizer. If the fertilizer is a granular type, be certain to water it in after application, so it does not burn the plant roots. Read and follow label instructions.

REPOTTING – WHEN AND HOW TO DO IT

How do you know when to re-pot a houseplant? That’s easy! 1) When the plant is too large (top-heavy) for the pot. 2) When matted roots begin to appear above the soil and they may even begin growing over the edge of the pot. 3) When roots protrude out through the drainage hole. Of course, poor leaf color or stunted growth is another sign to look for. Here are five important steps in re-potting:

  • Water before re-potting, so soil will cling to the roots and lessen transplanting shock.
  • Lightly tap the plant out of the pot. If you find the roots are matted, gently loosen them with your fingertips. I call this “massaging the roots”!
  • Replant into a container only one (two at most) size larger than the original.
  • Use a top quality houseplant potting soil for this job.
  • Water thoroughly after transplanting.

POTTING SOILS – HERE ARE A FEW OF MY PERSONAL SUGGESTIONS

The quality of potting soil varies tremendously. Therefore, I suggest that you look at the potting soil before purchasing it. Actually, I think stores should have one open package of each brand soil, so you can examine them before making a purchase. Here are three other suggestions:

  • If you don’t have access to the contents, I have found it helpful to lift and squeeze the package to determine if there are large particles of wood or debris in it. These you do not need.
  • If you are still in doubt, ask the clerk which one they recommend or which one they use for their own re-potting.
  • Then, if you find the houseplant soil to be of poor quality, take it back!

If you use soil from your own garden, be certain to sterilize it first. To sterilize; bake it in the oven for 2 hours at 170 to 180 degrees. I like to add twenty five percent peat moss, and a bit of vermiculite to the sterilized soil before using it.

GOOD DRAINAGE – IT’S ESSENTIAL

Always select containers for your houseplants that have at least one drainage hole. If the pot is wrapped in decorative foil, remove it or punch a hole through the bottom of the wrapping, so excess water will drain away. When a houseplant pot is placed inside a decorative ceramic container check occasionally to see that water has not accumulated between the two pots. If it does, pour it out, otherwise the soil will become saturated with water and you will lose the plant.

The old idea of covering the drainage hole with rocks or a piece of pottery is no longer recommended. Researchers have found that it actually inhibits drainage. (You have probably noticed that now when you buy a new plant, the soil fills the pot, with no drainage material in the base of the container.)

PRUNING OR PINCHING HOUSEPLANTS

The best time to pinch or prune houseplants is during the spring and summer growing season, so the new growth will cover the pruning cut. Make your pruning cut or pinch just above a node, the point where a new leaf can readily develop. Many houseplants will grow an entire lifetime without the need of any kind of pruning or pinching. However, here are four instances where it may enhance a plant’s beauty:

  • Pinching or pruning back leggy (spindly) growth.
  • Removing misshapen irregular growth.
  • To reduce the size of a plant.
  • Create a bushier, denser growth habit.

Sometimes large plants will lose their lower leaves, resulting in ugly bare stems, with just a few leaves at the top of the plant. To correct this problem, simply prune the plant back six to eight inches from the soil. New growth will usually appear from the base node within a few weeks. Then, within a few months once again you will have an attractive houseplant.