2023-05-06 23:42:13
May 6, 2023, 3:42 PM
“don’t drown for falling the water; you drown for staying there (Edwin Louis Cole).
I would say that most potted orchid deaths are due to root drowning. On the other hand, I have seen people dry out cacti believing that they do not need water.
It’s true that I barely water mine for six months of the year, but in the height of summer I do it weekly. Instead, my potted orchids enjoy a good amount of water throughout the year.
All houseplants have their likes and dislikes. But once you know the general rules, there are few homes in which a plant can’t grow well.
I am a botanist and my work takes me all over the world in search of plants. Seeing a plant in nature helps you understand how it adapts to a certain environment and how you can recreate that environment in your home
When I bring a new plant into my house, I ask myself: how would it grow in the wild? And where would you be happiest?
put yourself in his place
the roots of the Phalaenopsis (a very popular indoor orchid) clings to tree branches in the wild. The roots of an orchid need air around and they cannot tolerate being submerged under water.
But watering the orchid regularly and allowing the water to drain freely mimics a tropical storm, and that is something the plant is perfectly suited to.
In a tropical forest in the Philippines, I once saw a Alocasia (a popular foliage plant) that grew a few meters from a Asplenium’s nest (a type of indoor fern with glossy green leaves).
The Alocasia it grew on the shady forest floor and the fern sprouted from the fork of a tree above it. To the Alocasia it likes filtered light and, like orchids, the fern enjoys good drainage.
For an indoor plant to grow well, you have to learn to think like a plant. So here I share my best tips to keep your indoor plants healthy.
1- Where should you put your plant?
There is a staggering variety of plants available now that houseplants are taking over our homes. But it’s good to remember the old adage “right plant, right place.”
It makes no sense to put a cactus in a shady corner: it just won’t work. Start as a base with the conditions you have in your house.
A bright, humid location like a kitchen or bathroom window is perfect for most tropical or subtropical plants.
Cacti and succulents, which are adapted to living in deserts, instead need as much sunlight as possible throughout the year.
Many houseplants also thrive for a short time outside (typically June through August in the Northern Hemisphere). I put my succulents outside against a wall that gets hot during the summer months.
But avoid moving a plant into full sun too quickly. Even a banana plant, thriving in the tropical sun, can burn if you change its conditions too abruptly.
2. When and how to water your plants
Plants generally prefer plenty of water in the summer months when they are actively growing, and a lot less water in winter.
Taking this to an extreme, I keep cacti and succulents in an unheated greenhouse and don’t water them at all from October to April (the colder months in the northern hemisphere).
Desert nights are cold, so many of these plants are surprisingly hardy when dry.
In contrast, I maintain a great delicious monstera in a shady corner and water it every 15 days in winter and once a week in summer. Like people, he likes routine.
But even so, it is important to water all your plants with lukewarm water, never cold. This improves absorption and prevents thermal shock.
Using water at body temperature (37℃) is a good rule of thumb.
Carnivorous plants, like the Venus flytrap, which get their nutrients from capturing and eating insects, need rain. They hate tap water.
4. Is it necessary to feed them?
Most plants are fine with little or no plant food (such as liquid fertilizer). But some, including foliage plants like rubber and monstera, will grow better if you choose to feed them.
This is best done in the summer months, when the plants are actively growing. I use fertilizer for tomatoes for all my houseplants in the summer.
But the fertilizer I dilute a lot for some plants, like orchids, which can be sensitive to overfeeding.
Tomato fertilizer for houseplants isn’t conventional, but it works for me. Garden centers sell concentrated liquid fertilizer for potted houseplants instead.
6. When to change the pot?
Many houseplants can survive in the same pot for a surprisingly long time, especially slow and steady growing plants like cacti.
But if you keep foliage plants in warm conditions, especially in homes with underfloor heating, you may need to repot them regularly to keep them from drying out.
But when you change the pot, remember to choose one or two measurements larger. This gives the roots room to grow, but prevents stagnant excess compost.
*Chris Thorogood is Director of Science and Public Engagement at the University of Oxford Botanic Gardens and Arboterum.
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Head of Science and Public Engagement for Oxford Botanic Garden & Arboretum, University of Oxford
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