Darker, wintry days descend upon us when our sunny, warm garden days are over. Now let’s take a look at our indoor greenery.
Maybe it doesn’t have any plants, or worse, it houses a few scruffy, dusty plants that need to be disposed of. Either way, it’s time to spice things up, whether it’s in the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom or home office.
In the nursery you will find a large selection of indoor plants. Not only are they beautiful, but they are also a bit pricey compared to outdoor plants. You could easily shell out a few hundred dollars for a vigorous, leafy fiddle leaf fig. For good success with houseplants, consider what your indoor lighting situation is and whether you tend to be particularly busy as an indoor gardener.
Fortunately, there are many inexpensive houseplants that are easy to grow. Let’s call them the depths. They are low light, low maintenance and tolerant of low humidity. Here is a list of some other popular ones:
• Snake Plant is a spiky, upright plant with a stiff appearance.
• The Peace Lily has soft green foliage with occasional white “flowers” called spathes.
• Dracaenas tend to be spiky and dramatic. They can be lived for quite a long time with minimal care.
• Pothos are bred as hanging specimens or raised upright on a fiber post. The foliage is often marbled white or yellow. They are very little light tolerant.
• Sweetheart Philodendron has a soft tropical feel with its lustrous heart-shaped leaves. This is often trained on a fiber pole or in a hanging basket.
The needs of these plants are minimal, but necessary. Plants with little light often need less water, so don’t water too much. Let the soil dry out a bit between waterings to avoid mold and fungus gnats
Since these plants receive less light, they grow more slowly. At least once a month, wipe the leaves with a damp sponge or place the entire plant in the sink and spray with lukewarm water. Again, remember to add excess water to the soil.
Slow-growing plants with little light only need a little fertilizer to stay in shape. The easiest way to do this is to stick houseplant fertilizer tips into the root mass every six to eight weeks.
Houseplants often come in green or terracotta-colored plastic pots. Placing pots directly in woven baskets is an inexpensive yet attractive way to display them. It’s great for placing houseplants, plastic pots and anything in colorful ceramic pots. However, it is best not to transplant directly into ceramic pots. Moving a ceramic pot full of houseplants and soil is awkward to move.
Terry Kramer is the construction manager of the Humboldt Botanical Garden and a trained gardener and journalist. She has written a gardening column for the Times Standard since 1982. Contact them at terrykramer90@gmail.com.
