House plants can be a beautiful addition to the décor of any home or office. Bear in mind, however, that you should select plants that can withstand indoor conditions. In many cases, home and office environments are poorly suited to grow plants. You can be successful if you select your plants carefully.
Choose only plants that appear to be insect and disease free. Check the underside of the leaves. The plants should be well potted, clean, and well-covered with healthy foliage. Don't buy plants with yellow or wilted leaves, and avoid plants that have been damaged or broken. Look for plants that have new flowers and buds along with young growth.
Light
Light is necessary for all plants, because it is their energy source. The amount and the kind of light a plant receives influence the manufacture of plant food, stem length, leaf color, and flowering. A geranium needs a bright light to be better branched with larger, dark green leaves. House plants need different light intensities. In other words, some plants need to be closer to the light source than others. The direction of the windows in your home will affect the intensity of sunlight that your plants receive. Southern exposure gives the most intense light and is the warmest; while northern exposure gives about 20% and is the coolest. Light colored surfaces in the home or office will increase light intensity, while dark surfaces decrease the intensity.
For house plants that are photosensitive duration of light received is of importance. Some plants, such as poinsettia, kalanchoe, and Christmas cactus will flower only when day-length is short. If you have low intensity lighting in your home, you may want to increase the time the plant is exposed to light. This will enable the plant to make enough food to survive and grow. Remember, though, plants do need some darkness to develop properly. Too much light can be as harmful as not enough.
Water
Over watering or under watering kills more plants than anything else. Some plants like drier conditions than others. You just have to know your plants. Differences in the potting soil may make a difference in your plant's needs. House plant roots are usually in the bottom two thirds part of the pot, so don't water until the bottom two thirds begins to dry out. Stick your finger in the soil. If it feels damp, don't water.
Water the plant until water runs out of the bottom of the pot. This washes out the excess salt and guarantees that the soil has been watered all the way through. Don't let the pot sit in the run-off water. If you do, those excess salts will be absorbed back into the pot.
Temperature and Humidity
Most house plants can tolerate normal temperature changes in the home or office. Most do best, though, between 70° and 80° during the day and from 60° to 68° at night. The lower temperature aids in recovery from moisture loss, intensifies flower color, and prolongs flower life. Humidity is the amount of moisture in the air, and you may have to increase the humidity in your home if you hope to have healthy plants. You may do this by setting up a humidifier or by placing gravel trays under the flower pots.
Ventilation
Some house plants are very sensitive to drafts or heat from registers. Dry air in the home overtaxes the plant's root systems and may cause damage or plant loss. House plants are also sensitive to gas. Some plants will not flower, and others will drop their buds. Tomato plants are very sensitive to gas, and they are sometimes used in greenhouses to detect ethylene gas.
Fertilizer
House plants, like any other plant, needs food containing three elements: nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potassium. The majority of commercial fertilizers are 20-20-20 and are sold in granular, crystalline, liquid, or tablet forms. When applying fertilizer in a solution, some should run out of the bottom of the pot. This will prevent root burn and the buildup of salts.
Do your plants suffer from brown leaf tips, dropping of lower leaves, small new growth, dead root tips, and wilting? If so, you have a build up of soluble salts. You may have a crust on top of the soil or a ring around the edge of the pot at the soil line. When this happens, your plants find it harder and harder to take up water. If you don't wash the salts out of your soil, your plants will eventually die. Remove the salt crust and hold the pot under running water. Do not allow the pot to sit in the water.
Media
The potting soil you use should be good quality. It should be porous for root aeration and drainage but also able to retain water and nutrients. High quality mixes generally contain slow release fertilizers and may consist of any combinations of peat moss, vermiculite, and perlite.
