Posted by admin to Aglaonema, Bromeliads, Dracaena, Ficus, Gardening, House Plants Care, Indoor Color, Palms, Plant Pictures, Spathiphyllum, Troubleshooting, orchids on 2008-02-28, 06:14:53

It’s Time to Celebrate Spring!

Springtime is right at our doorsteps.

After the long winter it’s time for the growing season, pruning, giving those house plants a good thorough cleaning, repotting… if necessary and overall getting those plants in shape!

• But what about your houseplants?
• Where do you start?
• Who do you ask?

When house plants leave the nursery, their entire “how to” care information now sits in the hands of the local nursery or garden center. They know some basics on lots of plants but not the real inside scoop. Sort of like an office temp…

You’ve probably asked plant care questions, tried your hand at watering, fertilizing, repotting, moving plants around… But your efforts don’t deliver results!

You’re Frustrated!

That’s why I decided to do something about it.

I created a simple, extremely effective, easy to read, easy to apply, care guide on indoor house plants that anyone can understand and put to use.

If you’re serious about making your houseplants look their best! … Click the link for this
Special Guide!

Bring on the Spring!

Posted by admin to Aglaonema, House Plants Care, Indoor Color, Plant Diseases, Plant Pictures, Troubleshooting on 2008-02-20, 06:01:20

As the spring rush starts up, lots of house plants will be making their way to garden centers, and the local grocery store. I’ve written about the damage ethylene gas can cause plants in transit.


As fruit ripens it can give off ethylene. Don’t let the look of the pictures scare you to think ethylene is bad for all plants. Growers in fact use to “force” house plants such as Bromeliads into flower. In fact, you could do a little science experiment if you wanted. Find out how to “force” Bromeliads to flower with ethylene here.

Posted by admin to House Plants Care, Indoor Color, Lighting on 2008-02-06, 06:54:40

I’ve spoke of the benefits of house plants before, that is reducing indoor air pollution among other things. During the winter you pretty much are restricted to indoor plants.

All too often we end up thinking of houseplants are a decorator item and not the true living items they are.

Plants can be a substitute for art or furniture used often for design reasons. The problem is when used this way they usually do not do as well. They are much like all the political candidates. They look and sound good but something is missing from the overall package.

With politicians they talk a good game full of grand plans but don’t give much in HOW they can deliver. With indoor house plants it usually comes down to light as the short coming. You may flip on some lights and point some florescent bulbs at your plants and in general think the room has good lighting, but to a Croton calling that dark corner home – it is another matter.

Light is almost always the the factor that limits success with indoor plants. Overhangs, trees and window treatments can cut the available light dramatically.

For example a Croton until good bright light will produce colorful of gold, yellow, red and orange foliage that is a show stopper. Move the plant 2 – 3 feet away from the light source and the colors fade away.

All is not lost! Bright indirect light are conditions that colorful African violets enjoy. All it takes is matching up lighting conditions with the right plants.

Posted by admin to Ficus, House Plants Care, Indoor Color, Most Popular, Plant Diseases, Plant Pictures on 2008-01-29, 10:08:24

Question: Every year when winter rolls around my Ficus benjamina loses a bunch of leaves. First they turn yellow and then drop. Why is my Ficus doing this? Kaye, Minnesota.

Answer: Most people know Ficus benjamina as the weeping fig and for years it continues to be one of the most popular trees grown for indoor use - even though it does drop leaves when you first bring it home and during the winter. By the way check out of Ficus Tree Care Guide…

Leaf loss on Ficus usually comes down to 3 possibilities.

• Change in environment
• Over or under watering
• Insect or pests

Losing leaves is a normal process for Ficus trees while caring for them. It is not uncommon for a Ficus tree to lose 20% of its foliage (leaves) as it acclimates to its new environment.

If your plant has enjoyed the summer outdoors, dropping leaves as it goes into its new surrounding can be expected. If the plant has been inside all along then the change can also come from reduced light and drier conditions indoors from heat.

Place your Ficus in your brightest window, they love light and helps with a multitude of Ficus problems.

Ficus benjamina comes from a region with distinct seasons. The Ficus sheds its leaves during the dry season and when the rainy season returns, new growth fills out and the canopy.

As a general rule of thumb - water more when the plant gets lots of light and less s when less light is available. Why? Less light means less growth and water need. Ficus have aggressive root systems and can quickly fill a pot with roots making watering difficult. Check to make sure they are not rootbound, if so your Ficus may need repotting into slightly larger pot. In general keep the soil your Ficus moist, but never soggy wet.

A happy, well grown Ficus tree rarely has many insect problems, but yellowing leaves can be caused by the common insects of scale, mealybug and spider mites.

Once a Ficus tree is stable and actively growing care is minimal, usually all that is needed will be a weekly check of the soil moisture and watering if needed. Over time as the Ficus tree grows, pruning and shaping may be required, typically every spring, depending on its speed of growth.

A well maintained ficus tree can be a stunning addition to any home for years. For more information on Ficus tree care visit FicusCare.com

Posted by admin to Ficus, House Plants Care on 2008-01-25, 04:56:35

Ficus trees have a tendency to freak people out… It seems like as soon as the tree comes home, leaves start dropping. The last thing a Ficus tree owner was to think about is pruning. There are too many visions of leaves dropping in their mind.

Before I get too far I need to really get something off my chest relating to Ficus and Ficus growers. I’m sure “hate” mail will soon be following.

Ficus continues to be a major crop for indoor use. At one point in my foliage growing career I grew over 125,000 plus Ficus trees per year. The issue I have with SOME, not all, Ficus growers is with pruning!

Economics being what they are, its financially cheaper to prune a Ficus with hedge clippers. Just get out the clippers and make all the plants the same height. That’s the problem - using hedge clippers is NOT the correct way to prune Ficus trees.

Plants much like people and none of these Ficus growers would dare to have their hair cut the same way they “trim” their Ficus crop! If you want the right results you need the correct method.

I’ve always hand pruned my Ficus crops all 125,000 plus of them. I’ll admit I tried the shear method and all it does is promote a disease called Phomopsis. What Phomopsis causes is twig dieback and under indoor conditions it can get very severe.

GROWERS if you are not going to prune Ficus trees correctly - please quit selling them to the public. You’re only creating headaches! I feel better now…

Here’s what happens. You’ll notice on a Ficus tiny “branches” with a node between them. If you just randomly cut between these nodes (this happens when you shear), the twig dies Phomopsis.

A correctly pruned Ficus won’t miss a beat. It may have lost some foliage but it will immediately begin to sprout out and grow. Next time you’re in the local garden center take a good look at the Ficus and see if you can find what I’m describing.

Let’s cover some pruning basics.

Reasons For Pruning

Pruning when done correctly can extend the useful life of indoor plants. It helps:

• Control or maintain shape and size
• Promote growth
• Allow more light and air to the plant
• Remove dead, diseased or pest infested foliage

Let’s assume your Ficus has out grown the space and you need to reshape it.

Start by removing all the dead twigs on the tree. Ficus are lovers of light. As some of the smaller inner branches are shaded out they just die - this is natural. These twigs will generally be very small about the size of a #2 pencil lead.

Remember - Ficus are lovers of light. It’s important to get light on the foliage where the stronger branches are. Remove any weak growth in the center of the plant.

Now it’s time to start pruning the outer growth. Remove about one-third of the canopy all the way around the tree. What you will be doing is reducing the size of the canopy and promoting new growth and a fuller tree.

Sometimes you’ll get a “wild” branch that heads for the light and just changes the shape of the tree. Selectively prune this branch or branches back toward the center of the tree. This will force new growth back into the center.

Pruning Basics

• Always cut back to a healthy branch, leaving as small a wound as possible.
• Always make complete, smooth cuts; never rip or tear a branch. This leaves the plant open disease or infection.
• Never cut too far above a bud; this results in a dead stub. It looks bad and can rot back (Phomopsis) into and or past the new growth.
• Remember the tips (terminal bud) of a branch or stem grow much stronger and faster than lower buds on the branch (lateral bud). When you remove the terminal bud the strongest lateral bud takes its place.

Have more questions on Ficus Tree care? Check out of Ficus Tree Care Guide

Posted by admin to House Plants Care, Landscaping, Lawn Care on 2008-01-21, 10:47:56

Plant Roots - I’m going to beat on that drum again! The roots of plants - unfortunately - are many times the most neglected and least maintained part of the plant. Yet they are probably the most vital.

Instead of considering a root is a root, let’s look a little farther. I know we in general all roots being equal what their basic functions they are.

One area I find many homeowners caring for:

• House Plants
• Landscape plants in the garden
• Potted Plants on the Patio or Deck area
• Grass - that plant which makes up our lawns

They assume all plants must have a vigorous root system. Don’t assume (myself included) that a newly purchased plant has a container full of roots. Stop and take a look at the root system before jumping into any regular maintenance routine.

Some plants don’t have a vigorous root system or deep root system. Probably the most widely grown indoor plant is the pothos or golden pothos. That “philodendron looking” plant with gold coloring on it. The pothos is a shallow-root plant. Many times I’ll see a basket or pot of pothos with the center completely rotted out.

The plant vines around and hangs over the edge of the pot, but the center looks pretty sad.

Why does this happen?

What is this person caring for? Roots or Soil?

Most likely what happens is they watch and water the soil - not the roots. The dirt doesn’t Grow!

Does this sound like you? Not all plants need a thorough soaking, but would prefer a light watering - depending on the plant and root system. Also most of the water is probably being poured right into the center of the plant and not around the pot.

Yes, roots may reach the bottom of the pot, but will most likely be found at the outer edges of the pot and not the center. The outer edges allow the soil to drain off, leaving the soil moist and not wet. This is one reason I like sub-irrigation - watering from the bottom up!

Another place we may find a shallow rooted plant is in new plant arrivals. These plants have been in transit and had their root systems knocked around. They need time to slowly repair themselves and become efficient again. In the case of an under rooted plant, it may need time to fill out it’s growing media in its new surrounding.

A plant in a 10 inch pot may only have the developed root system of an 8 inch pot. The bottom soil may take a long time to dry out. It may be necessary to allow the plant(s) to dry down halfway before watering again.

That being said, take a look at your plants and plant watering techniques.

Are you pouring your water right in one spot? Are you watering a plant with a shallow root system or undeveloped root system?

Take some time to look at the roots of your plants. Don’t forget plants in lower light levels probably aren’t going to use as much water. Learn to water the roots and not the soil.

Your plants like it much more and has less chance to create plant root problems.

Posted by admin to Dracaena, House Plants Care, Plant Pictures on 2008-01-15, 07:34:22

Going through and organizing images on my computer recently I ran across these few I wanted to share.

Here are pictures of one of the oldest potted plants in the world - Encephalartos altensteinii - which lives in the Palm House at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew.

What struck me while looking at these pictures:

• How the plant has survived 200 plus years?
• What type of plant care does this plant receive?
• How often does it get repotted?
• Could I if asked to care for it - keep this Cycad alive?

Although I cannot answer the questions directly, they made me think of you who enjoy plants and want to provide the best care possible.

• How long do you keep plants alive?
• What house plant(s) do you think you could care for and enjoy for the next 20 years?

I’m sure many of us know someone in their 70’s or 80’s that has always kept an African Violet perched in their kitchen window. I’ve had many an email from readers over the years who have carried their Dracaena with them on every move across town or across the country. Some of these span 25 years. Their plants are older than their kids.

Even though these “house plant experts” do a great job in caring for their plants and have for years they want to make sure they do not slip up and cause any harm or make sure - everything seems normal. They invested in learning more and improving their plant knowledge and ordered our Dracaena Care Guide for example.

Too many times as I watch people stroll through the garden center and look at plants for their home without putting much thought into learning how to care for them and keep them healthy for years and decades.

When I look at the Encephalartos altensteinii at Kew I’m so thankful to the people back in 1775 who took the time to collect the cycad, plant it, care for the plant, share the care knowledge with others so many more people decades and centuries later could experience their work and passion for plants.

How about you? What plant care knowledge do you need to learn or discover for your plants to be enjoyed by others decades from now. The Dracaena is a great one to start with!

Posted by admin to House Plants Care, Troubleshooting on 2008-01-05, 09:26:02

Walking into a restaurant the recently, I noticed a large planter that was full of water. The soil looked like it was very “heavy” and not capable of draining the water away from the roots for the next week or two.

Does the plant owner wonder how come the plants don’t do well in this planter or soil?

Just as there are many components that make up machinery - soil has unique components and properties.

In order to develop a healthy root system, both indoor and outdoor plants require good drainage. If you have either indoor or outdoor container plants, be on the look out for salt buildup on the soil surface or pot.

What is salt build up?

Whitish-colored deposits can form and are composed of salts built up from hard water and fertilizer. This is usually an indication of insufficient drainage, and not enough flow of water through the pot and soil.

To avoid salt buildup, water your plants each time until liquid runs out of the bottom of the pot. This is also one reason that many people burn their plants with fertilizer - they leave behind salts that burn roots.

Make sure that the drainage holes on the bottom of each plant container are open to allow excess water to flow out of the pot.

Unfortunately, some plant containers such as terrariums, plastic pots provided with bulb forcing kits or decorative gift plant containers do not have drainage holes. Most plants that live indoors are “double potted”. Potted plants with drainage holes are placed in a decorative pot without a drainage hole.

Small containers and Styrofoam are often placed in larger decorative containers for improved appearance or to make it easier to remove the inner pot for plant care. Make sure to check the level of the water in the bottom of the larger container regularly.

If the plant’s root system is submerged in water for long periods, root injury will occur if the condition is allowed to continue. Excess water should be poured out of the larger container periodically - sub-irrigation is a different story.

Another method is the use of sub-irrigation containers. Many interiorscapers use sub-irrigation because of the reservoir that it has and the ability to “program” when the plant needs watering again.

Remember watering a plant is important - but draining the water off is just as important.

Posted by admin to House Plants Care, Indoor Color, Plant Pictures on 2008-01-02, 13:25:22

The Natal Mahogany is a plant you can use in lots of different places. The Natal Mahogany has been around for a few years but used mainly by the professional plantscaper.

Most people are familiar with the Umbrella tree or Schefflera. This plant has a similar look. The botanical name is - Trichila dregeana - and I’ll admit it’s a little hard to pronounce. You’ll be happy to know most people call it by the easier to pronounce Natal Mahogany.

Trichila dregeana is versatile and performs very well in high or low light interior installations.

The leaves are compound, have a very high gloss, carry a deep almost blackish green color and is a more upright grower. It looks very tropical and usually holds lots of leaves. Although, under lower light levels, they may drop some of their lower leaves.

Now for the watering department…

Many houseplant owners just flat out over water their plants… Great News if that describes you. The Natal Mahogany thrives on water… and lots of it. Now, I’m not suggesting you go out and drench the plant with as much water as possible. The Natal Mahogany is more forgiving than many other indoor plants when it comes to water. You may want to consider dropping a saucer underneath the pot to hold a little extra water.

It should also be noted not to just pour water on and let it drain out the bottom. As with most plants, make sure the soil is thoroughly watered. It does really well on sub-irrigation or in self-watering planters. Some professional plantscapers have reported that the Natal Mahogany will need to be watered more than once a week. Then again, it all depends on the light levels and temperature.

Another plus for the Natal Mahogany - the plant actually grows indoors and new growth may become stretched in low light levels. You can simply cut back the stretched growth to the desired height and the plant will branch again.

What kind of height does this plant get? You’ll find the plant in the 4 - 6 foot range and probably in 14 inch pots.

New plants are introduced all the time, but the Natal Mahogany has many professional plantscapers surprised at how well it performs inside.

So if you’re looking for a fresh new plant, check out the Natal Mahogany. If your local garden center doesn’t have it in stock they can ask their local plant supplier to get it for them.

Posted by admin to House Plants Care, Plant Pictures on 2007-12-28, 07:21:58

The ZZ Plant or Zamioculcas Zamiifolia is one of the toughest most durable house plants I’ve found. They can handle conditions most indoor tropical plants would never consider “liveable.” It is on the same level as Aspidistra - Cast Iron Plant and Sanseviera.

The popularity of the ZZ plant has grown across the United States and Canada. It is also popular in Europe.

I’m always interested in how people grow, what plants they grow in other parts of the globe. The ZZ plant is no different.

Here are a couple of pictures I received from a nursery growing the ZZ in Vietnam. The plants look healthy and growing in plastic bags.

If you have trouble with houseplants give the Zamioculcas (ZZ) a try.