Houseplants get cabin fever, too
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A moisture gauge will tell you when houseplants need watering — thus saving them from drowning. Photo by Henry Homeyer |
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By HENRY HOMEYER - Published: February 14, 2010
Are you feeling a little fed up with winter? Tired of ice and cold? Well, your houseplants, I dare say, are probably crankier than you are.
Not only are they tired of low winter light levels, they are most likely infested with either aphids or white flies. And they can't reach to scratch the bites. So take pity on them and give them a little extra care.
According to Sarah Milek of Cider Hill Gardens and Gallery in Windsor, one of the best things you can do for your plants is to offer them a nice drink of "fish juice." If you have been giving your plants doses of chemical fertilizer all winter, they may be suffering from a buildup of soluble salts from the fertilizer. See a white residue on your pots or on the soil? Switch to a natural fertilizer made from fish and/or seaweed.
"I'm constantly impressed how fish fertilizers help to keep plants healthy," she said.
Just as organic fertilizers and manures provide all the minerals needed by plants outdoors, so do fish and seaweed liquid fertilizers help your indoor plants have a "balanced diet."
Chemical fertilizers provide only three things: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Most of what comes in the bag is inert filler. You might start to drag if you ate only junk food for weeks at a time — and that's analogous to what your houseplants get from chemical fertilizers.
But whatever fertilizer you use with your plants, remember that more fertilizer is not better: Read the directions.
And then there is the question of water. The air is dry, the sun is starting to get stronger, and your indoor plants probably want more water than they did last fall. Rosemary is particularly vulnerable at this time of year: A totally dry rosemary is a dead rosemary, so be careful. By March it will need much more water, or it will die.
Spritzing or misting daily will improve your rosemary's attitude, too.
Take a good look at your houseplants. There are no natural predators indoors to eat aphids and other beasts, so plants tend to get infested with insects. Aphids are one of the most common. They are small, 1/16 of an inch or so long, and somewhat pear-shaped; some have wings, some don't. Colors range from clear to black, including pink, yellow, shades of green and gray.
You may notice the sticky "honeydew" or droppings on your leaves before you notice these insects. They lay eggs in the fall that hatch in the spring. They are sucking insects that can damage leaves and stems and can transmit plant diseases. Bad bugs.
If you see the telltale honeydew or the aphids themselves, take action. For small plants, take them to the kitchen sink and wash off the vandals. You'll need to wash both sides of the leaves, and I like to rinse off a little of the soil to get eggs.
For larger plants, take them in the shower; a hand-held shower attachment helps considerably, allowing you to lay the pot on its side in the tub, spraying every bit of it. It's not an easy task, but be thankful: It wiggles less than your dog and won't shake all over you afterward.
Keep a close eye on your plants after their shower. If aphids return, you can try washing the leaves and stems again, or spray them with a dilute soap solution. Safer Soap is one brand of plant soap, though there are others just as good.
To make your own solution, use a liquid soap (not dish detergent). I use Murphy's Oil Soap, one teaspoon in a quart spray bottle filled with water. The soap dehydrates any soft-bodied insect. Too strong a solution can damage the leaves of the plant.
One of the best books on houseplants was written in the 1960s by Thalassa Cruso — "Making Things Grow: A Practical Guide for the Indoor Gardener." It is out of print but readily available from independent booksellers and used-book stores.
Reading Cruso's book feels like listening to a kind maiden aunt who has made the care of houseplants her life. She offers practical advice like this, "Beginning gardeners should realize that there are easy, inexpensive plants that will be no great financial loss, even if they die while their owners are learning how to best care for them." But she tries hard to make sure they don't.
"Death by drowning," according to Cruso, "is one of the most common disasters to befall the plants of a new horticulturist." She explains that overwatered plants first show signs of yellowed lower leaves, then the roots rot, and eventually the plant collapses – much as it might if not watered at all. My advice? Stick a finger into the soil of your houseplants on a regular basis to feel the soil.
Some years ago I was given a moisture gauge. Poke it into a pot, and push the button to see if a plant needs water or not, or even if it is too soggy. My then-3-year-old grandson, George, loved it, telling me decisively, if the light showed red, "You better water this plant, Grampy." I looked online (at www.waterstik.com) and they are still available, though I like the finger method just fine.
Spring will be here soon. Meanwhile, play with your indoor plants. They'll appreciate a little extra attention.
Henry Homeyer lives in Cornish Flat, N.H. He is the author of "The Vermont Gardener's Companion: An Insider's Guide to Gardening in the Green Mountain State." He can be reached through his Web site, www.Gardening-Guy.com.
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