Indoor Plants and Gardening

Landscapes on the Inside

On the theme of the previous article, which looked at container gardening for those of us who haven't more than a balcony as our outdoor area, this article will take container gardening one step further, by exploring options of houseplants. Once again, thanks to about gardening.

Having plants on the inside may seem a little fruity to some, but there is much documented evidence to suggest the effects on mental health that plants provide. They also remove toxins from the air, improving the air quality. If you look after your houseplants, they will look after you!

So how do we achieve the care required for the indoor plant?

The first step is looking at bugs. Australia has millions, so I won't bother at this stage to go into details, but here are a few pointers to push them in the other direction:

Rubbing alcohol works well, just spray a litte on the critters and watch them go.

Silicon and horticultural oils also help.

Chilli pepper. A personal favourite.

So that's the first step. Are there any other problems? Well, yeh, there are a few more things to think about...

Water

Poor drainage is linked in with watering your houseplants. At the start of their venture, many new green-thumbs are uber-keen to care for their plants, and actually over-water their babies. This is just as lethal as neglect, because if the pot is poorly drained, the water will sit at the bottom and rot the roots, which leads to the plant dying, which results in more watering, which rots the roots....can you see the downward spiral. Take care when taking care.

Try using filtered water as well, as tap water (especially in Sydney!) contains many minerals that harm plants (and humans?!).

Air Issues

The best indoor houseplants are tropical plants (ferns are great!). Tropical plants require heat, and this can be a problem if the indoor temperature swings consistently. Another problem is light. If you struggle to expose the plants to light, flurescent bulbs can be used as a much cheaper solution to grow lights.

Soil

Once again, as with the watering, don't over-do the fertilizer when starting off. Most potting soil contains enough nutrients to last a pot plants for a year or so, too much fertilizer will simply burnthe plant. When fertilizing, dilute the mixture well, even beyond what is recommended.

Also, pick up any dead leaves that drop into the pot, as these spread disease more quickly.

Hope ths helps you on your way to pulling the outside in!