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How does your garden grow?

Cher_Alumni
Cher_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,741 Disability Gamechanger
edited January 2021 in Coffee lounge

This week (January 11 -January 17 2021) is National Houseplant Week.  A time to celebrate all things indoor gardening and swap tips on how to get our buds to bloom! 


A wooden cabinet with a variety of plants sat on top of it all thriving
 

Top tips for indoor plants

Now, I’m no Percy Thrower and have mixed success with the unfortunate plants I have.  However, those in the know at Gardener’s World have produced the following handy pointers for ‘Winter care for house plants’.

Reduce watering
Dormant plants need very little water – too much and they’ll either produce soft, weak growth or will rot as water accumulates in the compost. For most house plants, reduce watering to once every fortnight. For succulents, only water every two to three weeks, and for cacti, stop watering entirely. The exception is winter-flowering plants, such as Christmas cacti and poinsettias, which need watering whenever the compost feels dry.

Move into the light
With shorter days and less sunshine over winter, it’s important to maximise the amount of light reaching your plants. Ideally, move them into a sunny conservatory or porch, so they get light from several directions. If you don’t have these, then move your plants onto a west- or south-facing windowsill. It’s also worth cleaning your windows inside and out to let in as much light as possible.

Clean their leaves
Indoor plants often accumulate a thick layer of household dust on their leaves. This reduces the amount of light that can reach the leaf surface, making it harder for them to manufacture food. Wipe off dust regularly using a damp cloth, or stand the plant in a luke-warm shower for five minutes. Leaf-cleaning products are available, but are only suitable for use on certain plants.

Keep them warm
Most house plants need a temperature of 12-18°C. They dislike large temperature fluctuations, so position them away from cold draughts and open windows or doors. If they’re on a windowsill, leave the curtains open if you can, as they trap cold air at night. Alternatively, move plants off the windowsill at night. Also keep plants away from heat sources such as radiators and fireplaces, which can scorch delicate foliage.

Over to you:

• Do you have any indoor plants?  If so, what sort?
• Have you any tips not listed above for getting plants to thrive?
• Do you have pictures of your own plants to share?  Drop them below!
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