Did you know that houseplants have been kept as early in history as 400 B.C? Did you know that after World War II was over, houseplants became wildly popular?
Many of us have at least one houseplant in our home, if not several. If you’re successful at keeping these plants at their peak, congratulations. If you are like me, and struggle with making sure the plants don’t die, then this article may be helpful and set you on the right path.
There are several things that can affect the health of a houseplant, namely, light, temperature, humidity, water, fertilizer and of course, pests/diseases.
Light
Houseplants need light, generally the more the better. The further away from the window, the intensity of the light goes down dramatically. If you have windows with Low E glass, realize that this does reduce the intensity of light coming into the room. Some plants, like cacti and palms, need a higher level of light than snake plants or peace lilies which need a low level of light.
Temperature
Houseplants like warm air around 70-80 degrees during the daytime and around 65-70 degrees during the nighttime. When deciding placement of a houseplant, also consider air from vents like when the furnace is running all winter. Just like air from our furnaces can dry out our homes, it will dry out houseplants too, so you may need to place away from any vents.
Humidity
Houseplants will do well in 40-60 percent humidity, so if your home is on the drier side, you may need to place a humidifier near your houseplants; or you could place a number of houseplants together to help increase humidity. However, it is important to make sure there is proper airflow between plants, so be careful not to place too close together.
Water
The size of the pot and the type of soil will determine how much and when to water. Watering your houseplants should not be done on a schedule, but rather should be checked regularly before automatically watering. Many houseplants die from being watered too much as well as not being watered enough, so it is important to test the soil and look at the plant to determine when to water. Soil in the pot should be damp like a sponge, so using your finger to test or using one of those watering meters to let you know when to water will help with this. Also, be aware that the chlorine and fluorine in our water can damage houseplants, so filling your watering can and leaving it out for a couple days before watering is a good habit to get into because those chemicals dissipate after around 48 hours. And finally, get into the habit of watering houseplants at the base of the plant taking care not to splash water on the leaves. This is true for any type of plant, whether in the home or in the garden as this helps prevent diseases in the soil from spreading onto the plant via the leaves.
Fertilizing
Many of us may be great at watering and checking our houseplants, but we forget that our houseplants needs some fertilizer once in while too! Some plants will need more, and some will need less. Get into the habit of fertilizing during the warmer season, as the plant is growing more at this time. Like watering, this should not be on a schedule either.
Pests/Diseases
Generally, houseplants are free from pests and diseases, but occasionally there can be an infestation. First, when you are buying a new houseplant, inspect it for signs of any pests or disease. Yellowing, curling leaves, stunted growth, dark oily spots or a mosaic patterning on leaves are all indications the plant has problems. If the plant looks great and you buy it, keep it isolated from your other plants for a couple weeks before adding it to your group in the event that it does have a pests or a disease. This will help keep your other plants healthy. If you buy a plant and find that it does have pests or a disease, destroying the plant is the easiest way to control any issues.
Overwatering, underwatering, too much light or not enough, too much fertilizer or not enough, or improper air flow are the main reasons why our houseplants don’t thrive. If these environmental and cultural factors are well controlled, your houseplants will stay healthy and you will feel good knowing you have succeeded in caring for them.
For information on houseplants, contact Aimee Kanode, Extension Agent for the Morgan County Extension Office at 970-542-3542 or Aimee.Kanode@colostate.edu.
