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5 Indoor Gardening Tips To Help Your Plants Grow In All Seasons

Admin — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 12:48:55 +0000

If you want to be surrounded by lush greenery all year round and don't have enough space outdoors, you can create an indoor garden. Whether you want to grow foliage, vegetables, or both, you will find indoor gardening tips to be helpful. The internet is filled with guides on indoor plants and gardens, so you need to do a bit of research before getting started. It's important that you have the information needed for growing house plants successfully.

Here are some indoor gardening tips:

• Make sure they get enough light. If they don't get enough light every single day, they will become weak and frail. Even if your home or office doesn't get enough sunlight, you can buy artificial light bulbs or lamps. You can also choose plants that will grow well in environments with low lights.

• Give your plants a bath. Seriously. You don't have to do so every day, but it's a good idea to do so on a regular basis. Make sure that there is no grime or dust on the leaves or stems. Clean every spot on the plant, including the underside of each leaf.

• Be careful with the type of soil you use. Outdoor soil can contain pesticides or weeds that can be harmful to indoor plants. Use a special type of soil designed for indoor containers and pots. It's generally cleaner than outside soil.

• Don't forget to add holes to the bottom of the container! Of course, you can purchase pots with holes at the bottom, but if you want to use a plastic container, you might have to make your own. Without drainage holes, the water will collect in the pot, which will cause damage to the roots.

• Some of the best indoor gardening tips concern watering. Water is essential for a plant's growth. Some need more than others, but they all need a fair amount on a daily basis. You should always use room temperature water. However, you shouldn't use TOO much of it, or that will harm your plants as well. Make sure you give them enough water, but not too much.

• Fertilization is also important. Water will flush out some of the soil's nutrients, so you will have to add some more. Many people choose to spray a liquid fertilizer in their plants' regularly. Keep track of how often you fertilize each plant so that you don't overdo it.

These are just some of the most helpful indoor gardening tips you need to consider whenever you grow plants in your home or office. Keep these in mind, do additional research if you have to, and your plants will grow successfully!

Creative Garden Design With Plants

Admin — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 12:39:43 +0000

Colors are one of the most effective design ingredients in creating a garden. And plants are overall the easiest and most influential factor where color and variation can be established and managed.

However, for countless gardeners and home landscapers in their search for perfect color combinations, there is another segment to plants that is often neglected as a design element. And that would be in the many marvelous and contrasted textures of plants. Especially in green plants.

Green plants not only assist as a color principle like any other color, but can also be used as a neutral transitional color that blends other elements and colors together. Or basically, as a filler or where one space of the garden changes to the next. Natural transition is so important in creating a garden design.

I was reminded just recently as I was talking with a customer of how many people really don't think of green plants as being a design ingredient in designing gardens.

As we went over her design plan I pointed out that we had four colors in her design project and that we needed to repeat them throughout the design to form a little balance. She then stated that we only had three colors in her design.

I knew exactly what she was trying to say by that because it's what most people think. Green isn't in itself a true color. It's just the thread that holds the real colored elements in place.

Now if we pictured green as just being a neutral element, I probably could go along with this. However, as a professional, I observe it in a much different way. There are countless shades of green. Each can hold many varying textures that can create such exquisite contrasts to design with.

Some of the most colorful and lush landscape designs I've ever observed have just simply displayed this single color in many variations. Light greens, dark greens, yellow greens, etc. And I haven't even made mention of texture here. Even the same shade of green in different textures often creates a fascinating contrast for designing purposes.

Try and picture the abundance and beauty of a dark jungle. Their beauty and contrast are commonly made up by the many different variations of shade and texture and not vivid colors. Shady landscapes that compare to a deep forest or jungle are rather beautiful all by themselves.

Keep this in mind when making plans for your next garden. Just as one illustration, a combining of Hostas, Ferns, and Showy Grasses can bring about a very remarkable and eye catching display simply using the color green.

So maybe green really is a color.

Gardening Tips On How To Buy Healthy, Thriving House Plants

Admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:51:48 +0000

When buying house plants whether it is from Lowes, Home Depot or a local garden center there are several things to consider. Many people just pick up a house plant without giving any thought, especially if the cost is low. But think about this, every house plant you purchase can give you years of enjoyment if it is properly inspected before you buy. Take time to choose a perfect house plant. If you hastily buy a house plant, it has the potential of causing devastation to your other house plants. And one rule to always abide by is never buy plants when you are in a hurry, that's a gardening tip everyone should heed.

Take the time to inspect the leaves on the house plant for pests. Aphids, spider mites and scale will not only wreck havoc on this house plant but on your others as well. And be sure to look under the leaves and at the nodes where many pests thrive. Here is what to look for on your potential house plant:

Aphids appear as small green or black insects, usually found on buds and new growth. These insects suck the juices out of house plants, and also secrete honeydew.

Spider mites are small insects, which appear as small white specks, usually on the undersides of leaves, or on flowers of the house plant. Spider mites will form webbing, like a spider's web around infected house plants. The spider mites will be visible in the webbing as white specks.

Scale looks like tiny, brown, oval-shaped bumps visible on the house plants leaves and stem. The scale is actually a protective covering which protects the insect. Scales produce honeydew, a clear sticky substance which can be seen on affected house plants.

You may want to search the internet for other gardening tips on how to treat these pests if one happens to infect some of your house plants.

If the house plant seems too big for the container, pass it by, it is likely to be root bound. Remember bigger isn't necessarily better. I always pull a house plant from it's container to check the root ball; reputable stores should allow you to do this. If the house plant is already root bound you will have to open your wallet not only for the plant but for potting soil and a new container. Then YOU have to re pot it and hope it will continue to be healthy. If you don't mind this, then by all means buy the house plant. If you are going to re pot you may want to look at the self watering containers that are available now. These are great for someone that travels and isn't around everyday to check the soil.

Examine the container of the house plant for cracks. Be sure the container will harmonize with your existing house plants containers. Try to purchase plants by shape and height when using the house plant for groupings in and around your home. Keep the small tag that is attached to the plant in a notebook so you will always have the directions on the plants needs. This is a really good gardening tip!

Now you know the secrets of buying spectacular house plants.

Happy Gardening!

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Indoor Gardening Tips for Healthy Plants

Admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 08:19:29 +0000

Bring nature inside and start an indoor garden to make your home more colorful, but be careful to follow these indoor gardening tips. Plants are so soothing to look at and many indoor gardeners feel that they add that extra little spark to any room. An added benefit is that plants are nature's purifier, taking carbon dioxide out of our air and changing it into oxygen cleansing the air in your home. Mix up your plants; try a few exotics or tropical plants, anything you choose will make your room shine with their fresh beauty and their colorful blooms. To maintain their beauty here are some indoor gardening tips to keep your plants lush and healthy.

Light is the one thing you cannot skimp on. Without this essential ingredient your plants will wither and die. Each and every plant have different requirements so for one indoor gardening tips here is some things to look for when shopping for houseplants. Ask the person at the nursery center how much light the plants you are consider will need. Some plants need direct sunlight while others crave indirect sunlight. For a direct sun plant, place the container near a window that faces south. For indirect plants they can be placed near a window but keep them far enough away so their foliage will not burn. Plants that require little light, like philodendrons, African Violets or ferns, can be arranged anywhere in the room as long as a little natural light filters in.

Indoor gardening tips on watering your plants are always needed. If you over-water your plants you are subjecting them to insects and disease and you will eventually kill it. Over-watering will also rot the roots. Plants hate wet feet. Once you have discussed the watering needs with the nurseryman invest a small amount of money into a water gauge. The gauge will tell you the moisture level of the plants soil. They are extremely helpful in deciding whether to water or not and really only cost a little money, a very wise investment.

Another indoor gardening tip is to fertilize. At the nursery center they fertilized the plants to encourage them to grow so they can sell them to you. If you do not fertilize your plants they will droop and wither. Find out from the center or from the internet what each plants feeding schedule should be. The secret to keep happy, lush plants is to feed them on a regular basis.

You want to keep a close eye on each plant for any pests. If you find pests on one plant isolate it from the rest and treat it immediately. Try not to use pesticides on your plants especially if it is a plant you will eat, like herbs.

A very good pesticide free natural formula for eradication of pests is:

In a jar, combine 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid and 1 cup vegetable oil. Shake vigorously. In an empty spray bottle, combine 2 teaspoons of this mixture and 1 cup water. Use at ten-day intervals (or more often if needed) to rid plants of whiteflies, mites, aphids, scales, and other pests.

If you follow these few indoor gardening tips you will have beautiful houseplants that enliven every room. Take time to enjoy your indoor garden. Let it relax and soothe you, after all that’s why you planted an indoor garden.

Happy Gardening!

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.