How to care for indoor plants: Indoor plants are such ornaments that make our houses more livable. They give pleasant feelings when we stay at home. They help us relaxing our mind and more focusing in our work. Plants are supporting us for a better living. They provide us most importantly with oxygen, then food, shelter, clothing, and many more things. Man could not survive in the earth without plant. So plants are blessing of God. We can decorate our home with plants with other furniture. But for getting proper services from the decorative plants we have to take proper care of them.
How to care for indoor plants
Without taking proper care they won’t be able to survive inside the house. For taking care of the indoor plants we can take some steps like:
Watering the indoor plants
Plants mostly needs water to survive. But it is hard for plants to tolerate both excess and lack of water. So it is very important to maintain the appropriate quantity of water in the media. Media can be soil, rock or sometimes only water. Soil should be kept moist time to time. Not wet. Excess water creates stress to plant. Plants may not be able to handle the water logging and the roots may die.
On the other hand if the soil is too dry and becomes hard it will create drought condition. Plant will die for lack of water. So if the water is standing not sitting then excess water needs to be removed. If the soil become lighter in color it has lack of water so should be watered immediately. For succulent plants gap between two watering time should be lengthy.
To determine how much water is
existing in the soil we can examine by poking the soil with our finger. If the
finger goes inside the soil easily then there is sufficient water in the soil.
Next watering can be delayed. Again if the finger doesn’t go inside then the
soil is very hard and suffering from water lacking. For moisture determination
also moisture meter can be used. Water should be in room temperature that is
been used for plants. Not too warm or cold. The plant pot should have a good
drainage system in it. Mostly for drainage pots contain hole at the bottom.
Excess water leach out for that hole.
Proper humid condition
Plants need proper humidity around. Like human plants also feel suffocation. Indoor plants also. As we know that plants has transpirational activities. So it is very important for plants to have proper space around them to release the vapor. If the environment around is too humid then the plant will find difficulty to release its vapor. Then it will face suffocation. That is a threat for plants life. Plants should be placed at a location where aeration is available. For example like under the fan or front of window where gentle breeze blows.
Transpiration is a metabolic process of plants. They have to perform it for proper growth and development. Adjusting the humidity during summer and winter have different practices. In summer humidity is higher in the air then the winter. Winter carries dry air. Plants can easily transpire the excess water. And in summer it is little difficult to adjust the humidity. Vaporization is higher at this stage. In rainy season it is much more difficult to adjust the humidity.
Sunlight for indoor plants
Indoor plants are mostly not light requiring. As they are placed inside the house they need less light to develop. But for photosynthesis and energy production plants needs light. If the plant id light requiring it needs to be placed next to the window. Especially south and east facing window. Some plants are shade loving. They prefer to be inside the home where sunlight do not come. Balcony is also a great place for sun loving plants to grow.
It’s a pleasure to enjoy the sunlight with the plants in the balcony in early morning. For sunlight plants should be placed in one place. It is not recommended to move the plants again and again here and there. Plants need light for a specific time in a day continuously. Also they need a dark period continuously. So it is not wise to move the plants place to place. It causes disturbance to the plants.
Food of the indoor plants
Plants also need food. Water is the
prerequisite but they also need nutrients. Major nutrients like nitrogen,
potassium, phosphorus are very essential to plants for survival. So regular
induction of nutrients into the media is necessary. Plants show symptoms like
yellowing of leaves, defoliation, deformative structures at nutrient lacking.
Plants should be under regular observation to know the needs of nutrient.
Knowing the types of indoor plants
Knowing about the plant chosen for indoor decoration is another criteria for taking care. It is not possible to care properly without knowing about the plant. It can be sun loving or shade loving, it can be water loving or drought loving, it can be warm loving or cold loving, it may grow tall or dwarf. Various types of characters exist in plant. Knowing about them before decorating is important for the designer. By knowing all thing maintenance will be easy.
Reshaping the indoor plants
Plants grow at their own way. They do not maintain any proper size and shape. And this may create a haphazard look to the plant. It can spoil the decorum of the house, giving a massy look to the place. So regular training and pruning practices are essential for managing proper outlook of the plant and house. Some plants grow vigorously, some grow slow. Vigor plants need reshaping at regular interval. Extra branches should be removed, dead branches, dead leaves or flowers need to be removed.
Plants shouldn’t be bushy in look, should be lighter. It also ensure proper aeration to the plants. Transpiration accelerates. For decoration topiary can be a great idea. These practices should be executed by skilled hands or the plants will be destroyed. It will be a great loss for the house as it will lose its decorating apparatus.
