Indoor Plants

Environmental factors that affect plant growth:

• Light
• Water
• Nutrients
• Temperature
Light
• All green plants need light to grow.
• Light intensity affects stem length, leaf size and color,
photosynthesis and flowering.
• Light intensity is influenced by curtains, trees, UV
treated or low E glass and cleanliness of the glass.
Water
• Make sure your pot has a drainage hole. Plant roots
need oxygen in the soil. If the roots are saturated in
water they will rot.
• Most plants can be watered when the top inch of the
soil is dry, but it’s best to know the water requirements
for each plant.
• Use room temperature water. Plants such as African
violets are very sensitive to cold water.
• Don’t use softened water.
• Dump out excess water from the pot’s saucer.
Nutrients
• Carbon, oxygen and hydrogen are essential elements to
plant growth and are supplied by air and water. The
other essential elements are referred to as plant
nutrients and are provided by the soil or are added as
fertilizers.
• Fertilize most houseplants in spring and summer only.
• Fertilizers are salts and accumulate in the soil.
Occasionally flush the soil with fresh water until the
water runs out of the bottom of the pot to remove
excess salts.
Temperature
• Most houseplants like day time temps around 75 degrees
and 65 degrees at night.
• Some plants require a cold period to induce flowering.
• During winter move plants away from cold windows.
• Don’t place plants directly in the path of air vents and
doors that open to the outdoors.
Other things to consider
• Soil
• Humidity
• Pests
• Pot bound
Great houseplants for difficult situations
• Low light room- ZZ plant, pothos, maidenhair fern,
Chinese evergreen
• Drafty room- Jade plant, Christmas cactus, hoya
• Dry room- Philodendron, succulents, fiddle leaf fig,
sansevieria, aloe, cacti, rubber tree