Care Of Specialty Potted Plants
After the showy bracts fade or fall, set the plants where they will receive indirect light and temperatures around 55 to 60°F. Water sparingly during this time, just enough to keep the stems from shriveling. Cut the ... [... more]
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Seed Propagation Of House Plants
Unlike seeds of many temperate woody plants, which require a storage period of moist chilling(stratification) prior to planting, the seeds of tropical plants should be sown as soon as they are mature. House plant ... [... more]
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Santa's Checklist For Plants
Dressing up -- Maybe your plant is "pining away" for a pretty party pot. With care, you can give your beauty a whole new look and a little growing room. Select a pot no more than 2 inches in diameter larger than the ... [... more]
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Flowering Houseplants
Several relatives of the African violet make excellent flowering houseplants. The Episcia are fibrous-rooted trailers grown for metallic-toned and delicately veined foliage. "Cyznet" has unique fringed white flowers ... [... more]
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Better Blooming Bulbs Indoors
Forced bulbs open quickly in the warm environment found in most homes. Keeping bulbs in a bright location where the temperature is 55 to 60 degrees F adds about five or six days to the flowers. Moving pots to a cool ... [... more]
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Flowering Gift Plants
Under warm, sunny conditions the plants will use more water than when kept in cool offices and stores illuminated by artificial light. Adjust your watering schedule to match the plants' needs, as watering too often ... [... more]
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Summer Vacation For House Plants
Final placement of plants will also depend on exposure to wind and rain. Choose sheltered spots out of the way of winds that may topple top-heavy plants or dry the soil. Gesneriads and other fuzzy leaved plants ... [... more]
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Forcing Paperwhite Narcissus To Bloom
Place the bulbs pointed side up in a shallow pot or bowl filled two thirds full with gravel, sand, marbles, polished stones, or soil mix. A greater show will result if several bulbs are put in each container close ... [... more]
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Identifying Pest Problems
APHIDS are small, soft-bodied insects that infest new shoots, stems, and leaves. There are many species, and they vary in color -- yellow, red, green, brown, gray, black -- often imitating the color of the plant part ... [... more]
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Houseplant Safety
These plants contain needle-like crystals of calcium oxalate that penetrate and irritate tissues of the mouth and throat. Chemicals in their sap, such as asparagine (a protein), also can cause inflammation of mucous ... [... more]
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Care Of Indoor Ferns
Ferns have a fibrous root system (roots near the surface) which limits their planting to shallow pots, approximately 4 to 6 inches deep except for very large specimens. A soil mix that is well-drained and containing ... [... more]
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Indoor Bulb Gardens
You can take the chill out of the upcoming winter months with an indoor garden of sunny tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and other spring-flowering bulbs. A simple procedure called "forcing" makes it possible to enjoy ... [... more]
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