People who have fallen in love with the lush beauty of the greens usually do not restrict it to the exteriors. They give a dash of green to their interiors as well. These days, there are a blooming variety of plants that can be grown indoors.
The dawn of indoor gardening was during the Victorian period where people who could afford buying plants such as hibiscus, abutilons and rosemary filled the decors of their interiors with these rare beauties. There was another era during which people preferred rough foliage plants such as ferns, Swedish ivy etc. Today, a number of plants such as orchids, bougainvillea, geraniums etc are grown in indoor greenhouses which add both colour and fragrance to your home.
Before getting indoor plants to decorate your home, it is advised to do a little bit of research on the survival conditions of such plants in order to keep them happy indoors. The more you know about the plants you grow, the easier it would be to treat them right. Here are some of the factors that you might want to consider while growing plants indoor.
Choosing The Right Soil
The soil you add to the pots must be suited to the plant that you are growing. Plants such as cactus and rosemary prefer dry soil whereas high-foliage plants such as African violets and ferns require soil rich in humus. You need to provide indoor plants with external fertilizers such as compost or N-P-K fertilizers to provide the plants with major nutrients required by plants such as Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. To ensure that the soil you provide doesn’t harden as time passes by, make the mix light and porous enough to allow the roots to breathe. There should be at least 10-20% porosity in the soil added to indoor plants. You may add some amount of gravel to the bottom layer of the soil to ensure porosity.
Watering your beloveds
Most plants fade away to death due to excessive water in the soil. So it is essential that the right amount of water is provided to the plants. Instead of watering the plants on a regular basis, it would be advised to check the temperature and humidity levels. You may also consider checking if the soil is wet before adding more water to the soil. Keep the water at room temperature, avoid adding too warm or too cold water to the soil to avoid creating a sudden shock to the roots.
Signs of Over-Watering: Wilting from stem towards leaves, drooping of lower leaves, discoloration of plants, stunted growth
Signs of Under-Watering: Wilting of foliage along the outer tips of the leaves, dry soil, brown edges along the leaves and stem, premature fall of leaves and flowers
Providing adequate light
Plants vary differently with respect to their requirements for light. They need light to photosynthesize and survive. If there isn’t adequate space for you to place the pots by the window sill, ensure that the plants receive the right amount of light, be it artificial or natural. While choosing artificial lights, keep in mind that plants have photoreceptors which absorb only certain wavelengths of light. A hormone called florigen is responsible for the budding and flowering of plants. Some plants require only 10 hours of light to produce the right amount of the hormone, whereas certain plants require longer levels of exposure to light for the same. However, if plants are exposed to excessive lighting than what is required, it could result in the conversion of florigen into other byproducts, thereby preventing blooming.
