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Fine Tuning Indoor Gardening

If you decide to get into indoor gardening, you not only need light and water in the appropriate amount for each plant, you have to consider food and humidity. With central heating, indoor air can be quite dry. Also, with the sun coming through the window, there is more intense heat than there would be outside where the wind and breezes temper the heat.


And don't forget the dust. Houseplants can get dusty. When a person sees dusty plants, the first instinct is to get out a duster or a soft cloth and dust the leaves. There are some especially designed for dusting leaves and they are okay. Regular dusting implements can scratch the plant leaves and that is not okay. The best thing to do is to get a spray bottle with water and spray the leaves. I have even taken big plants and put them in a gentle shower but that is something that has to be done gently. Your best bet is to just spray the leaves every couple of months. It keeps them clean and moisturized.


About food - if the plants are in good potting soil, get the light and water they need, they do just fine. But from time to time a little fertilizer does not hurt. If you move and the plants have had a bit of a shock just by being moved, a little extra food does not hurt. In the winter, I use a little fertilizer in the water every second time I water. You don't want to overdo the feeding but a little boost is good in the months with short days and weak sunlight.


Speaking of potting soil, when you pot or repot a plants, make sure the pot is clean. I run old pots through the dishwasher. You don't need old fungus clinging to the edge of the pot. A good clean pot with new potting soil will give your plant the start it needs. Also, since you are using them as part of the décor, you might as well have pretty pots for your plants. Terracotta pots are classic. It does not have to be special. But for beauty's sake, don't use old cole slaw containers or something equally ugly.


Esmee McCornall is a 'Gardoholic' writer. She recently published one of the most popular free garden reports on the internet, called "Tips and Tricks to Create the Garden You Always Wanted". You can download a free copy at http://www.gardensandflowers.net/Free_Report.html


Source: www.articlealley.com