ALL ABOUT HOUSEPLANTS

Winter is officially here and we are spending more time indoors but that doesn't mean that we have to give up our plants. Indoor plants are a great source for vitality and beauty if we can only keep them alive. My first houseplant was a Boston Fern which I loved but that died within a month or two. In those days I thought I was cursed with a brown thumb that would follow me throughout my days. I have tried and killed many plants since then but I also have my share of living flourishing plants in my environment that I treasure every time I see them. So I thought it would be good encouragement to share what works for me in selecting and caring for houseplants.

1. Selecting Houseplants. If you haven't ever picked houseplants, start with the easy ones. There are many wonderful plants that are so beautiful to look at, I fall for them regularly, buy them and then find that I can't keep them alive. My attitude has therefore hardened to: Plants have two chances when they come to live with me. Live or die. If they live, I may get more of them. If they die, I may try the plant once more on the chance that I got a weak one but if I kill the same type of plant more than once, I know we are just not compatible and I move on.

For novices, to get yourself going try the easy ones like Pathos, Philodendron and Mother in Law's Tongue to start with so that you can gain confidence by caring for plants that are easy.

2. Light. Among the most important issues with plants is the amount of light that is available. Very few plants will survive in very dark rooms. Some rooms in my home are inhospitable to plants. I can baby them along and keep them alive but you can see that they aren't really all that happy about survival. The plants that are doing well are near windows where they can get enough light to keep their leaves green and on the trunks.

Artificial light can help so if you feel you must have plants in a dark room, keeping the lights on will help support the plants. I must confess that I have resorted to artificial plants in some rooms where I feel I must have them and I have had too many plants die for my liking.

The type of plant you choose and what light you put it in is important. Some plants will survive in low light conditions while others will not. For instance, I had a Fishtail palm that I loved and grew to 9' in a home where I had lots of windows and skylights. In my current darker house, it has atrophied to 3'. You can check out some websites to get more information about the plants you are considering. Lowes.com has a good section for beginning houseplants and there is another website, www.gflora that has an encyclopedia of houseplants that may be helpful.

Finally, if you want your plants to grow full all the way around, rotate them periodically so they aren't lopsided growing toward the light. You might even consider putting some of your plants outside during the summer to give them a chance to fatten up with a good dose of light. Be careful not to put them in direct sun because it may be too much of a good thing for them and they may go into shock when they have to return to the house. I often put my plants out for an outing for a few days a month during the summer.

Depending on your climate, you may want to move your plants at the beginning of the season. If you are in a hot climate, it may be best to move them away from the windows in the summer, while in cold climates you may need to keep plants away from the cold windows in winter.

3. Water. Most of the houseplants that die are killed with the kindness of overwatering. If a plant gets watered repeatedly, its roots sit in water and the water drowns the plant. To prevent this, make sure that your plant has proper drainage. If it is in a pot, raise the plant either with gravel at the bottom of the plant liner or at the bottom of the pot so that water can drain. Before you water, test the soil. You can do this with a moisture meter that can be bought at a nursery, garden supply or hardware store. I continually break the meters and use a more primative method- the finger test. I insert my finger into the pot up to the first joint. If it is dry I water, if wet or moist, I don't.

When you water your plants, be sure not to use water that is too hot or too cold. They have sensitive roots. You also should pay attention to the humidity. During the winter we have the heat on in the house and heating systems as well as dry climates in the Western United States suck the moisture out of a plant. You can overcome this by misting your plants. I don't do this that often but my plants always perk up when I do.

Here's some special case situations with plants. African violets are one of the most beautiful and dependable flowering houseplants. Give it a window and plenty of moisture and it will reward you with stunning flowers over and over again. I keep mine in a plastic cup and let the water drain from the plant and sit a bit at the bottom of the cup to give them plenty of humidity.

If you are brave you can try your hand with orchids. Some of them are easy and others of them aren't. Their beauty keeps me trying to get reblooming from them. The Cymbidiums and Phaleonopsis are the easiest so if you try them, start there. I use a special watering method with orchids. I soak them in a bucket of water once a week for 15- 30 minutes. I often add the recommended fertilizer to the water. A nursery carries the different fertilizers recommended for the different seasons.

4. Fertilize. There are differing views on fertilizing houseplants. Some people believe that you shouldn't fertilize at all while others do it everytime they water. I have tried both methods and found that when my plants start to look peaked then I give them a shot of food and/or Superthrive which is a concentrated vitamin shot. You want to be careful not to over fertilize because that can cause brown leaves. Also too much growth in the roots and the plant will become overcrowded and decline in health. Whatever you decide, remember that if you have pets, be careful of the chemicals that you use with plants. Some animals are indescrimate and they might sicken drinking fertilized water.

5, Parting Shots. Here are a few other things that you may want to incorporate into your care of plants.

It is always best if you have air flow around your plants. If plants are too crowded they won't have breathing room and light to keep them healthy.

If you are going to use pesticides, make sure you use natural ones. If your plants develop diseases, there are different ways to handle them. You can use a natural perticide such as Safer Insecticidal soap or you can remove the pest manually or with water. I often put diseased plants outside and water them down thoroughly, leaving them outside until they are healthy again.

Finally, research the types of plants you buy if you have pets or children. Some plants are poisonous and you don't want to sicken your loved ones.