Houseplants are often in shock when they arrive home. Most indoor plants are initially grown in commercial greenhouses where both the sunlight and humidity approach 70%. Homes are normally much darker and the humidity can range from 60% to less than 5% during fall and winter.

It is very important to place humidity-loving plants (true palms, most ferns, and flowering houseplants) away from the path of conditioned air. If the leaves move when the heater or air conditioner is on, either move the plant or shut off the vent in that room. Palm leaves can turn to brittle parchment in as little as a few hours if you’re not careful.

It is important to isolate new plants in the home. Do not let the container or foliage of a new arrival touch or get close to the foliage of existing houseplants. New arrivals may have a few unnoticed bugs that can spread and cause trouble.

Make certain that the soil is moist. New arrivals normally use water at a slow pace initially and increase use as they get adapted. Moisture can be checked by sight or by weight. Once the soil looks totally dry on the surface the plant should be watered within a day or so. Checking the weight is more accurate if the plant is easy to lift. Moisture meters can also work.

Our tap water is high in salts, especially during summer and fall. Every irrigation will add salt to the soil. If you use tap water to irrigate plants watch for tip burn of the older leaves. It is advisable to leach the soil once or twice per year to lower the salt content of the soil. Distilled water contains no salt and some bottled water is quite low in salt. (Anthuriums and most carnivorous plants suffer greatly from the chlorine and salt in tap water.)

The majority of indoor plants love bright indirect light within 8 feet of a large window. Only a few can handle direct sunlight, although many will adapt over time.

For long term success examine the soil the plant is growing in. The best permanent soils contain peat moss (looks like brown hair chopped into tiny pieces) along with pumice (volcanic rock) or perlite (sponge rock) and perhaps some sand. Pure peat moss eventually degrades to sludge as do any soils that don’t contain at least 50% of non-organic ingredients. Cheap soils that contain visible chips or slivers of wood should be avoided. It is not difficult to replace the soil on houseplants. Ask Gary for details.

The best indoor soil is our Tropical POTTING SOIL, both for soil replacement or when transferring into larger containers. House plants can be transferred to larger pots shortly after arriving at home as long as the correct soil is used. Caution: Most commercial potting soils will cause houseplants to succumb to root rot disease.