User:Aeong/Indoor Gardening: Difference between revisions

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== Common Plants Sold in Stores ==

Here is a list of common plants based on difficulty ratings

Here is a list of common plants based on difficulty ratings '''(add more here about there being no perfect plant, and that all plants require some effort)'''

=== Low Maintenance Plants ===

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If you bought the plant from a store, The first thing you will want to know is what type of pot your plant is in before watering it. A good majority of these plants are sold in pots with no drainage, but contain a secondary (often black colored) container inside that contains the plant and its soil, and has drainage holes at the bottom. This allows the plant to be pulled out of the pot and watered. Some plants are only sold with this black container, and are intended to be put in a proper pot after purchase. Others will already be in a pot that has drainage holes and can be watered with no extra steps. Finally, some plants will be in a "self watering" pot that has no drainage at all and is intended to keep the plant constantly hydrated. They will often have a water gauge near the bottom of the pot. While some plants may benefit from these, self watering pots are often harmful to many of the plants they are sold with, as they tend to rot the plants roots and attract pests that love moist soil.

One last thing to keep in mind is that the type of material the pot is made of can impact how long it retains water. The most common pot types are Plastic, Ceramic, Metal, and Terracotta. The main thing you want to know here is that Terracotta pots are renowned for how little they hold water, and thus are often recommended for ~~Cactuses~~ and other plants that don't want wet roots for long periods of time. '''(There has to be a way to coherently organize this with ~~Repotting~~ instructions below)'''

One last thing to keep in mind is that the type of material the pot is made of can impact how long it retains water. The most common pot types are Plastic, Ceramic, Metal, and Terracotta. The main thing you want to know here is that Terracotta pots are renowned for how little they hold water, and thus are often recommended for Cactus's and other plants that don't want wet roots for long periods of time. '''(There has to be a way to coherently organize this with re-potting instructions below)'''

=== Proper Watering ===

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A common thing first time plant adopters don't realize is the periodic maintenance that comes with their plants ever-growing roots. Most plants want to grow, and to support their growth, they need more roots. As their roots continue to grow, the more space they need. With this, a plant owner will either want to prune the plants roots to eventually stunt growth, or rehome them in a 1-2 inch larger pot to promote growth.

There are 2 main methods of root management when it comes to repotting: Clean cutting 20% of the roots on the bottom half of your plant with a knife and then ~~detangling~~ them, or leaving the roots alone. When detangling, be gentle, but don't stress yourself out over a few broken roots. The difficulty in separating roots from the soil can differ from plant to plant. Some plants tend to have large, easy to separate roots. Cactuses and Succulents tend to have many more small roots that can be a pain to separate (don't try too hard, it's better to leave more soil on these than destroy too many them). Most plants are somewhere in the middle. ('''Elaborate on some areas and prune others)'''

There are 2 main methods of root management when it comes to repotting: Clean cutting 20% of the roots on the bottom half of your plant with a knife and then de-tangling them, or leaving the roots alone. When detangling, be gentle, but don't stress yourself out over a few broken roots. The difficulty in separating roots from the soil can differ from plant to plant. Some plants tend to have large, easy to separate roots. Cactuses and Succulents tend to have many more small roots that can be a pain to separate (don't try too hard, it's better to leave more soil on these than destroy too many them). Most plants are somewhere in the middle. ('''Elaborate on some areas and prune others, add a good youtube video about repotting at the bottom, possibly a rotating template of youtube videos)'''

== Humidity Levels ==

@@ Line 39: / Line 39: @@
 == Common Plants Sold in Stores ==
-Here is a list of common plants based on difficulty ratings
+Here is a list of common plants based on difficulty ratings '''(add more here about there being no perfect plant, and that all plants require some effort)'''
 === Low Maintenance Plants ===
@@ Line 162: / Line 162: @@
 If you bought the plant from a store, The first thing you will want to know is what type of pot your plant is in before watering it. A good majority of these plants are sold in pots with no drainage, but contain a secondary (often black colored) container inside that contains the plant and its soil, and has drainage holes at the bottom. This allows the plant to be pulled out of the pot and watered. Some plants are only sold with this black container, and are intended to be put in a proper pot after purchase. Others will already be in a pot that has drainage holes and can be watered with no extra steps. Finally, some plants will be in a "self watering" pot that has no drainage at all and is intended to keep the plant constantly hydrated. They will often have a water gauge near the bottom of the pot. While some plants may benefit from these, self watering pots are often harmful to many of the plants they are sold with, as they tend to rot the plants roots and attract pests that love moist soil.
-One last thing to keep in mind is that the type of material the pot is made of can impact how long it retains water. The most common pot types are Plastic, Ceramic, Metal, and Terracotta. The main thing you want to know here is that Terracotta pots are renowned for how little they hold water, and thus are  often recommended for Cactuses and other plants that don't want wet roots for long periods of time. '''(There has to be a way to coherently organize this with Repotting instructions below)'''
+One last thing to keep in mind is that the type of material the pot is made of can impact how long it retains water. The most common pot types are Plastic, Ceramic, Metal, and Terracotta. The main thing you want to know here is that Terracotta pots are renowned for how little they hold water, and thus are  often recommended for Cactus's and other plants that don't want wet roots for long periods of time. '''(There has to be a way to coherently organize this with re-potting instructions below)'''
 === Proper Watering ===
@@ Line 170: / Line 170: @@
 A common thing first time plant adopters don't realize is the periodic maintenance that comes with their plants ever-growing roots. Most plants want to grow, and to support their growth, they need more roots. As their roots continue to grow, the more space they need. With this, a plant owner will either want to prune the plants roots to eventually stunt growth, or rehome them in a 1-2 inch larger pot to promote growth.
-There are 2 main methods of root management when it comes to repotting: Clean cutting 20% of the roots on the bottom half of your plant with a knife and then detangling them, or leaving the roots alone. When detangling, be gentle, but don't stress yourself out over a few broken roots. The difficulty in separating roots from the soil can differ from plant to plant. Some plants  tend to have large, easy to separate roots. Cactuses and Succulents tend to have many more small roots that can be a pain to separate (don't try too hard, it's better to leave more soil on these than destroy too many them). Most plants are somewhere in the middle. ('''Elaborate on some areas and prune others)'''
+There are 2 main methods of root management when it comes to repotting: Clean cutting 20% of the roots on the bottom half of your plant with a knife and then de-tangling them, or leaving the roots alone. When detangling, be gentle, but don't stress yourself out over a few broken roots. The difficulty in separating roots from the soil can differ from plant to plant. Some plants  tend to have large, easy to separate roots. Cactuses and Succulents tend to have many more small roots that can be a pain to separate (don't try too hard, it's better to leave more soil on these than destroy too many them). Most plants are somewhere in the middle. ('''Elaborate on some areas and prune others, add a good youtube video about repotting at the bottom, possibly a rotating template of youtube videos)'''
 == Humidity Levels ==