User:Aeong/Indoor Gardening: Difference between revisions
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=== Toxicity === | === Toxicity === | ||
Plants sold in any store can vary in levels of toxicity and | Plants sold in any store can vary in levels of toxicity and are often not advertised as such. This toxicity usually involves oral contact with the plant, which often makes them a hazard for pets and young children. Always search the internet to find the toxicity of any plant you buy. Don't assume anything based on the species of plant, because some plants of the same type can vary in levels of toxicity. Other plants are misclassified with deceptive names. For example: Most palm trees are non-toxic, but the "Sago Palm" is a Cycad, not a real palm tree, and it can cause liver failure in adult humans if any part of it is ingested. Some plants like the Pothos are only mildly toxic, and will most likely cause discomfort long before enough of it is ingested to cause serious issues. It's important to use your own personal judgement. | ||
=== Light Preference === | === Light Preference === | ||
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=== Climbing Plants === | === Climbing Plants === | ||
Some plants will want to expand out and climb on objects in search of light (and in some cases nutrients), but not every plant does so the same way, and some have special needs. Some plants are only seeking light and will wrap themselves on to just about any safe object you give them. Other plants such as the Pothos and Monstera will have roots on their stems, and are looking for moist places to grow those roots in to, and will be in better health if allowed so. There are 3 solutions to this: Trimming the plant from getting too long (if possible), or providing the plant a moss pole or wood plank to climb on. Wood planks take advantage of these plants desire to cling to trees are the cheapest and lowest maintenance solution. But since they provide no solution for your plant to expand it's roots, they do not promote optimal health for your plant. Moss poles come in many types but the right ones are designed to be filled with sphagnum moss and have holes for your plant to root into as it climbs up them. They provide optimal health, but must be watered frequently, and certain pests love them. | Some plants will want to expand out and climb on objects in search of light (and in some cases nutrients), but not every plant does so the same way, and some have special needs. Some plants are only seeking light and will wrap themselves on to just about any safe object you give them. Other plants such as the Pothos and Monstera will have roots on their stems, and are looking for moist places to grow those roots in to, and will be in better health if allowed so. There are 3 solutions to this: Trimming the plant from getting too long (if possible), or providing the plant a moss pole or wood plank to climb on. Wood planks take advantage of these plants desire to cling to trees are the cheapest and lowest maintenance solution. But since they provide no solution for your plant to expand it's roots, they do not promote optimal health for your plant. Moss poles come in many types but the right ones are designed to be filled with sphagnum moss and have holes for your plant to root into as it climbs up them. They provide optimal health, but must be watered frequently, and certain pests love them. | ||
== Common Beginner Friendly Plants == | == Common Beginner Friendly Plants == | ||
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== Watering Your Plant == | == Watering Your Plant == | ||
There is a lot of confusion as to how to water a plant, and how much water it needs, and often the instructions provided with plant purchase are inadequate if not detrimental instructions on how to water them. Many large corporations that sell these plants are more interested in making the plant appear as easy to maintain as possible, rather than the longevity of the plant. It's important before you water your plant that you know a bit about pots, so we will start there. | |||
=== Pot Types === | |||
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. | |||
=== Pot Materials === | |||
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. | |||
When it comes to watering most, | === Proper Watering === | ||
Now that you know the pot, it's time to water. The following information is generalist advice for many beginner friendly plants, and may not apply to all: When it comes to watering most plants, it's not how much water you provide the plant, but it's how well the water drains from the soil after each watering. Most of these plants don't want soggy soil, and their roots need oxygen, but they also don't want to be under watered. The solution here is to water your plant until water pours out from the drainage holes in it's pot or container. Let the water excessively drain until infrequent drips are left. Many plants will want water again when the the first few inches of top soil are dry, which is often in the span of a week (or less). Other plants like Cactuses will want their soil to completely dry out, and thus watering them every 2 weeks is usually a safe bet. When checking soil moisture, try to feel the soil gently to keep it from compacting over time. Prolonged exposure to excessive watering can cause the plants roots to rot which will kill your plant and attract pests. | |||
== | == Re-Potting and Root Maintenance == | ||
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)''' | |||
== Humidity Levels == | |||
Most houseplants sold in stores come from tropical climates, as those kind of plants are typically built to live for years. The drawback to this is that they prefer humidity, and depending on the plant, will be less healthy in dry rooms. The brown tips you often see on plants comes from their struggle to absorb moisture from the air around them. People have come up with many solutions for this with various success. They will try putting rocks on the plants soil. They will frequently mist their plants. Some will even put these plants in their bathroom! But this wont be enough for some plants. The most tried and true method to keep a high humidity plant happy is to get an ultrasonic humidifier for the room the plant is in. | |||
=== | == Pests == | ||
== Growing New Plants == | |||
Common misconceptions to address in article: | Common misconceptions to address in article: | ||
* <s><nowiki>*</nowiki>Plants in low concentration do not effect air quality</s> | * <s><nowiki>*</nowiki>Plants in low concentration do not effect air quality</s> | ||
* <nowiki>*</nowiki>Misting your plant and putting rocks in it for moisture is often useless | * <s><nowiki>*</nowiki>Misting your plant and putting rocks in it for moisture is often useless</s> | ||
* <s><nowiki>*</nowiki>Growing poles are often a scam</s> | * <s><nowiki>*</nowiki>Growing poles are often a scam</s> | ||
* <nowiki>*</nowiki>Self watering pots are not recommended. | * <s><nowiki>*</nowiki>Self watering pots are not recommended.</s> | ||
Other stuff to address: | Other stuff to address: | ||