Houseplants

A houseplant is a plant that is grown indoors in places such as houses and offices. Houseplants are mainly decorative. more...

Caring for a houseplant

Major factors that should be considered when caring for houseplants are: water, light, soil mixture, temperature, humidity, fertilizers, potting, and pest control. The following includes some general guidelines for houseplant care. For specific houseplant needs, check the tag that sometimes comes with a plant, the package, or find care instructions for the species in a book or online.

Watering

Both under-watering and over-watering can be unhealthy for a houseplant. The best way to determine whether a plant needs water is to check the soil moisture. To do this, feel the soil on the surface and slightly below the surface. Soil moisture can range from very damp (as it would feel just after watering) to very dry. Typically, a houseplant needs to be watered about once a week, though setting a rigid watering schedule is not recommended. If a plant does need to be watered, pour water evenly over the surface of the soil until it begins to drain out the bottom of the pot, ensuring complete saturation.

Lighting

Through the process of photosynthesis, plants convert the energy in sunlight to chemical energy, which fuels plant growth. The two important factors for providing light to a house plant are intensity and duration.

Different plants require different light intensities. Intensity (or quality) of light is difficult to measure without a light meter. It is usually measured in units of lux. 100 lux or less is usually considered "low intensity" or "indirect" lighting. A bright office has about 400 lux of illumination. 1,000 lux or more is usually considered "high intensity" lighting. Direct outdoor sunlight is in the range 32,000-100,000 lux.

The duration of light exposure is as important as the intensity. Quality exposure of 8 – 16 hours is ideal for most plants.

Windows are the most common sources of light for houseplants. In the Northern Hemisphere, Southern facing windows have the most sun exposure, while western, eastern, and northern facing windows have progressively less exposure. Although direct sunlight is ideal, it should be noted that natural sunlight through windows is unpredictable; seasonal changes, cloud covering, even window treatments can affect the amount of light passing through a window.

Artificial light sources can provide an alternative or supplement to window lighting. Fluorescent lighting provides excellent light quality whereas standard incandescent bulbs do little to promote plant growth. "Cool", or "blue", fluorescent lights provide the light needed for green foliating plants, while "warm", or "red", fluorescent lights provide the light needed for blooming flowers. Fluorescent bulbs that fit into standard screw-in light sockets are readily available.

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