Indoor plant care
Research has shown that indoor house plants clean and filter the air in your home. What’s more, just looking at them can lift your mood so they really do deserve plenty of tender love and care.
Some plants need special attention during the winter months and here are a few indoor plant care tips to keep them all healthy and happy through to spring:
- Light. All plants need light to survive. You can test different spots in your home over a few days to see which suit your various plants best.
- Water. Too much or too little water is a problem. The best way to check is to poke your finger into the pot about two inches or up to your second knuckle. If the soil feels moist, do not water but check again in a couple of days. When you do water, supply enough so that it runs out of the drainage hole in the bottom. (It is always best to use a pot that has a drainage hole to allow water to pass through the soil.)
- Food. The general rule is fertilise every two weeks from March to September. Then, let the plants rest during the winter and do not fertilise them unless they have special requirements.
- Cleaning. Try to keep dust to a minimum by wiping wider leaves with a damp cloth. This will be a good way to check for any insect infestations too.
- Company. Some people say plants flourish with company. This has never been proven, but it certainly can’t do them any harm to talk lovingly to your favourite plants!
