How to care for house plants?

Question

How often to water to them?
what to do or what it means when leaves begin to brown?
what does it mean when stems drop eg. plant loses its shape and drops?
some of my plants have a thin layer of white fluff is the only way i can think to explain it on the top of soil? is this bad? what is it? how can i get rid of it?
also i have some plants outside which are ok is it ok to keep using house plant soil for them.

i personally think i over water im unsure. i was advised to make sure at the bottom of the pot there is always water. but today i was also told that soil should be kept moist but not left to soak in water......many thanks best answer to someone who gives link or at least answers most of these questions many regards tasha....a serious plant lover... x x

Answer 1

Ms. Tee I am going to answer your question because, many people have given a lot of good information but, sometimes hearing it differently will help.

A plant really needs 4 things to survive...Sunlight, Water/fertalizer, Air Circulation and Soil.

Sunlight is the first thing...each plant you have have different sunlight requirements...some like bright filtered light some like more diffuse light. Most indoor plants do not like direct light. I hate to have to just say...go get a good guide to houseplants but, it will help you to know if your plant can handle more light or less. You can also just move the plant around the room and leave it where it seems to thrive.

Water is the next thing. Plants need water but, too much water and you will rot the roots off the plant and it will die. You really want to err on the side of underwatering than over watering. A underwatered plant still has a hope of survival, an overwatered one has a very very slim chance. How you tell the difference since the leaves will often be brown and crispy in both cases is to slip the plant out of the pot and smell the roots. If it just smells like dirt you are okay, if it smells putrid or bad...the plant is probably doomed.

How I water my plants is, I water until I get water in the saucer I have the pot in, let the plant stand in that water for 20 minutes in order for the roots to get a good drink...I have often gotten water in the bottom of the pot only to have it gone in 20 minutes. I have found that many plants, like Ivy or Golden Pothos only need to be watered once a week, and unless you have something like an African Violet or Orchid just set a day for yourself to water your plants...then refer to the guide book. You don't necessarily need a fancy water meter...just use your finger...is the soil moist or dry? Some plants need more humidity as well like Boston Ferns need to be misted everyday, others don't. Cacti really need to be watered every other week, I disagree with the other contributer on this point. I know even in the summer every week watering is too much for them, they are adapted to infrequent waterings. They also need special soil as do African Violets and Orchids.

Nurserys will fertalize plants everytime they water and it is good to use a fertalizer on your plants as well, there are many good ones out there...just use one for houseplants. Or compost which I will talk about in soil, it will not stink...good compost smells like soil.

Air Circulation...some plants are social and can be crowded in with other plants and some like to be left alone. While this is not a crucial point like watering and soil, if you are sure you are doing everything right and the plant is not thriving then move it to a different spot...make sure more or less plants are around it.

Soil, all pots wether outside or inside should have potting soil used in it. Garden soil is simply too heavy and dense for pots. Any good container gardening book will tell you the same. You can use compost in your pots as well, which is a fabulous fertalizer and if you compost your houseplants you don't have to add fertalizer to the water.

When your plants get a certain size, you will find that their roots will start comming out of the holes at the bottom of the pots, this means they need to go up a pot size. This also helps with the (most likely) salts sitting on the top of the soil. Scrapping off this and putting some compost on top or more house plant soil is called top dressing and really should be done once a year to help ensure nutrients for your plants.

One last point, put your non furry leafed houseplants in the shower every now and again, to wash dust and such off their leaves, this will ensure good looking plants. Again a good houseplant book will help you with requirements for different plants as well as what to do for diseases and pests.

Answer 2

OK - different plants need different amounts of water. Generally water cactuses & succulents once a week in summer & once every 2 weeks in winter. Other plants - water every other day and tip away the excess water after 30 minutes.
The white fluff is just where the soil is going stale - scrape it off & scrape the soil with a fork then add a bit of fresh soil to top it back up - incorporate some feed at this time.
House plant soil is fine for any pot - it is just a very fine tilth and a very expensive thing to keep outdoor plants in which are often less refined than indoor plants!

You can buy a water meter (I got mine from Wests - they do thermometers & the like) and the leaflet with that gives you an idea of how much water a plant needs.

Oops - browning - this can mean either over or under watering - it can also mean the plant is getting too much direct sunlight as very few plants like to sit in direct sun all day!

Answer 3

sounds like you are over-watering them.

initially when u bring a plant home it is in a bit of a shock so water it daily a bit for 2-3 days, then stop for 1-2 days and then water once every 2 or 3 days, but keep an eye on it and the soil to see how it reacts to the watering.

firstly always make sure you have a pot with holes at the bottom.

even if you like ceramic / stone decorative pots, you can still use the plastic pot with holes to place it inside. most house plants will die if too much water is given and the roots become water logged.

buy plants that are planted in these pots, or transfer them to one, also keep a tray under the pot so extra water can be drained out.

all house plants are different and small changes to temperature / water intake / sunlight can make a hug difference.

for fluff appearing on soil - this is fungus and a sure sign that there is too much water.

only water your plants as required. this means feel the soil and see if it feels moist. if not, pour very small quantity of water and then see if it is seeping through the bottom

if your plant droops, then water it, let the water seep out and put in a different place.

always keep the instructions that come with the plant and follow the ones about shade particularly ! some plants will not survive in direct sunlight so do not put them on window sills

some will thrive in a bright room, some in partial shade with lesser light.

good luck ! its all a learning curve !

Answer 4

This link lists common houseplant problems and their causes. Note that for leaf browning and leaf/stem dropping, the leading cause is overwatering. I read once that more people kill plants by overwatering than any other reason.

The problem with overwatering is that the roots cannot have the necessary transfer of essential gases (particularly nitrogen) to the root system. This leads to rotting of the roots, which kills them, killing the plant.

Most overwatering problems that I have experienced are due to improper drainage from the pot. The holes at the bottom might become clogged with roots or soil material, or the saucer under the pot is not allowed to dry completely (emptied) between waterings.

If you suspect that your plants might be developing root rot, you may be able to save them. I have taken plants with root rot and flushed the soil thoroughly with fresh water (set them under a slightly running faucet for an hour or so, letting them drain well into sink drain) to remove stagnant water from the soil. Then, I let the soil dry out for a few days, monitoring the plant for signs of drought (it's okay to let the plant get just a bit wilty - the aeration of the soil is better than the harm the drought will do).

When you get back into a watering cycle, always check the soil for moisture content before watering. You can stick the tip of your finger about 1/4 inch into the soil and feel for moisture, or use a spoon to scoop some soil out and visually check it for moisture. If it's moist, don't water. If it's dry, water the plant. But make sure it's well drained, and the runoff in the saucer/outer pot is emptied after the water has settled for a bit (about 15 minutes).

Eventually, you will learn what the watering cycle is for your plants. Just remember that plants don't grow as much in the winter (even indoor plants, because of cooler temperatures and less light) and require less water. And, plants require more water in hot, dry summers.

Answer 5

How often to water depends on the plant, the temperature, and the soil. Can't give you a good answer on that. African violets, for instance, do best when the soil is constantly damp, but zonal geraniums need to have the soil dry out in between waterings. A good book on houseplants will give you a rough idea of how to water for each common species (e.g., constantly moist, dry between waterings, etc.) As to how to tell when to water, the rule is "stick your finger in the pot". After you get some experience, you'll be able to tell how wet or dry a pot is by simply picking it up or tapping on it (wet soil in a clay pot thuds, dry soil will let the pot ring when tapped).

The white deposit on the soil surface is soluble salts. Either you're using too much fertilizer, or you're in a hard water area.
Basic cure is to repot the plant with clean soil mix into a clean pot (most plants need this at least once a year). When salts accumulate in the soil, the plant can't absorb water from the soil, which leads to wet soil and leaves that are drying out. Let it go on long enough and the plant collapses and dies.

Edge browning of leaves ("edge burn" or "tip burn") is an early sign of too high a salt concentration in the soil.

Browning and collapse tells you you're most likely dealing with a root issue -- either the soil is too salty for the roots to pick up water, or the soil is waterlogged and the roots are rotting off, or you just haven't watered. The last issue is fairly immediately curable; rotten roots need to be washed off, rotten spots trimmed out, , and the plant replanted in fresh soil in a pot where the root mass fills at least 75% of the volume.

When you water, make sure the soil is wetted all the way through -- very dry soil can crack and the water just runs out the bottom without wetting the soil. If that's the case, immerse the pot in
water about halfway for 15-30 minutes, then take it out of the water and allow the pot to drain. Come back about half an hour after watering (any time you water!) and dump any water in the saucer out so the plant isn't standing in water.

Water should be at room temperature for watering.

The old Time-Life gardening series with brown spines had a couple of volumes on indoor plants, one called Foliage House Plants and the other called Flowering House Plants... you should be able to pick it up someplace like abe.com for a pittance. Crockett is the editor. Pretty good for beginners. Sunset has several books on houseplants, also good for beginners.

Answer 6

It's probably mealy bugs...I hate them.
They produce a white fluffly substance that sticks to the plant sometimes on the soil.

It could also be a type of fungus...Hard to tell without me looking at them. Scotty beam me up.

If leaves are brown maybe over or underwatering symptoms are sometimes the same.

Try the finger method....NOOO not that finger your pointing finger...stick it into the soil if it is dry it needs watering if moist stop watering or wait another day or two before watering again.

Take the plant to your local nursery and tell them "What's wrong with my plant"? Works every time.

Answer 7

I think it really does have an effect. I mean, all my house plants that crawl the walls (you know the long ones that you have to trim)? Well, i woke up one morning and they were crawling up my bed. I sleep on top of a bunk bed. So i trimmed them, and then it happened again. Finally i just threw them out of the house but in the morning they crawled all over the bricks. Then i started wearing makeup and it stopped. I'm going to try putting them back in the house soon. Wish me luck! True story.

Answer 8

i arent sure but i thought tha plants would want to be near a window like on windowcill and watered everyday if they start to go brown give them some extra water or move them a bit and see what happens

Answer 9

Try these sites

PlantCare.com
Searchable database of house and greenhouse plants.www.plantcare.com - 17k - Cached

Houseplant care and maintenance: Humidity
House plant Care and tips. Dry air? Humidity levels arevery important. ... Care of House Plants: Humidity ... main ways to help your house plants with this ...www.houseofplants.co.uk/Houseplant_care/House_plant_humidity.htm - 35k - Cached

Houseplant care and maintenance: feeding
House plant descriptions, advice, care tips and online mail order shop. ... Care of House Plants: Feeding. Feeding interior plants ...www.houseofplants.co.uk/Houseplant_care/Houseplant_feeding.htm - 36k - Cached

Easy Care, Minimal Maintenance Indoor Plants: Houseplants You Can't Kill
Easy care houseplants. Houseplants for people who don't take care of their plants. ... very little care.Indoor Gardening - Grow Herb Plants Inside on your ...gardening.about.com/od/houseplants/a/EasyHouseplants.htm - 28k - Cached

How to care for house plants
... from horticultural specialists in plants and gardens ... Care for House Plants. There is a lot of unnecessary worry associated with houseplants, but there ...www.gardenadvice.co.uk/howto/houseplant/care - 38k - Cached

The Garden Helper: Caring for Flowering and Foliage House Plants
Features house plant care and cultivation guides addressing issues from creating dish gardens and maintaining terrariums to controlling house plants pests and ...www.thegardenhelper.com/houseplants.html - 23k - Cached

Plants Care on eBay.co.uk
David Longman, The Care of House Plants, 1979, ends Oct-14 22:37 BST. ... THE CARE OF HOUSE PLANTS ILLUSTRATED STEP BY STEP, ends Nov-8 18:49 GMT. ...search-desc.ebay.co.uk/search/search.dll?...&sosortorder=2
House plants - Guide to Houseplant care
House plants - how to care for your house plant in your home or office ... Watering House plants - The most useful piece of equipment is going to be the watering can. ...www.gardenadvice.co.uk/howto/houseplant/stayalive/index.html - 38k - Cached

House Plant Care | Houseplants | House plants | Landscaping | Ficus | Dracaena | Spath | Peace Lily | Lighting | ...
The purpose of plant-care.com is to provide a growing online resource for house plant, landscape plants, houseplant varieties and landscaping topics to help people ...www.plant-care.com/index.html - 11k - Cached

The care of house plants : illustrated step by step [WorldCat.org]
English Book • By: David Longman, Sandra Pond, Will Giles, Jeremy Finlay ... • Title: The care of house plants : illustrated step by step • Author: David ...worldcat.org/wcpa/ow/8b890d0551256875.html

Answer 10

Talk to them. it really does work as you are giving them carbon dioxide.