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What plants need :- Although this article was written
with house plants at Christmas in mind, it could apply to out
door trees and shrubs as they all need the same five growing
conditions!
House plants broadly fall
in to two groups. Those that are in full flower now when given and
have the 'wow' thank you, factor. Then you have your 'run of
the mill' Green foliage plants which might flower at some point, not
necessarily showy. But all plants (including out side garden plants)
need five things in varying
proportions to survive given the right
conditions / proportions they will grow well even thrive. To much of
any one or take one away and the results are the same, the plant
will die! So what are these magic ingredients :- Light, water,
food/Soil, heat, Co2 (Carbon
dioxide) Nothing complicated
Light. To much
light and even the toughest plant can get sun burnt if moved from
shade into full Sun. Plants get used to their conditions and
move them from a shady position to a very light situation and the
cells get scorched and they don't recover. New leaves are what they
have to grow. The good news is that in Winter and in doors you cant
give them to much light.
There is just not enough sunshine with short days and cloud, This
then becomes a limiting factor on the plants ability to grow, which
again depending on your point of view could be a good thing as the
flowers will last longer, if the plant is not growing fast.
Water. All plants need water, not least, like us they are
mostly made up of it! The main problem is the speed at which water
is transpired out of the leaf (which is linked to temperature) In
most situations weather the pot is wet or not water is drawn out of
the leaf faster than the roots can suck it in and move it up the
stem and along the leaf from cell to cell. So the edge of leaf will
turn brown as the cells dry out, Lack of moisture in the air, with
log fires central heating agars belting out the heat all day and
night, is the main reason, the plants just cant cope in doors.
Food and soil. Plants come with there roots in soil and have
grown to the size they are from that compost, but it's a fair bet
that they are running
out of food by the time you get hold of them. So a small amount of
liquid feed (usually tomato food) is a good idea. Never feed on to
dry compost. The salts and sugars will already be more concentrated
in dry compost. So water
first with clean tepid water.
Heat. Most house plants are more exotic than our garden
plants . So they cannot stand any cold tempters. that's below 10'C
50'F by the same token with a lack of humidity they don't want to be
over 21'C 70'F It's a combination of the above condition in varying
amounts which causes plants to thrive or die.
The fifth element all plants need to grow is :-
Carbon dioxide. For photosynthesis to happen you need all
five of these elements in varying amounts a balance is what we are
looking for. And just to make things complicated all the different
plants need / require different conditions this is what makes one
plant cope with one situation and another might struggle to survive.
Co2 levels now
(2020) are 411 parts per million that's up 50 odd ppm in
the last 30 years. In May when its wet and warm with plenty of light
and food it's the lack of Co2 that is holding back plant growth!
Watering House plants How much and when?
Too much water no water at all the results are the same plants die!
No water at all, and the leaves wilt still no water leaves dry up -
plant dies sad but true the answer, water the plant at first
sign of wilting great. This time you have one of those pot covers
and more water was applied than necessary the poor plant is sanding
in water - for two weeks now. Sooner or later the roots
start to rot (roots need air as well as water) now if the roots rot
they cannot take up any moisture so the foliage starts to wilt you
give it a
drink (after all its wilting) compounding the situation the plant
continues to suffer.
The best way to water , let the plant dry out between
watering then soak the soil thoroughly, by plunging the whole plant
pot in water for five minuets, this forces the old stale air out of
the compost. Then remove and as it drains in the sink, it sucks
fresh air back into the now wet compost. Tomorrow you can give it
some liquid feed. What ever you do with house plants be confident
that what you are doing is right. Changing positions every three
days over feeding and dusting only serve to up set them but it wont
show for a week or two by which time you don't
know which treatment upset them and which was good for them. Put
then in one place and let them settle in. The more plants you have
the better they all get on as they create there own micro climate of
moist air so moisture transpiring from one leaf condensates on the
one above, so then the moisture on the leaf dries up and not the
water in the leaf. Spraying with a hand mister will do the same job,
and is a good idea if you have the time, and you think its to hot .
Don't do it if there is no heating in the room in the depths of
Winter.
Christmas house plants - there are lots of them and they all
have their funny little ways so here are some to look out for.
Cyclamen in flower looks great, they like a cool well lit
room or conservatory but there are to many stems all coming out of
the same spot ,
splash water in here and within days the hole plant is rotting off.
All you can do is pull off the rotting stems and water by standing
in 3cm of water for ten minuets twice a week, look at it every day
and continue to remove leave and spent flower stalks completely.
Poinsettias they could already be dead when you get them! The
cold is there enemy below 53'f that's 12'c and the flower parts in
the middle of the bracts will be frosted, look carefully there
should be globules of nectar. The problem is open air markets or the
journey from the garden centre to your car two minuets stood
chatting to a friend the cold air will have got to it! Plants that
have been frosted (12'c or below) will last till mid January early
February those few that are good and are looked after properly will
go on 'flowering' until next November when you should throw it away
and buy a new one.
Azaleas. At
Christmas there are always loads of Indian evergreen Azaleas on the
market from Holland I don't know how they grow them or what they do
to them, but they always seem to be in a state of suspended
animation then again they do last a long time. You can never give
these plants to much water. Plunge the clay pot in tepid water for
at least 15 minuets three times a week and with global warming they
can survive out side next winter.
Chrysanthemum for
a six week flowering house plant you cant go wrong just splash some
water on once a week.
Until next time enjoy your garden.
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Stuart sat in his garden June
06 it was dry that year!

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