plant
WITH RACHEL GLEESON I WWW.IVYALLEY.COM.AU
Caring For Your Indoor Plants This Winter
Winter is here. It is time to cosy up inside and stay warm. To keep your leafy house mates healthy and looking good throughout this period, they need a little bit of extra care in these colder months. The term 'indoor plant" merely describes a plant that will better tolerate the living conditions within our homes. Mimicking a plants natural environment, by controlling light levels, airflow, temperature and moisture, greatly influence's their potential to grow and thrive in an artificial environment such as our home. Light levels - Most plants that grow well inside are those that originate from tropical areas of our world. They are shade loving plants that enjoy bright light, naturally growing under the shelter of large trees. Keep your plants in well-lit areas of your home (avoiding any direct sun radiating through glass or skylights). If you are unable to provide enough light for your plants, place them next to an LED lamp & leave on for 6-8hrs each day. This will provide enough artificial light for your plants to grow. Airflow & Watering - these two factors greatly influence the health of plants. Outside, water and wind removes accumulated dust from leaves and dislodge and remove pests. This helps the vegetation to remain pest free and allows photosynthesis to occur, enabling the plant to grow. In order 32 TVO
for our plants to thrive we need to replicate outdoor conditions.
- Water your plants enough to make the soil damp but not wet.
Routine Maintenance - Hose/spray entire plant every couple of weeks to remove dust and dislodge pests.
Mealy Bug - a small sap sucking creature that pierces the surface of a leaf and removes nutrients. They form areas of what looks like 'cotton wool' or cobwebs in crevices and on the underside of leaves.
- Check underside of leaves and any junctions on the plant where they can hide. - To generate more airflow, turn on your ceiling fans when you go out. - Wipe the surface of plant leaves with a damp cloth regularly. - Trim off any damaged or infected leaves. - Remove and discard any plants heavily infected with pests. - Spray pests with water and a tiny amount of dishwashing liquid. Remove with a cotton wool bud.
Scale - black or white circular bumps on plant stems or the underside of the leaf... the honey like residue they excrete often attracts ants and causes 'sooty mould' on leaves (unattractive grey residue).
happy gardening!
