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Monday, January 27, 2020

House Plants in Wintertime by Vicky Spelman

The Garden Professors FB Page




Houseplants can be a benefit for the winter-weary while we are waiting for Spring.  Here are some tips and myths about caring for houseplants.

1.    The most prevalent myth is that you should always add a layer of gravel or other coarse material at the bottom of pots to improve drainage.  This is a common recommendation.  The water will not move from the finer material to the coarser until the finer soil is completely saturated. 1.    Your entire pot should have the same high-quality soil in it, and nothing else. 

If you need to improve drainage, mix perlite in the soil throughout the pot, making sure there is a drainage hole in the bottom of the pot to avoid having root rot. 

2.    Should you water houseplants on a schedule?  Probably not - your plants may not all need the same watering schedule. Plants often need less water in the cooler, darker days of winter – a plant you water every couple of days in the summer might not need watering for a week in the winter.  Get to know the needs of your plants and watering accordingly and do the 'poke your finger in the soil' to see if it is already moist. 

3.    Do droopy plants always mean it is time to water?  If the finger test mentioned above indicates very dry soil, then you should water that plant.  Double check before you water – plants that are developing root rot due to too much water will also droop, and water is the last thing they need.  
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Excerpt from Article by Irene Shonle, Extension Program Associate, Colorado Master Gardener/Horticulture El Paso County, Native Plant Master.   

Complete article:  CSU-houseplants
Plant Talk will give you information about individual plants:  Planttalk