Indoor Plants & Bonsai Care
Where to grow
Majority of houseplants will thrive in:
Well-lit, draught-free, even temperature and high humidity. However some plants do prefer different conditions, so make sure you do your research - for instance
- Cacti, succulents and carnivorous plants like it bright
- Orchids like indirect light lots of fresh air and high humidity.
- Some plants prefer darker areas so they don't get scorched.
What to do
Watering
- Keep the compost moist but wait until it has almost dried out before rewatering.
- Water from above and put saucers under plants.
- Need watering more in spring and summer, than in winter.
- Water less in winter than in summer when actively growing.
Humidity (Mist)
Some plants enjoy a daily mist with a hand-held spray. You can also group plants on a tray of damp gravel.
- Ferns
- Orchids
- Bromeliads
- Calathea
Holiday watering
- Water all pots before you leave.
- Plants in large pots leave in a shady room.
Tips: Smaller plants place in the bath, lined with a towel soaked through. Also you can shade the windows if its quite a sunny spot.
Feeding
- Flowering plants do best with a weekly dose of feed.
- When moving plants into bigger pots, add a few granules of slow-release fertiliser.
Pruning
- Remove any dying flowersa and any damaged or yellowing leaves.
Cleaning
- You can clean soft wipes or even Baby Bio wipes. Nothing with chemiclals!
Houseplant pests
- Mealy bug or woolly aphids, pests that suck the sap of houseplants. Remove with soft soap (wipe/spray).
- Tiny limpet-like bugs on stems or leaves (scale insect). Remove with soft soap (wipe/spray).
- Fine webbing at the tips of plants and yellow speckling on leaves is a symptom of tiny red spider mites. Remove with soft soap (wipe/spray).
Bonsai Care
A few basic rules should enable anyone to take care of its tree properly. Most importantly are watering, fertilization and choosing the right position to place it.
Watering Bonsai trees
How often a tree needs to be watered: Depends
- Species of tree
- Size of tree
- Size of pot
- Time of year
- Soil-mixture
- Climate
Fertilizing Bonsai
Fertilizing regularly during the growing season is crucial for your Bonsai to survive.
Repotting Bonsai
To prevent a tree from being:
- Pot-bound (starving to death)
- Supply the tree with new nutrients that it needs to grow and flourish (will not keep it small)
Location
Best location:
- Local climate
- Time of year
- Tree species