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Potting Plants For Indoors

By: Mark Bartley

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Plants do not just belong in the garden, so it's easy to forget about those plants that provide you with year round pleasure, your house plants. Neglect them now and you will pay the price during the dark miserable winter months when your garden has shut down, and you rely on indoor plants to lift your spirits.

Plan your pot changes and top dressing in good time. Set some time aside to think about the plants in your home and how you could improve them. Are any too big for their pot? If so, they will need repotting into a larger container, and this is a good chance to use a water retaining, food-enriched compost such as Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Compost. Topdressing is a simple technique that can pay dividends, that is swapping the top 2cm-5cm of compost. The ideal time to do this is at the start of the growing season, so be aware of your indoor plants' growing cycles. Finally, top off the pot with a generous layer of mulch to help the plant make the most of the water is has.

The importance of correct watering should ot be underestimated. It' s very easy to get watering wrong with houseplants, and too much or too little will eventually harm the plant. You should be aiming for a consistently damp soil, not too wet, not too dry. Push your finger into the soil to test, if it feels dry, then water. Use a narrow spouted watering can, which has been filled and left until the water is tepid, because cold water may shock the plant. Keep an eye out for signs of trouble, leaves going brown on the ends and sides are a good indication of incorrect watering. It is also a good idea to spray the plant with a hand mister to maintain a humid micro-climate, and to avoid placing the plant in hot areas such as by a radiator where they will dry out quicker.

Plant feeding is something many people leave until it is too late. If you want to grow plants that are happy and healthy, you must feed them. Your reward for a good feeding regime will be luscious foliage and beautiful flowers. Use a product specifically designed for pot plants like Miracle-Gro Pour & Feed.

Plants cannot survive without sufficient light. Light is as essential for your houseplants inside as for plants out in the garden, so you must think about the brightness, duration and quality of light when choosing an indoor location for your plant. Make sure that it is able to receive sufficient light for its needs, as photosynthesis is crucial, with restrictions, causing the health of the plant to decline. However, houseplant light needs can be different to those outside, for example a spider plant will need natural light, but will not thrive in direct sunlight, so it pays to find out exactly what type of light conditions each variety of houseplant needs to thrive.

Finally you should be aware of harmful insects and diseases and their control. Just because your houseplant is indoors it doesn't mean that it is not vulnerable to damage from all kinds of harmful creatures. Whitefly, scale insects, mealy bugs, wooly aphids, these are just some of the creatures that could undo all the work you've put into your beautiful houseplants. Application of a systemic insecticide like BugClear Ultra for Pots will provide protection for up to 3 months.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Even for houseplants a suitable weed killer is important. Mark's handy tips on house and garden planting can transform your plant displays.

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