HOUSEPLANTS
WELCOME TO COLEMAN FLORIST’S NEW SECTION
FOR INDOOR GARDENING!
Houseplants always enhance one’s décor with their soothing presence adding beauty and interest as well as health benefits by lifting one’s spirit, purifying our air and, yes, providing companionship. (Have you talked to your plant today?)
DID
YOU KNOW
THAT…
… people have been enjoying houseplants for
about two centuries?
… the first plants kept indoors were medicinal
herbs grown by
monasteries and apothecaries?
… terrariums were one of the first methods used
for indoor gardening?
… growing citrus fruits “under glass” was popular with the public when
glass windows were available (about the late 1600’s) and used
for
making “conservatories”?
… it wasn’t until the 1800’s that plant
exploration together with increased
window glass availability made it possible
for the general public to enjoy
a new hobby - indoor gardening?
… during the Victorian Era it was a must
to include plants if one were to
have a “proper parlor”?
Today there is such a diversity of available houseplants for the gardening
enthusiast. They are ideal for someone
who cannot get outside and garden as well as for teaching children the value of
caring, responsibility and patience. Let
Coleman Florist be your source for choosing a houseplant (or dish garden!) as a
special gift for you or someone else.
Send us an email, call us or come in and visit our conservatory (green
house) and let us help you make your selections. Pictured below is an example of what we refer to as a Garden Basket, a mix of blooming and green plants in a basket.
BLOOMING
HOUSEPLANTS
SPATHIPHYLLUM (spa-thi-FY-lum)
Common name: Peace Lily
Family: Arum - Araceae
Origin: Indonesia and Central America
SPECIFICTIONS
LIGHT: in Fall/Winter, low to medium; Spring/Summer medium to bright
TEMPERATURE: average room temperature
FERTILIZER: Spring through Fall feed monthly with balanced fertilizer that
includes micronutrients - dilute to half normal strength. In
Winter feed every 6 weeks.
WATER: Keep soil lightly moist. Use room temperature water.
SOIL: Any good potting soil.
HEIGHT: Depends upon species. “Sensation” can reach 6’, others often to 3’.
LONGEVITY: Many years if divided every 5 years or
so.
DISPLAY TIPS: The dark leaves are best shown off when the plant is grown in a
plain pot with a glossy finish. Place on a low pedestal where
flowers can easily be seen.
RE-POT: Annually in Spring to refresh soil.
FOLIAGE "GREEN" HOUSEPLANTS
Common name: Chinese Evergreen
Family: Arum - Araceae
Origin: Southeast Asia
One of the easiest foliage plants to grow.
SPECIFICTIONS
LIGHT: medium to low
TEMPERATURE: average room temperature
FERTILIZER: Spring through Summer feed monthly with balanced fertilizer. In
Winter feed every 6 weeks. In very low light, be stingy with the
fertilizer.
WATER: Keep soil lightly moist. Only allow plant to dry slightly between
waterings. This plant tolerates dry air better than most but still benefits
from being misted often when the indoor air is very dry.
SOIL: Any good potting soil.
HEIGHT: Can reach 3’ in height but normally stays much smaller, to 2’.
LONGEVITY: 10 years or more.
DISPLAY TIPS: This is an ideal tabletop plant when small, placed in dim living
rooms and cozy reading nooks. Larger plants are best
displayed with dark-leafed plants and plants requiring similar
lighting conditions.
REPOT: About every 2 years.
HOUSEPLANT CARE TIPS
LIGHTING
LOW
LIGHT: bright enough to read by
MEDIUM
LIGHT: offices, kitchens - all
day fluorescent lighting; to the side of a
window or back a
few feet from a sunless window
BRIGHT
LIGHT: brightest light without
direct sun - under a skylight; a north
window sill or 5 -
6’ back from a sunny window
BRIGHT
LIGHT WITH SOME SUN: winter sun or sunlight
filtered through a
curtain
TEMPERATURE
Most houseplants can be quite happy in the average home. Average refers to temperatures about 65 - 75* F during the day and 5 to 10 * F cooler at night. Most houseplants are quite adaptable.
WATERING
SOME GENERAL RULES:
1) The warmer the environment, the more often you need to water your plants.
2) Low light plants need less
frequent watering than those in medium or bright/sun light.
3) Small pots dry out faster
than large pots.
4) Clay pots dry out faster
than plastic pots.
5) If the plant is
“potbound”, water may run right through without getting the soil wet enough.
6) If the pot is too large
for the root-ball, the soil will hold too much water and drown the roots.
7) Using lukewarm or room
temperature water, apply until water seeps through the drainage holes into the
saucer. Let the water in the saucer be
absorbed - but if not absorbed in about 15 minutes, discard the extra water. DO NOT LET YOUR HOUSEPLANTS REMAIN ISTANDING
IN WATER. While a dry plant can let you
know it needs water by drooping its’ leaves, an over watered plant cheerily
sits while the hidden roots are rotting away - until it falls over.
HUMIDITY
This refers to the moisture plants get from the air. Most plants need more humidity than is available in an air-conditioned or heated home., excepting cacti, succulents and some other desert plants. Heated rooms can have humidity as low as 5 to 10 percent, which is unhealthy for both people and plants. Humidity at 50 to 60 percent can keep most of your houseplants happy and healthy. Keep a look-out for browning of leaf tips or edges which let you know your plant is in distress.
Creating
extra humidity is easily achieved simply by using a spray bottle to mist your
plants - taking care not to mist your walls and furniture of course. But do not mist African violets or other
plants with “fuzzy-leaves” as this will cause water spots. These types of plants are best place on a
tray of pebbles. The tray should be as
wide as the plant’s spread and its’ water level below the bottom of the
pot(s). Also, grouping plants together
can help provide a humid environment, if you do not use a tray, as leaves
expire moisture which is trapped by neighboring leaves creating a microclimate.
Occasionally
plants can have too much humidity which usually occurs in warm, damp weather or
due to poor air circulation which can cause gray mold or mildew.
FERTILIZING
Use any complete all-purpose houseplant fertilizer. Usually once a month in Spring and Summer and then every 6 weeks during he winter.
REPOTTING
When rootbound or “crowded” in pot. Coleman Florist offers the service of repotting your houseplants for you. Choose a pot from our many selections or bring in one of your own.
