2. Get to know your
plants! • http://homesteadbrooklyn.c
om/
• https://www.houseplant411.
com/
• http://www.guide-to-
houseplants.com/
• Before your buy:
• Consider your level of
commitment (travel,
pets, children)
• Observe light availability
• Assess where plants can
fit/how large to buy
3. • Process by which plants
adjust to a change in
environment
• Takes several weeks so
pay close attention
• May experience
yellowing, leaf loss, and
blossom drop (Weeping
figs!)
• Be on the look-out for
pest hitchhikers
• Indoor-outdoor: start
once night temps hit mid
50s and gradually
increase light exposure
over a week or two
4.
5. Low: light shade; few plants thrive
Moderate: average indoor light; foliage plants
adapt, but few will bloom; direct north or back
from east or west window
Bright Indirect: all-purpose for foliage and
flowering; northeast or northwest; many
orchids are in this category
Direct/High: direct sunlight for 2-5 hours in the
AM or PM; east or west or a few feet back from
south window
Full: more than 4-5 hours of direct sunlight
daily; unshaded south window in summer; cacti
and succulents
6. • If you’re
comfortable, your
houseplant
probably is: 60-70
degrees F is ideal
• Steer clear of drafts
and blowing air
whether it’s cold or
hot
• Outdoor
houseplants get
cranky below 55.
7. • Start a weekly
routine: pick a
water day
• Methods for
testing moisture:
use your finger to
poke the top 1”
soil surface or lift
the pot to feel the
weight
• Consider the
season
• Experience will
guide in the
“how much”
department –
8. • Increase the
humidity for
plants of tropical
origin (i.e.
basically
everything
except
succulents)!
• Grouping
• Terrarium
• Humidifier
• Pebble tray
9. • Get yourself a pot
with drainage holes
on the bottom and
a saucer to catch
water, but discard
excess water.
• New pot should be
no more than 2”
larger in diameter;
rim diameter = 1/3
to ½ height of
plant
• Clay allows excess
moisture to
evaporate
• Plastic holds
moisture longer
10. • 3 main purposes:
anchorage, store
water and
nutrients, and
provide air
circulation.
• Basic potting soil
is sterile soilless
mix made of
peat moss or
conifer bark and
perlite
• Replace every 1-
2 years
• Cactus mix is
good for
succulents due
11. • Liquid: apply by the drop
• Soluble: dissolves in water, often
blue
• Granular: releases over time
• Organic: fast growing segment,
many formulations
• Little to no
nutrients
in potting
soil –
fertilizer is
key!
• Fertilize
starting in
late March
through
October
• Schedule
it on your
calendar
12. • Manageable
shapes and
sizes
• Reduce
possibility of
disease and
help flowering
plants
• Dampen a cloth
or sponge in
mild soapy
water to remove
grime and dust
• Use a dry, soft
brush o n fuzzy
leaves
• Feather duster
13. • Invest in hand
pruners and
scissors for plants
only
• Yellow/discolored
leaves should be
pinched at base of
stem
• Trim brown
tips/margins by
following natural
curve, remove
minimal green
material
• Pinching the
growing tip
encourages
14. • Pruning is an art,
but not hard once
you learn basic
knowledge
• First consider effect
you want to achieve
• Woody plants: cut at
a slight angle so the
cut surface faces
inward, toward plant
center
• Vining plants: cut
above leaf buds or
branches and allow
just a few vines to
grow long and pinch
others well back to
maintain fullness at
16. • Look like specks
of dust – check
underside of
leaves!
• Shake onto
white paper and
watch for
crawling
• Leaves become
stippled and
yellow; webbing
when in high
numbers
• Treat with
insecticidal soap
• Spray to
dripping and
cover both leaf
17. • Cottony white, soft-
bodied insects and
secrete honeydew
• Gather on leaves,
stems, and in the
crotches where
leaves are attached
(sneaky!)
• Leaves may be
deformed or
spotted
• Small numbers can
be pruned off or
wiped off with a
damp cloth
• Cotton swabs
dipped in 70%
18. • Common type
look like brown
bumps and
secrete honeydew
• Affect leaves,
stems, and nodes
• Cause yellowing
and stunting and
potential dieback
• Scrape or prune
off
• Crawlers are
susceptible to
chemical
treatment such as
Neem or
19. • Aphids are most
common on
houseplants that you
bring in from
outdoors
• Wide variety of
colors – commonly
pale green
• Symptoms are leaf
curling and yellowing
• Partial to succulent
new growth and
flowers
• Squish them! Check
the underside of
leaves too!
20. • Fungus gnats
are flying
insects
• Easily roused
if you disturb
the plant
• Do little
damage as
adults – larvae
are problem
but only in
high numbers
• Reproduce
when enough
moisture is
available -
reduce
watering
22. • Under/overwatering:
causes general
yellowing or brown
leaves
• Check the soil
moisture
requirements and
make adjustments
• Low humidity: causes
leaves that curl
downward, flower
buds and leaves
wither or fail to
develop properly, and
leaf edges and tips
may turn brown and
dry up.
• See humidity slide
23. • Too much fertilizer:
brown leaf
edges/tips and
may have funky
crust on soil
surface
• leach pot, stick
to the
directions and
fertilize spring
to fall only
• Pests and disease –
inspect plants for
pests, if you’ve
eliminated insects
or cultural issues,
google it! Answers
abound online. Or
ask a local garden
24. • Smaller, lighter green
leaves than normal
• Lobes and splits in mature
leaves fail to develop
• Lower leaves may yellow
and drop.
• Stems and stalks may
elongate and grow
spindly and weak.
• Lack of flowers,
variegated leaves lose
variegation and turn
green, colorful foliage
turns pale.
• Check light requirements
and gradually move to a
brighter location,
25. • Appears as tan
or brown dead
patches on
leaves exposed
to direct
sunlight
• Often happens
when moving
plants outdoors
for the season –
acclimate!
• Move plant out
of direct light or
use curtains to
cut the light
• Prune off badly
damaged areas
26. • Common due to
Wisconsin’s tap water
• Brown leaf margins on
broad-leaf types and
brown tips on long,
narrow leaves
• White, chalky build-up
on pots – clean off
• Leach excess salts by
flushing repeatedly
and allowing to drain
fully
• Trim off any brown
areas with razor or
scissors
28. We have full and part-time positions in the Nursery and Landscape
Division available for the 2018 season.
Click to www.sglgardens.com/career-opportunities
This presentation can be found at: www.sglgardens.com/expo
Pip
Bella
Editor's Notes
Hello everyone! Welcome to Success with Houseplants. My name is Linnzi and I have a love affair with the plant kingdom. I’m excited to share advice and information on how to incorporate your new plant babies into your personal space and if you’re already a plant lover, help you to grow healthy, vigorous, shiny happy plants.
I’m going to start by giving you the best piece of advice that I have. It’s gold! My advice is to learn to understand each and every one of your plants. They ARE living beings that have requirements to thrive. Take time to understand what they need for light, temperature, water, and nutrients. Often this is listed on a tag attached to the plant or an internet search is just a click away. I recommend saving the plant tags so you have a reference for the future. I’ve listed some informational websites here: Homestead Brooklyn, Houseplant 411, and Guide to Houseplants.
Take the time to observe light availability in your space before purchasing. Observe from which direction your space receives sun (north, south, east, or west) and approximately what time of day the sun is shining in through the window.
Also, buy according to your immediate living needs. If you envisioned a gorgeous floor plant to enhance the living room, then don’t settle for a 6” plant that you’re hoping will just grow fast enough.
It’s worthwhile to consider how much time you spend at home and the plant’s requirements. If you travel often, pick plants that can take tough-love such as succulents. Succulents are very popular right now precisely because they are low maintenance (and because they have cool geometry). Just remember they require some serious sunshine to be at their best. You may need to skip ferns (which are dear to my heart!) because they need a lot of water and will dry into a brown heap if you miss watering day.
Recently purchased plants need time to adjust to new surroundings. They may go into mild shock after being brought home. This can result in yellowing, loss of leaves, and blossom drop. I used a Weeping Fig in this photo because they are well known for being finicky about location and totally willing to shed massive quantities of leaves if displeased. It takes several weeks for plants to adjust. Pay extra attention during this time. Keep plants moderately moist and do not allow them to dry out. Be sure to discard any excess water in the drainage saucer. Be on the look-out for pests that may have hitchhiked home and are taking the newfound opportunity to reproduce. Once acclimated, aim to keep the plant in that location for the long-term.
Regarding the indoor-outdoor houseplant: if you move your plants outdoors for the warm season, gradually increase sunlight exposure over a week or two, but be careful as full sun will damage many plants – filtered light is best. This will avoid the plant getting sunburned, which we’ll take about later. If you want to start moving plants outdoors in spring while the night temperatures are still cool (say mid 50s), you can expose plants to filtered light during the day and bring them inside at night. Gradually, the plant will adjust to the outdoor temperatures and they can be left outside day and night. Skip an acclimating day if conditions are windy or you will need to find a well-protected area to shield them.
Once upon a time, Biology class taught you that sunlight is a crucial component for plant growth. This is still true today. It can also be said that more light is not necessarily better. Every plant has a range of light level that it works with. Depending on what your space can offer for light, it will partially determine the growth pattern of the plant. Read the tag when buying (or research it) to see if your light exposure (north, south, east, or west) works with the plant’s requirements.
Here’s the breakdown on light categories in more detail:
Low: light shade, well back from nearest window. Few plants thrive, most will tolerate – you’ll likely just want to replace it faster because it will look scraggly and thin.
Moderate: average indoor light – neither sunny nor shady. Most foliage plants adapt well to this light, but few will bloom in it. This is direct north or placed slightly back from east or west.
Bright indirect: all-purpose; foliage and flowering like it though you’ll get more flowers with some direct light; we’re talking about northeast or northwest with few hours of morning sun or late afternoon and well lit the rest of day; it can also be obtained in sunny windows by moving the plant back from the light or utilizing sheer curtains during the hottest part of the day. Many orchids love this light level!
Direct/High: direct sunlight for 2-5 hours in the morning or afternoon, but not the full strength of midday sun. This is typically found directly in front of east or west window or a few feet back from a south window
Full sun: More than 4-5 hours of direct sunlight daily such as unshaded south window in summer. Few plants thrive due to the intense heat except succulents and cacti. You can easily soften the light with sheer curtains or moving plants back several feet from the window.
Many houseplants are comfortable in the same range of temperatures that we are indoors: 60-70 degrees F. Keep plants away from fireplaces, furnaces, drafts, heater vents, and air conditioners so that they don’t burn, freeze, or dry out too fast.
Indoor-outdoor houseplants typically get cranky (i.e. damage or death) below 55 degrees. Bring them indoors for the season as night temperatures dip down.
Water is my favorite liquid and it’s your plant’s favorite too. My personal water regimen is to irrigate once per week with room temperature tap water. I fill up a gallon milk jug and leave it sitting out during the week so that chemicals dissolved in the water evaporate. It’s a good idea to make it the same day every week (I do it on Sunday) so it can be part of a routine. What may change from week to week and season to season is the AMOUNT of water being provided. Dry air and sunshine will result in faster water loss than humid air and cloudy days. Personally, I stick my finger in the soil to test the dryness. Here is where getting to know your plants’ needs will help. Certain plants prefer to dry out at the soil surface while others prefer to stay moist all the way through. Many plants fall under the general rule: if the top 1” of soil is dry, water it. The finger poke is less advisable with fine-rooted plants such as succulents as you may cause damage to the roots. Another method is to lift the pot to test its weight. Light pots are thirsty, heavy pots are not. This you learn by experience. You can also see the difference in soil color. Dark brown-black soil is probably wet and a light –medium brown color is dry. Another factor to take into account is seasonality. In Wisconsin, winter is a time when plant growth diminishes and there is less sunlight available. Once the days get short, I reduce the amount of water on most of my plants. When the days lengthen again in Spring, the plant will grow at a quicker rate and thus need more water to sustain development.
Ok – I know that none of that tells you HOW MUCH to water. It can be hard to quantify. Again, know if your plant is a fern or a cactus for starters. Some plants display dramatic behavior when they need water, such as drooping (i.e. Peace Lily). If it does that, water it thoroughly and then increase the quantity the following week to avoid regular drooping. A good watering trick for me is counting in my head. I know that 5 1,000s is plenty for the rubber tree, but not enough for my huge Epiphyllum. A measuring cup is helpful to gauge quantity as well.
Humidity is the moisture content of the air. Many houseplants have evolved in humid tropical and sub-tropical climates and prefer a relative humidity of 50% or higher. Unfortunately, humidity is frequently low in Midwestern indoor spaces (4-10%!). Plants benefit from being grown in moisture-rich areas such as the bathroom and kitchen. There are a number of ways to increase humidity such as grouping plants, planting in a terrarium, using a humidifier (be careful not to grow mold), and pebble trays. A pebble tray is a saucer filled with river rock or some other small pebbles. Water is maintained just below the bottom of the pot. Avoid a plant that sits in water. This can lead to root rot and plant decline. I use pebble trays with my orchids.
So, you’ve brought your fabulous plant home in a 3” plastic pot. Small pots dry out very fast and are outgrown quickly. Or perhaps you’re just not fond of plain plastic pots. Time to upgrade! A good rule of thumb for repotting is the new pot should be no more than 2” larger in diameter than the old one. A small plant which has few roots in a big pot will retain too much water which may lead to root rot. Repotted plants do not grow well until the roots begin to fill the container. A second rule of thumb is that the diameter of the rim should equal one third to one half the height of the plant.
I’m pretty straight-forward when it comes to pots. I like something I can easily stick my finger in and watch the water drain out of the bottom. Terra cotta is great because it blends with many types of décor, comes in various sizes, and is inexpensive. You can also decorate it. It is porous and so excess moisture will evaporate from the clay. Plastic holds moisture in for longer periods which can be advantageous for moisture loving plants if you’re a forgetful waterer. Drainage saucers are key so that water doesn’t leak onto furniture and floors. Remember to empty the water in the saucer if it doesn’t dry out in a day.
There are so many neat ideas for pots! Let your creativity fly as container types can be most anything with sides and a base. Succulents are great plants to experiment with funky pots since they require minimal soil and moisture.
Potting soil has three main purposes: to provide an anchor to keep the plant from falling over, store water and nutrients, and to provide air circulation for the roots. Many types of potting soil contain no real soil at all. They are soilless or peat-based mixes with little to no nutrients. Soilless mixes are commonly made of peat moss or other finely ground conifer bark and an inorganic element such as perlite which helps with aeration. That is the most basic mix. Some manufacturers add time-release fertilizer as well.
Potting soil should be replaced every 1-2 years as it does compact over time (feels/looks like a brick and water runs through without absorption). There are potting soils for different purposes. The main two that I work with are regular and cactus. I use cactus mix for all succulents and regular for everything else. Keeps it simple. Cactus soil has sand added to increase drainage.
Since potting soil has little to no nutrients, we the plant caretakers, must provide them. There is a huge array of options. I first learned to grow plants using water soluble granules, which turn the water blue. There are liquids which are applied by a dropper and time release granules commonly called Osmocote, which is technically a brand name and I think is better for outdoor summer annual flowers. Organic fertilizers are the newest market segment and can range from bat guano to poultry manure to fish emulsion (beware the latter has an odor). I suggest fertilizing plants from spring (late March) to fall (October). Follow the directions for application and schedule it on your calendar to help you remember.
I had a friend ask recently why I love plants and my answer is that they represent life and vitality in the most dizzying arrays of colors, shapes, and fragrances. So, when your plant is hanging around with yellowing leaves or brown tips, it diminishes that look of vitality. Good grooming keeps plants in manageable sizes and pleasing shapes. It also reduce the possibility of disease and helps flowering plants produce superior blossoms. Clean your plant superstars by removing dust, grime and an insect or two. Dampen a cloth or sponge in mild soapy water to remove grime. Support the leaf in one hand while gently wiping away from the stem. If you’re plant has fuzzy leaves, do not use water on it rather use a dry, soft hairbrush or paintbrush to clean the leaves. Feather dusters can be great for plants with many small leaves.
Trimming, pinching, and pruning can be a daunting task for the uninitiated. If you’re turning into a serious houseplant collector, you may want to research more about this topic online. Invest in a hand pruner and sharp scissors that are dedicated to plants only. Yellow or discolored leaves should be removed as they will never become green again. Pinch them off at the base of the stem. Trim off any brown tips or margins with a sharp tool following the curve of the leaf, removing as little green material as possible. Pinching is a technique to encourage branching below the pinch which makes for a bushier and healthier plant. Pinching is especially recommended for soft-stemmed plants like coleus, geraniums, and some begonias, but works well for many plants. For coleus, you just nip off the growing tip at four to six leaves.
Pruning is the removal of young, woody stems (like the ficus in the upper photo). Pruning does require care and basic knowledge, but it is not difficult. Before making the first cut, consider the effect you want to achieve. Removing a stem from its point of origin will force new growth in the remaining stems or from the base. Cutting off a stem above a leaf will encourage one or more new growth tips to appear and make the plant denser. Make cuts at a slight angle so that the cut surface faces inward, toward the center of the plant.
Pruning vining plants like pothos (bottom photo) or ivy requires a different tack. To achieve both long stems and fullness at the base, allow just a few vines to grow to full length and pinch all the others well back. Pinching will induce branching and a lush look. Make cuts just above leaf buds or branches.
I love butterflies! So let’s enjoy this photo for a moment because it’s NOT what you’re going to see on indoor plants. (Linnzi – drink water!) Pest control is detective work and I really enjoy it though I certainly don’t like to find insects sucking on my plants. As we go along in the next section, I’m going to provide organic and eco-friendly chemical solutions. There are many stronger products out there if you so choose. The University of Maryland – Extension has webpages with good photos and basic insect information.
Spider mites are tiny insects related to spiders. They are a major pest of indoor plants right about this time of year. Spider mites particularly enjoy the hot, dry air of winter homes. A test to see if you have them is to shake the concerned area over a white piece of paper and see if the little specks of pepper crawl around. Symptoms are leaves which become stippled, yellow, and dirty. Webbing occurs during a high infestation (which you can see in the upper left photo). Management can include wiping the affected area with a damp cloth or using eco-friendly insecticidal soap to spray down the plant. Be sure to coat both leaf sides and spray to the point of dripping. Neem oil, which is biodegradable and organic, works well too. Repeated applications will likely be necessary.
Mealybugs are found on the underside of leaves, on stems, and in the crotches where leaves are attached. They look like small bits of cotton. They can cause leaves to be deformed or spotted. They produce a sticky substance called honeydew, which can cover the leaves and drop onto surfaces below the plant making a royal mess. Regarding management of mealybugs, a small population can be wiped off with a damp cloth or pruned. Another option is to wipe the infected area with cotton swabs dipped in 70% Isopropyl alcohol. The mealybugs will turn brown. Be careful to minimize alcohol getting on the plant as it may cause damage. Insecticidal soap or neem oil are eco-friendly alternatives that work as well.
Scale insects, in my houseplant experience, look like brown bumps, which aggregate on leaves, stems, and nodes. They secrete honeydew and cause yellowing, stunting, and dieback if not caught earlier enough. Insects can be scraped off or plant parts pruned. Important to note with scale that the juveniles are referred to as crawlers (tiny specks in upper left photo). Crawlers can move about. This stage is susceptible to chemical treatment. Once they mature and produce the exoskeleton chemicals are not effective.
Aphids are the bane of outdoor gardeners! Well, they enjoy our living rooms too. Aphids come in a wide variety of colors and a common one is the green peach aphid, which is pale yellow-green (top photo). Leaf symptoms are curling and yellowing. They enjoy the succulent new growth and flowers. They also produce honeydew. Populations can explode in a matter of days. They’re easy to see and squish (my method of choice!). Management techniques include pruning, insecticidal soap, and neem oil.
Fungus gnats are flying insects, which generally aren’t a problem unless you get an infestation (bottom photo). The larvae can damage roots and seedlings in that case. Mostly they fly around your head and annoy people. Fungus gnats require high moisture to reproduce. They are a sign that you may be over-loving your plant so allowing the plant to dry out eventually solves the problem. You can buy yellow sticky cards which will attract the flying adults to their demise.
Cultural problems are those that result from the conditions in which the plants are being grown…i.e. how we’re caring for the plants. The symptoms are varied and many similar symptoms can point to different issues. Like pest issues, cultural problems are detective work. OK, let’s start simple. For example, the pothos in the picture on the left looks a bit droopy. First, you would check to see if the soil is dry and note the growing conditions it’s experiencing (light, temp, water). Perhaps you need to increase the quantity of water just a small amount. Notice how uplifted it looks in the After shot! It’s easy to recognize once you experience it.
Now, to put a spin on this and show you how things aren’t always as they seem. Let’s say you checked the soil and it was sopping wet. More water will not help! The wilt could be due to root damage from repeated, excessive moisture. Underwatering and overwatering are two of the biggest issues for houseplant gardeners.
Let’s talk about brown areas on leaves! It is very common and confounding. Brown areas appear for a number of reasons, which can make it the trickiest to diagnose. Not only do plants wilt from underwatering or overwatering, but it can cause general yellowing or brown leaves. Do check the soil moisture requirements and make adjustments. We discussed that low humidity is a common house scenario. Symptoms of low humidity include slow growth, leaves that curl downward, flower buds and leaves wither or fail to develop properly, and leaf edges and tips turn brown and dry up. There are a number of solutions like grouping or pebble trays: please refer to the humidity slide. Plants age too. That’s right, old leaves die naturally – they just dry up and fall off as in the bottom photo.
Too much fertilizer can create brown leaf tips and a funky crust on the soil surface. Consider if that may have occurred. Solutions include leaching the pot which I talk about more in a couple of slides, sticking to the fertilizer application directions, and fertilizing spring to fall only. Pests and disease can cause browning too. Inspect plants for pests, if you’ve eliminated insects or cultural issues, and think it may be a disease, google it! Answers abound online. Or ask a local garden center employee.
Plants with long, strappy leaves, like the spider plant in the upper photo, suffer from brown leaf tips frequently! Trim off any brown tips.
Insufficient light can lead to smaller, lighter green leaves than normal, lobes and splits normal in mature leaves fail to develop, and lower leaves may yellow and drop. Stems and stalks may elongate and grow spindly and weak. There could be a lack of flowers, variegated leaves lose variegation and turn green, and colorful foliage turns pale. Review the light requirements for the plant and gradually move it to a more appropriate location. Supplemental lighting, such as grow lights, could be an option.
Exposure to direct sunlight causes sunburn in plants too. The symptoms are scorched leaves which have tan or brown dead patches. Damage is most severe if a plant is allowed to dry out while exposed. Moving a plant from a low light spot to a sunny spot can cause this reaction (like moving indoors to outdoors). The solution is to move the plant away from the light or use curtains to create filtered light. Prune off badly damaged leaves and stems.
Salt damage is quite common in container-grown plants and prevalent in Wisconsin tap water due to the underlying limestone in many areas of the state. It can accumulate with the use of fertilizers as well. Symptoms first appear on older leaves as brown leaf margins with broad-leaf types and brown tips with long, narrow leaves. Sometimes you will notice a white chalky build-up on the outside of a clay pot or the inside of the pot at the soil surface, which is a tell-tale sign. One solution is to leach excess salts by flushing the pot with water. To do this, place the plant in a sink, tub, or pail and water it several times, letting the water drain each time. Also, clean off the build-up from the pot so you can see the next time it happens.
As we wrap up, I want to share with you a fun plant activity to try called Kokedama, which translates to “moss ball” in English. They’re also known as string gardens. Though centuries old in Japan, kokedama has been trending as a modern way to display houseplants. They take up a small amount space though do require multiple waterings per week. Not for the forgetful waterer. Shade-loving plants like ferns and pothos are excellent options to try. Check out the how-to links from Pro Flowers and Better Homes and Gardens which includes a video tutorial. I am really excited to try this in spring. If anyone has tips, let me know.
Lastly, I want to put in a word for my employer Schönheit Gardens. If anyone is looking for nursery or landscaping work please check out the job positions on our website. This presentation can be found on the Schönheit website at www.sglgardens.com/expo.
Thank you for listening and have a great time at the Expo!
