Introducing New Colections Home Interior Design

By Keith Markensen

Because bamboo naturally grows in the tropics, they are used to warm weather and regular rainfall. When you bring them indoors to enjoy their beauty and simplicity, you should know how to care for them correctly to help them thrive. Growing bamboo indoors is not as difficult as you might think, but there are a few things to keep in mind.

Always remember that your bamboo plant is used to warmth and humidity. Once you bring your bamboo plant home, try placing it outside first, in a sheltered area with plenty of light and some shade. That way, it will begin to get used to the levels of light in your region. You should not fertilize your plant immediately, since most nurseries and plant stores will already have put some fertilizer in already.

How much to water your new bamboo plant will depend on the climate in your area. If your bamboo plant is located indoors and the soil typically dries out fast, water it deeply, saturating the soil to keep it from drying out. You may not need to water your bamboo plant every day; keep an eye on the soil to determine when the plant needs water. If the leaves begin to curl up, your bamboo plant needs to be watered more frequently. If the leaves are drooping, you have added too much water to the soil and should not water your bamboo plant as much.

Another way to add humidity and water is by misting your indoor bamboo plants with a spray bottle. Misting will mimic the humid conditions that your new bamboo plant is used to in the wild. You can also use a pebble tray to add water. Fill a tray with pebbles, and then saturate it with just enough water that the pebbles peek out above it. Then place your pot with bamboo on top of the pebbles, so that it does not touch the water. The water in the pebbles will evaporate into the soil of your bamboo plant.

Once your bamboo plant has been in your home for awhile, it will begin to acclimate to indoor conditions. You should still take it out to the garden regularly or add lights near the plant to mimic sunlight, because it is used to very sunny tropical conditions. Bamboo plants make beautiful additions to your home, but they should be cared for properly if you expect them to thrive.

Today is the perfect time to find out more about lucky bamboo plants. Visit us at plant-care.com.
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By Thomas Fyrd

Bulbs In Bowls

Planting bulbs in a bowl container filled with fiber, makes it possible to have flowers all year long.
The secret of being successful is to plant the bulb as soon as they are obtained in August or September. The fiber, is sold for this purpose, must be wetted prior to being up in the bowl, in which a few chunks of charcoal have been places. After putting the bulbs into position, their tips need to be just above the surface of fiber.

To make sure your roots develop freely, the bowl the bulbs are put in must me placed in the proper position. The best place is outside, under a nine inch mound of peat moss, or even covered with bags and a piece of wood to keep the rain out.

If there are no outside places available, put the bowl in a deep box or bath, cover in the same manner above and stand them in the coolest place possible. At the end of a 4-8 week period, roots should be formed in abundance and shoots should be about 2 inches long. The covering should be taken off and the bulbs should remain until the shoots turn green. Forcing may begin by putting the bowl into a warm location, this is where the shoots can begin to bloom, of the fiber is kept moist.

To take advantage of having a long display, the variety you choose should be taken into consideration.

Hyacinths-The first one of this type of flower that will bloom is the Roman White variety. The blooms look like white bluebells; then will come the hyacinths, which have been specially prepared to make them bloom during Christmas time.

In the springtime is when the ordinary, larger flowered, untreated hyacinths bloom.

Narcissus-The white Narcissus is easily obtained while in full bloom in the month of December.

The success can be maintained by other types, described in the bulb catalog.

Some types can be forced rather easy and are followed by other single tulips.

Holiday Treatment of Houseplants

What do you do with house plants during the holidays? Unless you can make arrangements to have them watered while you are away, you can run into problems. When you are gone for a week or more, it is possible to prevent damage if you take the proper precautions.

The best way is to obtain a large tub and fill it with dampened moss. Then plunge the plants into the pot, with the moss covering the soil to about an inch or more in depth. If moss is not accessible, granulated peat moss or damp sacking can also be substituted. Lastly, the material for plunging needs to be covered with plastic film which will slow the evaporation of moisture.

The plants must also be well watered prior to plunging.

Another way is to put the plants in a group, with a bucket of water close by. A piece of lamp wicking connected to the soil in each plant with the water, will ensure enough water to the compost.

To those who have a garden, plunging pots to their rims in the soil, they need to be put into a shady spot as well.

In any case, the soil must be well watered prior to plunging or before they are connected to lamp wicks.
You can't always get what you want but you can find what you need on the subject of how to care for house plants. Today you too can gain from our years of experience, visit plant-care.com.
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By Eudora DeWynter

One of the most popular plants of the Christmas holidays is the Poinsettia. Poinsettias are very easy plants to keep and with proper care can last in bloom for several months past the holiday season. When you are ready to purchase you plant for the holiday season, there are a few things that you should look for before buying it.

First of all if the leaves and flowers are brown around the edges move on, you are looking for plants that have an abundance of dark green leaf foliage and brightly colored (Bracts) flowers that are completely opened. Poinsettias are slow to bloom but when they do their flowers remain for weeks.

Poinsettias do not like the cold so when you purchase them make sure to take them from the store well covered to protect them from cold temperatures and wind and take them straight home, do not leave them in your car if you are living in a cold climate, even a short exposure to cold can damage them. Once you get them home do not place them in drafty areas or near the high heat of furnace or fireplace vents, the best temperature for them is 65-70 degrees.

Allow the soil to dry between watering and water thoroughly. If they seem to be drying out water them, if their leaves start turning light green, give them more sunlight, these plants tend to make a quick come back. Many people believe that poinsettias are poisonous, but they are not, if eaten they will however give you a stomach ache so try and keep small children away from them.

Believe it or not, if you managed to keep your poinsettia healthy during the winter months, you can move it outside come late spring and either plant it directly into the ground or plant it in containers on your deck or patio. To give them some added beauty when you bring them outside, give them a good round trimming and apply a general purpose fertilizer every two or three weeks, and as the weather starts to cool bring them back inside long before the first frost.

Eudora DeWynter offers tips on Caring for Your Holiday Poinsettias on her blog at http://www.gardentoolguru.com
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By Larry Gildea
Most types of store-bought potting soils will work well in planters, but you can also use them to mix and blend soils in order to provide just the right mixture for any type of plant, herb, vegetable or flower and their moisture and drainage needs.

Container potting mixes offer a variety of benefits depending on the type of soils or plants you intend to grow. For example, following is a list of the most common types of planting soils and their uses.

• All-Purpose - This is a sterilized mixture of sand or perlite and peat moss soil that is generally used for trees and shrubs as well as vegetables and annuals.

This type of soil mix is also known as loam-based potting mix. As the name implies, its main ingredient is loam. It comes in many different mixtures and strengths and can be used long term for trees and shrubs.

The advantage of this type of potting soil is that many different blends and recipes can be created that are great for many different kinds of plants and shrubs. It is supplied with a good number of nutrients and holds water better than some other types of potting mix. Still, quality also depends on brand names. Overall, loam-based mixes contain small quantities of peat.

• Soil less or Peat-based- This type of potting soil is a mixture of sphagnum peat moss, sand or perlite. Perlite can be substituted for coarse sand. Perlite is a sterile, lightweight, white aggregate made from volcanic minerals. Perlite encourages ventilation of potting soil mixtures. This type of potting soil also contains compost or dried manure or vermiculite, a soil additive. This type of potting mix is typically used for temporary plants like vegetables and annuals.
It is important to keep this type of potting mix slightly damp, as when allowed to dry out completely, it can be difficult to resaturate.

The advantage to using a peat-based potting mix is that it is a quality mix, one that is lightweight, clean and easy to use. However, it is also prone to water logging, dries out more quickly than other mixes and contains low nutrient levels.

• Well-Drained - This type of potting soil is also a sterilized combination of peat moss, sand, leaf molds, grit and soil that is preferred by woodland and alpine type plants.

• Water- Retentive - A water retentive potting soil is a mixture of an all-purpose type combination of ingredients and water-retentive crystals that is suitable for use with any type of plant except succulents and cacti.

• Coir-Based - Coir is available as loose potting mix or in blocks. Made from shredded coconut husks, coir is mixed with other types of potting soil in a one-to-two ratio because it contains no nutrients by itself.
Coir is inexpensive, lightweight, and ideal for use in pots that hang or are anchored on walls or balconies. It has a few disadvantages, such as it is not to be used for permanent plants, it dries quickly and needs to be frequently watered.

• Peat-Free - This type of potting soil has become more popular as consumers become more conscious of green waste composts. Because it is made from recycled household waste, it retains a dark, rich color.
Using this type of potting mix has many advantages. It is fine for most potted plants, contains adequate nutrient levels and retains moisture well. In addition, it has been heat treated, which kills pests, weeds and diseases. Still, keep in mind that some plants do well with this type of mix and others do not.

• Cacti - This type of potting soil is specifically made for use planting cacti and succulents and is
created from of a combination of sterilized soil, gravel, ground limestone, sand and vermiculite.

• Acidic - This type of potting soil is also created by blending an all-purpose type potting mix with additional peat moss as well as ground pine or fir bark. It is best used on ericaceous plants like heather, rhododendron, and azaleas.

Potting Soil Recipes

Basic Potting Soil Recipe

2 parts packaged potting soil,
1 part coarse sand,
1 part peat moss or leaf mold

If desired, you can also add a slow release fertilizer or bone meal

Acid-Loving Plants Recipe (Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Camellias)

2 parts packaged potting soil,
2 parts coarse sand,
2 parts peat moss,
1 part leaf mold,
1/3 part

well composted manure

Bulbs Recipe

2 parts packaged potting soil,
1 part coarse sand,
1 part leaf mold or peat moss,

Bone meal as per package directions

Cacti and Succulents Recipe

2 parts packaged potting soil,
2 parts sand,
1/2 part leaf mold or peat moss,
Add bone meal or limestone according to package directions

A good potting mix doesn't contain any native soils and is designed for better absorption and drainage. You can create your own blends using different types of packaged potting soils mentioned above or make your own using the recipes provided below. For the following recipes, it is best to find a potting soil that contains vermiculite or perlite as its base for best results.
Copyright © Larry Gildea, All Rights Reserved.

Dr.Larry Gildea has authored several articles on gardening. Dr. Gildea has created these gardening websites, http://www.gardeningbonanza.com, Gardening Bonanza.com covers many types of gardening, including, bonsai design and cultivation, container gardening, flower gardening, rose gardening, hydroponics gardening and several others. http://www.organicgardensystems.com Organic Garden Systems .com is dedicated exclusively to organic gardening. And in his blog, http://larryseasygardening.com
Dr. Gildea discusses all types of gardening.
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By Tony Foxley

Planting is probably the most important part in establishing your pool and it is often the most neglected. A pool cannot be successful without a full complement of aquatic plants, an under planted pool will usually remain green or cloudy unless you invest in a biological filtration with an ultra violet clarifier, without which, makes it difficult to see your fish except when they are near to the surface.

Pools should be planted when the plants are in their growing season, which is normally from late March to the end of September. If the pool has been filled with tap water then allow this to stand for a few days to allow Chlorine and other chemicals to disperse. It is important that the aquatic plants be given at least three weeks to establish before introducing any fish.

Water plants should be planted in open sided baskets; except for water lily tubs, which are generally solid. The baskets should first be lined with basket liners to prevent soil erosion then filled to within 1" of the rim with Stapeley's own aquatic soil, which has at least 60% clay content. The intended plant should be trimmed if necessary, a hole is made in the middle of the soil with your hand and the plant placed in the soil so that the top of the soil of the plant is the same level as in the basket, firm the soil around the plant and push a couple of plant food tablets deep into the soil. Trim the excess basket liner then top of the soil with well washed aquatic gravel, this will help to prevent the fish from digging into the soil.

To help with selecting which basket to purchase, refer to this chart below.

• Mini round-1 small marginal or 5 bunches of oxygenators
• Mini square- 1 small marginal or 5 bunches of oxygenators
• Medium round- 1 marginal, 10 bunches of oxygenators or 1 small water lily
• Small square- 1 marginals, 10 bunches of oxygenators or 1 small water lily
• Medium square- 1 or 2 marginals, 10 bunches of oxygenators or 1 small water lily
• Large square- 1 or 2 marginals, 15 bunches of oxygenators or 1 medium water lily
• Contour- 1-3 marginals or 15 bunches of oxygenators
• Lily tub- 1-3 larger marginals, 20 bunches of oxygenators or 1 medium or vigorous water lily
• Jumbo lily tub- 50-100 bunches of oxygenators or 1 vigorous water lily

The basket/tub should be placed into the pool in accordance to the type of plant it is (further details will be given later on). Avoid placing any plant basket too near moving water as the soil could be eroded and avoid putting lilies where fountains can splash them. Marginal plants look better in bold groups rather than individually, with the taller ones near the back of the pool and the lower growing ones near to the front.

It is difficult to give exact numbers of plants required for your pool, however, a guide to plant numbers can be found at the appropriate plant section.

Aquatic plants are divided into five main categories, these are: -

Oxygenating plants

Oxygenators are essential for all pools; the water is unlikely to clear until these plants are growing vigorously and in quantity. Without oxygenators, pools turn to a green pea-soup colour, this is caused by millions of microscopic, free floating single cell plants we call algae.

Algae flourish under the influence of sunlight and excess mineral salts present in the water. In time, oxygenators should compete for light and nutrients and literally starve the algae to death producing clear water. Apart from clearing the pool, oxygenators provide a supplementary food source for fish; they also provide a spawning medium and hiding place for fish, amphibians and insects. Oxygenators are sold either already potted up or as unrooted cuttings, which should be planted up and be placed, eventually, at the bottom of the pool.


Oxygenators- allow 5 bunches per 1 sq. metre of water surface

Water Lilies

These are without doubt the queens of the pool; these most beautiful of plants come in five colours, white, red, pink, yellow and changeable/copper. They can flower from June to October with often, a constant succession of blooms, each lasting for 3-5 days and some providing a delicate perfume.

Whilst most water lilies are cultivated for their beautiful flowers, the leaves of some varieties are also very pretty, with their striking tiger stripes or delicate mottling, water lily leaves also provide shade for fish and cut down the amount of sunlight reaching the water surface helping to control algae growth. Varieties vary in size from the dwarf 'Pygmaea Helvola' that has leaves often the size of a fifty pence piece and can grow in 6" of water, to the giant 'Gladstoneana' with its 18" diameter leaves; this variety can eventually live in 1.2 metres of water.

Care must be taken when selecting your water lily as the wrong choice could lead to the plant either being too big or too small for the pool, the ideal coverage rate for a water lily is approx 65-75% of the water surface; the coverage rates for each size of water lily is shown below. As an example, I have a pool 2 metres wide and 3 metres long (6 sq. metres in total), so I need a lily which will cover approx 65-75% of this amount of surface, (approx 4 sq, metres) so I need 1x medium/vigorous (m/v) water lily or 2 x small/medium (s/m) ones

• Water lilies- miniature (T)- allow 1 plant per 1 sq. metre of water surface
• Water lilies- small- allow (S) 1 plant per 1.5 sq. metres of water surface
• Water lilies-small-medium (S/M)- allow 1 plant per 2 sq. metres surface
• Water lilies-Medium (M)- allow 1 plant per 3 sq. metres of water surface
• Water lilies- medium/vigorous (M/V) allow I plant per 4 sq. metres of water surface
• Water lilies- Vigorous (V) allow 1 plant per 5 sq. metres of water surface
The depth water lilies should be planted will depend on the variety; all planting depths are measured from the water surface to the crown of the plant or soil level; - Initial depth is the recommended planting depth for a new or young plant. Optimum depth is the recommended long term planting depth, which would allow for optimum growth under 'typical' conditions.

Maximum depth specifies the recommended maximum depth, which a mature lily will survive at, but may only apply when assuming clear water and full sun.

Varieties
Miniature (T) Initial Depth 8cm - Opt Depth 16cm - Max depth 24cmSmall (S) Initial Depth 10cm - Opt Depth 20cm - Max depth 30cmSmall/medium S/M) Initial Depth 12cm - Opt Depth 24cm - Max depth 36cmMedium (M) Initial Depth 15cm - Opt Depth 30cm - Max depth45cmMedium/vigorous (M/V) Initial Depth 20cm - Opt Depth 40cm - Max depth 70cmVigorous (V) Initial Depth 25cm - Opt Depth 50cm - Max depth 90cm

Ideal water lilies for small pools
- 2 sq. metres
- Caroliniana Nivea
- Laydekeri Lilacea (Pink)
- Froebelii (Red)
- Odorata Sulphurea (Yellow)

Ideal water lilies for medium sized pools
- 5 sq metres
- Marliacea Albida (white)
- William falconer (Red)
- Marliacea Chromatella (Yellow)
- Gladstoniana (White)

Ideal water lilies for large pools
- 8 sq metres +
- Colossea (Pink)
- Colonel A. J. Welsh (Yellow)
- Alba (White)

Marginal plants
These plants, in most cases will grow, both in damp soil and in waterlogged conditions with varying depths of water over the planting soil. In smaller pools there are a number of marginals that will help to provide some surface coverage and their roots will absorb waste nutrients. Marginals, however, are essentially decorative, with plants such as Iris and reeds providing a formal effect or symmetry in the pool. Alternately a more natural or informal effect can be produced using a mixture of vertical and clump forming plants to soften the edges between the pool and the rest of the garden. A pool without marginals may look flat and lifeless, marginal plants break up the flatness and provide a background to your water lilies.

When selecting marginals, like any other plant, pay attention to the any flowering period, flower colour, as well as the plant shape, texture, colour or height. Unless you are planting a formal pool, try to avoid planting marginals in even spaces and lines like soldiers, instead place different plants side by side for contrast or clumps of the same plant to form impressive displays, and have uneven gaps between others.

Like water lilies, most marginals appreciate full sun and occasional feeding, also when first planting marginals it is best to lower them slowly to their ideal depth (any planting depths given in our literature or on the web is measured from the top of the planting soil to the top of the pond). Marginals- allow 1-2 plants per metre of shelf

Ideal marginal plants for the smaller pool.
• Caltha Palustris plena (Double marsh marigold)
• Calla palustris (Bog arum)
• Eriophorum angustifolium (Cotton grass)
• Geum rivale (Water avens)
• Iris setosa (Dwarf iris)
• Menyanthes trifoliata (Bog bean)
• Sparganium erectum (Burr-reed)
• Typha minima (Dwarf reedmace)

Ideal marginal plants for medium pools
• Acorus calamus (Sweet scented rush)
• Caltha Palustris (Marsh marigold)
• Alisma plantago (water plantain)
• Houttuynia cordata variegata (Chameleon plant)
• Iris ensata (Japanese water iris)• Lobelia cardinalis 'Queen victoria'
• Lysichiton camchatcensis (Japanese skunk cabbage)
• Persicaria amphibia (Amphibious bistort)
• Sagittaria japonica (Japanese arrowhead)

Ideal marginal plants for larger pools
• Caltha palustris var. palustris (Giant Marsh Marigold)
• Carex pendula (Drooping sedge)
• Cyperus longus (Sweet galingale)
• Iris pseudacorus (Yellow flag Iris)
• Pontederia cordata (Water pickerel)
• Ranunculus lingua 'Grandiflorus' (Greater spearwort)
• Schoenoplectus (Scirpus) tab. 'Albescens' (Bulrush)
• Schoenoplectus (Scirpus) tab. 'Zebrinus' (Zebra rush)
• Typha angustifolia (Lesser reedmace)
• Typha Latifolia (Greater reedmace)
• Zantedeschia aethiopica 'Crowborough' (Arum lily)

Buying Marginals
Marginals can now be purchased in 9cm pots, 1 litre baskets, 2 litre baskets, 3 litre baskets and occasionally as specimens in lily tubs, the smaller the pot size, the younger the plant, young plants will need to be given time to become a decent size and will eventually catch up with the older plants. 9cm plants need to be taken out of their pots and planted into medium sized planting baskets using Stapeley's own planting compost which has been specially formulated for aquatic plants. 1 and 2 litre plants are ok for the first year then will need to be planted as per 9cm plants. Although it is difficult to accurately recommend how many marginals to use, we generally say between 1 and 2 per 1 metre of shelf depending on the overall effect desired.

Deep Marginal Plants
This category of plants are essentially the same as water lilies in as much that they are planted some way below the surface and generally have leaves on or above the surface, however, they are usually mentioned separately. Deep-water marginals are planted in medium to large planting baskets in Stapeley's own planting compost and lowered slowly over a few weeks to their ideal depth.

Recommended varieties (Deep marginals)
• Aponogeton Distachyos (Water hawthorn)
• Nuphar lutea (Brandy bottle lily)
• Nymphoides peltata 'Bennettii' (Water fringe)
• Orontium aquaticum (Golden club)

Floating plants
Floating plants can be split into two basic groups; the first group contains the hardy plants, which are beneficial in small to medium pools, as they will quickley provide the valuable cover required to reduce algae growth plus their roots utilise waste nutrients in the water. Some of these plants could eventually cover the whole pool but all you have to do is occasionally remove any excess growth with a fish net. Lemna (Duckweed) and Azolla (Fairy moss) should be avoided in large pools, as their management will be more difficult.

Typical hardy floating plants• Azolla filliculoides (Fairy moss)• Hydrocharis morsus ranae (Frog-bit) not normally available until early May.• Lemna minor (Common duckweed)• Lemna trisulca (Ivy leafed duckweed)• Straitiotes aloides (Water soldier/cactus)

The second group contains the tender, tropical floating plants, which look very attractive in the summer months, but which usually don't spread enough to provide much cover. These plants should be treated as annuals as they will die off in the first frost, it is very difficult and not economical to try and keep them alive over winter. Introduce as many plants as you choose from this group. Water hyacinth and Water lettuce are excellent at removing excessive nutrients, so much so that they are used in huge filtration plants in certain parts of the world, they are also good at removing heavy metals from drinking water.

Typical tender floating plants• Eichhornia crassipes (Water hyacinth) not normally available until end of May• Pistia straitiotes (Water lettuce) not normally available until end of MayFloating plants- allow 1 plant/portion per 1 sq. metre of water surface

Moisture loving/Bog /Poolside plants
Whilst the ground immediately surrounding most pools will be constantly damp in nature, this does not follow in the garden when using a pool liner, if this area dries up during the summer then a polythene liner can be placed 30-60cm under the soil to hold moisture (poke holes in the base to avoid water logging), alternatively, water on a regular basis to avoid drying out. These plants are mostly in 9cm pots but a few are also available in 1-litre pots. Certain varieties such as lobelia cardinalis, Lysimachia nummularia and Zantedeschia aethiopica are very tolerant and are sold as marginals too.

Ideal plants for a small poolside area
• Adiantum pedatum v. subpumilum (Dwarf evergreen fern)
• Asplenium trichomanes (Evergreen fern)
• Lychnis flos-cuculi (Ragged robin)
• Persicaria affine 'Donald lowndes'
• Primula auricula• Primula veris (Native cowslip)
• Primula vulgaris (Native primrose)

Ideal plants for a medium sized poolside area
• Achillea 'Walter funcke• Astilbe
• Dicentra spectabilis (Bleeding heart)
• Hosta undulata var. albo-marginata• Iris sibirica 'Snow queen
• Lobelia cardinalis 'Queen victoria'
• Lythrum salicaria (Purple loostrife)

Ideal plants for a large sized poolside area
• Crocosmia 'Lucifer'• Darmera peltata (umbrella plant)
• Dryopteris felix-mas (Male fern)
• Filipendula ulmaria (Meadow sweet)
• Gunnera manicata• Hosta Halycon
• Ligularia dent. 'Desdemona'
• Osmunda regalis (Royal fern)
• Rheum palmatum (Giant rhubarb)

Tony foxley 1/3/2007. For Additional help why don't you email me direct on- tony.foxley@stapeleywg.com or visithttp://www.stapeleywg.com/department/water_gardening_how_to_s/
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By Thomas Henricks

Maintaining Healthy houseplants is not extremely difficult and in fact many houseplants will provide you with big returns on a very small investment. In fact sometimes a little too much care is applied yielding negative results. Plants have developed naturally to survive under inherently poor conditions and sometimes too much of a good thing is in fact not good. Keep it simple but provide the basics.

What Are a Plant's Basic Needs?

Similar to any living thing, a plant needs water, food, environment and occasional grooming. That is basically the program in a nutshell. Learn how to best satisfy these needs for your particular plant and by routinely satisfying those basic needs you should be rewarded with healthy plants.
Potting and soil mix: To permit adequate drainage, it is recommended that you grow houseplants in either clay or plastic pots with drainage holes.

You can place the growing pots inside attractive outer pots but do not let extra water accumulate in the bottom.

Most houseplants do not require frequent transplanting. Transplant when you see the plant being forced out of its container or you see roots showing at the drainage hole. Use houseplant potting mix, and replant into a container that is just a little larger than the roots.

Light: Flowering houseplants and those with colored leaves need more light than green-leafed plants. These houseplants may require supplemental plant lighting supplied by either a specialty grow light or a common fluorescent light.

Water: Over watering is the most common mistake of new gardeners. Wait for the soil to become almost dry, but do not allow the plant to become wilted. Water until the water just begins to appear at the drainage holes. Test for moisture by touch or by using a moisture meter every five days. If it feels dry or meter registers dry, it is time to add water.

When watering your houseplants look at the top and underside of leaves. If you see bugs, try washing them away with water and a mild dish detergent solution. Test the water and soap mixture on a small part of the plant first, to be sure there will be no damage to leaves. If you find that is not successful, you will need to apply a chemical insecticide.

Throw away dead plant matter and discard the soil to prevent diseases spreading to your other houseplants.

Humidity: Place a layer of marbles in bottom of saucers; fill with water and place plant pot on top to capture evaporation. Consider a room humidifier if you notice your house humidity levels are to low for your houseplants.

Temperature: Daytime temperatures of 64 to 73°F (18 to 23°C) and a little cooler at night are ideal. Avoid placing houseplants near heating ducts or drafty areas.

Fertilizing: A great deal of fertilizing is not necessary. Fertilizing of houseplants should be further reduced during slowed winter growth. Begin fertilizing about February with all-purpose fertilizer diluted to half strength. All-purpose fertilizer has nutrient ratios that are balanced or in equal concentrations, e.g. 15-15-15 or 20-20-20.

Trimming
Remove leaves that turn off color or yellow yellow and dead leaves. If more than half the leaf is affected, remove the entire leaf. If only a small portion of the leaf is discolored, trim that portion to the natural shape of the leaf. Use sharp scissors for best results. The leaves of some houseplants may continue to grow at the leaf base. Remove both the flower and the stem.

Remove faded and discoloured flowers.

Pests and Diseases: Healthy houseplants are less susceptible to disease and less than ideal conditions. For the best success, only purchase healthy vibrant plants. Plants purchased at reduced prices are have often deteriorated badly and will require a lot of care to return them to health.

Grooming: Dust plant leaves on a regular basis to keep breathing pores open. Remove dead or dying leaves and flowers. Dust and dirt that collects on plant leaves will act as a filter to the ambient light. A clean plant converts energy from the sun more efficiently for photosynthesis to produce food. Cleaning also keeps leaves free of insects and diseases. When you wipe leaves, you often wipe away unwanted pests as well.

Use a feather duster to remove light dust. Dampen paper towels, cloths or sponges with water to wipe leaf surfaces. Carefully wipe both upper and lower surfaces of the leaf at the same time. Although they provide a nice appearance, leaf shine products tend to inhibit leaf transpiration and are not recommended for good houseplant health.

That basically concludes the practices required to maintain nice healthy plants inside your house. The principles are not difficult to apply. Simply develop a routine and follow it.

For more information about Houseplants please visit http://www.houseplantsngardening.com
For more information about Gardening please visit http://www.plantstarter.com
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By Susan Slobac

Indoor gardening makes a great hobby, especially during the gloomy and cold winter months, where in many areas of the country outdoor gardening of flowers and vegetables is out of the question. Hydroponics gardening is a popular method used by indoor gardening enthusiasts.

Hydroponics is a form of soilless gardening; it instead uses a growing medium (or not, depending on the style of hydroponics you choose) in which the plant roots sit, and they are fed through the application of a nutrient solution. There are a few basic supplies you will need to get started with hydroponics gardening, including a lighting system including grow lights, a ballast and reflector. You might need growing medium, and you will definitely need nutrient. The amount and kind of nutrient and growing medium you need will depend on the specific plants you wish to grow. You can start plants yourself from seed, or you can purchase plants from nurseries and greenhouses. It is vital that you use the correct grow lights, because without proper lighting your plants will not grow and thrive. Indoor lighting of your plants affects plant growth in several different ways.

The visible spectrum is the part of the light spectrum that we can see. This spectrum is represented in wavelengths and is measured in the Kelvin scale. The spectrum ranges from purple and blue on one end, greens in the center, and orange and red on the other end. Daylight ranges from 5000 to 6500 K. What all this means to the indoor gardener is this: you are trying to replicate outdoor sunlight in an indoor setting. Plants grown indoors need 12-16 hours per day under appropriate lights in order to grow well. The kind of plants you are trying to grow will also play a part in the type of grow light you choose to use.

Grow lamps emitting light in the blue spectrum are best for use in plants in which you want to promote vegetative growth, such as seedling plants or lettuces, for example. If you are growing flowering plants, or fruiting vegetables such as tomatoes, you will instead want to use lighting that offers red/orange spectrum light. Light in this range is best for promoting flowering and fruiting in plants. Once you know what type of plants you wish to grow, then you can obtain the appropriate lighting for them to flourish.

There are many great HID lights, or high-intensity discharge lights, that work well in an indoor gardening application. They include HPS grow lights, or high pressure sodium lights, and metal halide grow lights. Because of the lower cost yet great light output, many indoor gardeners also like LED grow lights with light-emitting diodes as well.

Susan Slobac has a great deal of experience with indoor gardening. During this time she has researched a number of grow lights and their impact on plant growth. There are important differences between HPS grow lights, metal halide grow lights and LED grow lights.
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By Dwayne Haskell

The discovery of misting was a huge turning point in plant propagation. Prior to misting, plant propagators had very few reliable ways of asexual propagation. One common method was to take a cutting of a plant, stick it in moist sand, and place a glass jar over it. The jar would let in light and retain moisture around the cutting.

This method does work, but the success rate was not high. Plants would burn if too much sun penetrated the glass. The glass would concentrate and intensify the light ( think magnifying glass) which would burn tender cuttings. Another drawback was fungus. Fungus thrives in moist environments. Having the cuttings under glass with no air movement to help dry it off, usually meant the cutting would die from too much moisture. Frequent removal of the glass helped to replace the stale moist air with fresh air, but was very labor intensive with large numbers of cuttings.

Later, it was discovered that if the cuttings were misted frequently by hand throughout the day, greater success was achieved. Again, very labor intensive.

Misting systems allowed propagators to keep the cuttings moist, but not overly wet, and saved considerable time. Cuttings are usually placed out in the open or an open enclosure, not under a sealed enclosure, which allows the circulation of fresh air which the plants require for it's respiration, cooling, drying, and watering requirements. Because of the automation, many more cuttings could be done at one time.

All mist kits have the same basic components.

- A timer to turn the system on and off daily.
- A timer to control the misting duration and frequency.
- A transformer to reduce the voltage to the voltage the solenoid requires. Please note that transformers and solenoids are AC voltage and others are DC voltage! Voltage for the solenoid and transformer

MUST be the same!

-A solenoid valve that controls the flow of the water to the mist heads.
-A reliable water supply.
-A reliable electrical supply.
-A manifold to carry the water to the misting heads
-mist heads to spray a fine mist over the cuttings

A simple misting setup would be assembled as follows: A 24 hour timer set up to turn the system on in the morning, and off in the evening. This timer can be hard wired to an electrical circuit, or a simple plug can be installed to facilitate the systems remove for the winter. The 24 hour timer is wired to another timer that controls the duration and frequency if misting. This frequency varies from geographical location and season, but a 10 minute frequency with a 6 second duration is a good place to start.

This in turn is wired to a step down transformer that reduces the voltage to what the solenoid requires. If in question, a competent electrician should be sought. The transformer is then wired to the solenoid. The solenoid will need fittings installed so a common garden hose can be attached. Proper installation of these fittings is essential for the solenoid to work properly. The solenoid is DIRECTIONAL, meaning there is an IN and an OUT.

Next, the outlet of the solenoid is attached to a PVC manifold that will carry the water to the mist heads. The connection of these heads can be done a few ways depending on the application. Some are suspended from overhead, others are simply attached to a manifold on the ground and raised to allow the spray to cover the cuttings. One option I recommend for the system is a filter. Small particulates will clog the solenoid or render your mist heads inoperable. The cost of a filter is far less than the frustration from losing cuttings due to a plugged head.

Modern technology has given us even better equipment than the two separate timers mentioned. The transformer can also be eliminated due to the fact that it is built into the timing unit. One timer in particular will operate six completely separate stations.

This means you could have six separate mist beds, six different irrigation zones, or a combination of the two; one mist zone and up to five irrigation zones.

This comes in quite handy, if you have a mist bed and potted plants, grow beds, perennial gardens, or anything else you need watered.
For areas that do not have electricity readily available, there are also units that are strictly battery operated.

Dwayne Haskell owns and operates Hidden Hills Nursery. He also enjoys teaching others how to grow their own landscape plants from rooted cuttings. After building his own misting system for his nursery, he realized he could design and build a system for home gardeners who are interested in starting their own plants from cuttings. He offers complete misting kits, individual components, and advice at Mistkits.com.
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