5 tips to help your houseplant flourish
It’s all about repotting
Adapted from a story by The Washington Post’s Adrian Higgins.
Traditional houseplants are in vogue again, which is encouraging because they bring the plant world into the hearts of those who need it most: urban dwellers, office workers and people generally short on terrain.
They’re also easy to take care of, if you know the rules. Let your inner houseplant flourish by following these simple guidelines.
Life indoors is a challenge to a plant. Often, rooms that are too dim and too dry. The greatest risk the human owner poses to the plant, you will read, is overwatering. This is true, plants endure a lot of damage from underwatering. This, in turn, is linked to how people house such things as dracaenas, crotons, sansevierias, spider plants and the rest.
Generally, a good watering will last at least a week. The books tell you to water less frequently in winter, to keep the plants in a resting mode, but heated interiors tend to be woefully dry. Check the soil with your finger and water again when the top inch or so is dry.
Many people keep their plants in pots that do not drain. To avoid waterlogging the roots, they tip half a cup or so once a week into the soil. This isn’t enough, and it’s not the best way to do this.
The optimum arrangement is to have the plant in a thin, plastic, well-draining pot that is then placed in an outer, more decorative cachepot that doesn’t drain. When it comes time for watering, remove the plant in its growing pot, take it to a sink and soak the soil until the water drains from the bottom. Let the pot drain for a few minutes and then return it to the cachepot.
Another possibility is to have the plant in a single decorative pot that drains. It should still be carted to a sink for its root-soaking and returned after draining.
Some plants can go three or four years without repotting, but most benefit from an annual replenishment in advance of their spring growth spurt.
Basically, most plants were never meant to grow in pots, even tree dwellers such as moth orchids.
After a year or two, the original light, fluffy potting mix breaks down and compacts, creating the risk of holding too much water and too little air. Fertilizer salts build up. In addition, the roots will fill the pot and need freeing. If they get too congested, they completely displace the soil. The plant cannot keep abreast of its needs for moisture and nutrient.
→ Pro-tip: How to repot a plant
It’s a messy process, but fun. Use a workbench, lots of newspaper sheets and a big trash can nearby. By removing the plant from its pot (not always easy), you will quickly determine the state of the root system. Tease the old soil from the roots, untangle them and remove dead or desiccated ones. Typically, you want to put a congested plant in a pot about two inches larger, using fresh potting mix (not topsoil). After a good soaking, feed the plant with a weak solution of fertilizer as a tonic.
Each plant is different — you can’t know how one is doing until you get a good look at the roots.
Many houseplants hate the direct sunlight of the exposed outdoors but will benefit from a summer spent outdoors in a shady, protected area. But make sure you do your research first: each plant has its own particular set of needs, and it’s best to listen to them.
