Houseplant care at home

For indoor flowers to decorate the house, they need proper and careful care. They will bloom if you follow certain rules of care and clearly understand how to care for indoor plants.

How to care for home flowers

Growing indoor plants does not require much effort. It must be remembered that excessive attention to care can ruin the flowers. You need to carefully monitor their condition and not be zealous.

Indoor Flowers and Care

What to do with potted flowers after purchase

Often, after acquiring potted flowers at home, they quickly begin to lose their beautiful appearance. Plants sold in specialized flower shops are planted in peat or perlite. When they get into the house, they begin to feel stress due to a sharp change in climate. Therefore, it is necessary to adapt them to room conditions, as well as make a transplant.

Plant transplant

For plant transplants, you need to buy a permanent pot, earth, drainage and several preparations for processing in a flower shop.

To properly transplant a plant, you need to follow the order:

1. it is necessary to pour 3-5 cm high drainage to the bottom of the new pot. It is used to reduce the risk of waterlogging of the plant;
2. it is necessary to fill a layer of earth with a height of 2-3 cm;
3. carefully pull out a plant with a clump of roots from the old pot and place it in a new one in the center;
4. add a little more earth so that there are no empty spaces at the edges;
5. water the plant a little.

Transfer

To facilitate the care of indoor plants, you can use a double pot. It will keep the soil of the flower constantly moist. Such a pot is a waterproof container. It is necessary to install a flower pot in it and fill the space between them with wet compost.

For example, such a pot is ideal for a birch - an ornamental plant that does not require much attention, and in a double pot it will be even more comfortable.

Drainage selection

Flowers need a drainage system to remove excess water from the soil. Also, thanks to him, the root system can breathe. The range of material for drainage is quite large: expanded clay, crushed stone, ceramic shards, polystyrene foam, broken brick and many others.

Expanded clay is the most common material that is used as drainage for flowers, because it has a lot of advantages:

• environmentally friendly;
• absorbs moisture well;
• can be bought at any specialized store;
• There are different sizes of granules (large, medium and small).

Description of other options:

• ceramic drainage. Ceramics, as well as expanded clay, is well suited as drainage for indoor plants. Shards of broken pottery can be placed on the bottom of the pot. But after that it is still necessary to pour a small layer of sand. It is best to take shards not very large so that the sand does not crumble and clog the pot;
• polystyrene drainage. Polyfoam has important properties that help take care of indoor plants. It is lightweight, resistant to moisture and does not mold, therefore it is considered the most practical and convenient material. But plant roots that can be damaged during transplantation can grow into it;
• crushed stone. This material is more convenient for the plants themselves. It is durable and absorbs moisture well. But it cannot hold heat for a long time, so it is necessary to put flowers on the south side. If you use crushed stone, then it will make heavier the flower pots, since it weighs quite a lot;
• broken brick is a natural material that has no shortcomings. Its properties are similar to expanded clay. Only favorably affects the development of plants. But before using the brick, it is necessary to grind it well so that the sharp edges do not cut the roots of the plants.

Earthen mixture selection

When choosing an earthen mixture, you should pay attention to the features of a houseplant. A correctly selected mixture will help the flower grow large, healthy and beautiful and will not let it die. The composition of the earth may include peat, sand, moss, expanded clay and much more. More about their properties:

• peat is a natural material that works like a sponge. It is used in almost all earthen mixtures, as it creates good water resistance and does not decompose, and bacteria also do not multiply in it;
• sand. In soft sand, the root system of plants will develop well. But for small flowers, sand with a grain diameter of 2-4 mm is necessary, and for large flowers - 5-6 mm;
• moss. This natural material contains nutrients that are beneficial for the growth of indoor plants. In the heat, moss prevents drying and maintains a good level of moisture, which is important for the root system;
• expanded clay. It will be useful if expanded clay enters the composition of the earth mixture. Small expanded clay pieces interfere with caking of the earth.

Earth mixtures are usually made depending on the characteristics or type of plants. Examples:

• classical (peat, garden soil, sand and leaf humus);
• for cacti (sand, peat and compost);
• for citrus fruits (garden land, peat and sand).

Root formation stimulants: types, methods of application

Each plant has different root formation features: in some, the cuttings root without problems, in others they can die. Root stimulants will help to get the best result.

Names of the most popular types:

• heteroauxin and cornerost. Produced in the form of powder or tablets. Applied in the form of a solution, which according to the instructions is diluted in water. It is necessary to prepare the solution before use, since over time the preparations lose their quality. The correct concentration is 0.1 g per 2.5 liters of water;
• rootin. It is an analog of heteroauxin, but has the longest action. It is produced in the form of a powder, which must be diluted in a ratio of 1 g per 1 liter of water. In this solution, cuttings descend on the leaves for 6-12 hours;
• epin and zircon. They are plant growth regulators. When applying, 1 ml of the drug should be diluted in 2 liters of water. Then soak the cuttings in this solution for a day.

Growing and caring for indoor flowers

In care, it is worth following some of the rules described below.

Air humidity

Particular attention should be paid to this factor at elevated room temperature. The air is drier when the temperature rises, and more humid when it drops. Household flowers, with proper care, prefer rather high humidity. Suitable for most plants is considered 50-70%.

Lighting

For plants to grow actively, they need at least 12-16 hours of daylight. There are plants that love a lot of light (for example, lily), but there are those that prefer to be in the shade (for example, gloxinia).

Indoor plants do not need to be rearranged sharply from a shady place to a sunny one. They need to be given several days to get used to. To do this, you can move them to an increasingly brighter place every day.

Required temperature and ventilation

Another important condition for the proper care of indoor plants is a suitable temperature. At different times of the year, it is slightly different. In the room where the flowers grow, in summer the temperature should be about 22-24 ° C, in winter - 18-20 ° C.

Fresh air is very important for indoor plants, so ventilation is simply necessary for them. In winter, they experience a special lack of fresh air.

Also for indoor flowers when airing, drafts are dangerous. Even in summer, some types of flowers react negatively to drafts (for example, bell, tradescantia). It is important to clean them from the windows when the room is ventilated.

Watering

Summer watering and spraying

For active growth, each plant needs enough moisture, so watering and spraying are the main components of caring for them. From March to the end of summer, plants begin to actively develop and they need a lot of water.

Water should not be used cold, but at room temperature. If indoor plants have thick leaves and roots (for example, a money tree), then they need to be watered in a moderate mode. It is quite easy to observe such a regime, even a preschooler will cope with it. After the first watering, you need to wait one or two days to dry the top layer. Only then continue watering.

If indoor plants have delicate and thin leaves (for example, Decembrist, Kalanchoe), then they need to be watered abundantly. As soon as the earth dries in the pot, it is necessary to water the flower again. To moisten indoor plants and create the necessary water level, it is very important to spray. In addition, this makes the air in the room more humid.

Winter Care

In winter, indoor flowers are most susceptible to adverse weather, and their care should be more thorough. Watering flowers is rarely necessary, since in winter they turn into a dormant state. In winter, especially in February, daylight does not last long, the sun's rays hardly heat, so it is necessary to provide indoor plants with a maximum of light. You need to put them on the south side.

If the flowers begin to fade, the leaves turn yellow and fall off, then it is worthwhile to increase the air humidity. To do this, you can hang a damp towel on the battery or put a cup of water on the windowsill.

Nutrient dressing of indoor plants

An important part of indoor plants care is the addition of various fertilizers to the soil. Since the root system is located in a limited space, you need to fertilize often enough.

What are the fertilizers for indoor flowers?

To improve the development of indoor plants, it is necessary to use fertilizers that vary in composition. They are organic, natural and versatile. Many include the following trace elements:

• nitrogen. Without it, flower growth is impossible, since it forms a cellular structure, participates in a number of oxidative processes and the functioning of the respiratory system;
• phosphorus is important, as is nitrogen, since metabolic processes occur with it;
• potassium. With its help, plants tolerate frosts better. Potassium also protects against diseases and pests;
• calcium - a nutrient that strengthens the structure of cells;
• Magnesium is the most important substance in the process of photosynthesis.

There are even more chemical elements that are part of fertilizers, but they are used in the smallest quantities.

What fertilizers and when to feed indoor plants

Indoor plants should be fed during the period of their active growth, usually this is spring-autumn. In spring, you need to fertilize the flowers every two weeks, in winter - it is contraindicated.

Top dressing

The best fertilizers for indoor plants:

• BioMaster (sold in liquid form, available for different types of flowers);
• "Meister Agro" (sold in the form of granules, has several types);
• "Florist Micro" (contains in its composition all the necessary chemical elements, suitable for all indoor plants).

How to save flowers while on vacation

If you need to leave flowers for a long time, then you need to take care of them in advance. So that they do not die, it is important to use several simple ways:

• if the flowers grow in clay pots, then it is worth wrapping them with moss. Both moss and the plant must be moistened. Moss will retain moisture for 7-10 days;
• if the flowers grow in plastic pots, then you need to put them in deep trays with water so that the bottom of the pot is in the water;
• you can water the plants through the so-called "wick". It is necessary to make small holes at the bottom of the pot and stretch the ropes through them. Put the flower on a vessel with water and lower the ropes into it. Water will rise and moisturize the plant.

Preservation

Diseases and Pests

When breeding indoor plants, pests at home spread quite quickly. Most often, the main reason for their occurrence is improper care of home flowers.

The most common ailments of indoor plants:

• sticky leaves. When the leaves are smooth and dry, they are considered healthy. But sometimes it happens that they are covered with a sticky coating. Typically, the causes of this plaque are small pests that disrupt plant growth and leave sticky traces. To get rid of them, it is necessary to treat the plant with an insect repellent, and also wipe the leaves several times a day with a damp cloth;
• dry leaf tips. Often people do not monitor the humidity in the room where the plants are located. Because of this, their leaves begin to turn yellow and dry. To restore the condition of the flowers, it is necessary to improve the water for irrigation, add fertilizers with vitamins to it. You also need to increase the humidity in the room, especially if they are in the children's bedroom.

Disease

When caring for indoor plants, the most important thing is not to neglect any factors, because everything affects their development. Therefore, if you follow all the recommendations, then the flowers at home will grow healthy, large and beautiful and bring happiness to the house.