How do I care for my indoor plants

Design and InstallationGarden Caregarden TriviaIndoor plantsPlant Health Care
Written By Peter Morris

Indoor plants are on a boom ! - we have never seen this level of interest in decades !People are increasingly interested in bringing nature into their interior spaces. Having plants in the home is a therapeutic and inexpensive way to bring the outdoors in.Plant Specialists started as an interior plant company in the 1970's so we were here for that ! We offer exceptional interior plants in New York City. 

Plant Specialists offers exception interior plants in NYC

 Indoor plants are often harder to care for than their outdoor counterparts. This is due to the environment that we put them in. Many challenges such as lighting, heating and cooling are challenging factors - watering too! 

Plant Specialists interior plant knowledge spans over 51 years

 So why do interior plants often not do well or god forbid - die ! - well there are several reasons and all of them should be considered. 

Too much light

A shade loving plant (Calathea) should not go into direct sunlight.  A sun loving plant (Ficus) will love to be by a window - but just remember windows can amplify or magnify heat.  Baking in a south facing hot and sunny window might be best kept for a cactus (Cereus) or Euphorbia. 

Too little light

Same as too much light - you can't expect a plant that loves the light to survive in low light or no light conditions. Before placing (or purchasing!) check its light requirements. 

Shock

Moving, repotting or transplanting can have an adverse affect on a plant.  A Ficus can drop 30% of its canopy just by moving it a few feet.  Same goes for black olive (Bucida) or ming aralia (Polyscias). Make sure that if you move an indoor plant to work on it you place it back in the most ideal light location help it overcome any shock. 

This lovely lady slipper orchid will rebloom in the correct location

 

Humidity

Dry air interior heating is not ideal for plants.  Especially because most of the leafy foliage plants used come from humid tropical forests.  Its also impractical to be misting them - they only way it would benefit is if was a regular daily (or more) activity.  Placing small plants on a layer of pebbles with water in the saucer may help.  Just never put the plant directly into the saucer of water or you will rot their roots. 

This green wall was installed five years ago by the team at Plant Specialists - and with lots of love care and attention it looks like this !

 

Fertilizer

Feed your plants depending on how they receive their light.  Those in sun fertilize during the spring and summer months, those under artificial lighting every other month year round.Be careful - too much fertilizer or not enough fertilizer is not good.  Read the instructions  on the product you are using carefully.  Feeding them a little more is not always good - it can result in the burning of the roots. 

Bugs

Yes indoor plants get bugs.  They come in through the windows, on other plants, on your clothing and even on the fruits and veggies you buy.  Some are easy to treat and some are not.  Diagnosing the insect is the key to treatment. Learn about the most common ones. 

Root bound

Plants are often kept in the same planter or pot for many years.  Some plants like Cymbidium and Clivia love this - most other plants do not.The compression of roots causes a drop in hormones and the plant stops growing.  At Plant Specialists we regularly root prune and add amended soil to encourage root growth - which ultimately results in a healthier plant all round. 

Watering

The biggest issue for all indoor plants is watering. The best way to check if your plant needs water is to stick a finger into the soil ! That will tell you all you need to know. Dry means time to water.Sitting in water will kill your plant ( unless its a water plant like papyrus ).   And if you forget to water the poor thing until you notice that it is drooping and looking sad - then douse it with water and expect all to be good - too late - the root damage is done.Set up a recurring schedule and keep to it.  Water the plant with room temperature water using about 1/4 the volume of the amount of soil in the container. Do not water frequently but instead water thoroughly.  Use adequate amounts of water when you do water to fully saturate the entire soil volume. However, leave nothing in the saucer after 1 hr.Always water by modifying the frequency and not the quantity of water being used. The reason is simple - roots need oxygen or they die.Every time you water you push the air out of the soil. As the water is used up if creates air pockets again and the roots get to breath.By watering frequently in small amounts and not allowing the soil to dry out a bit - you are constantly pushing air out of  the soil.  This will suffocate the roots.Once a root dies, it rots, and then a fungus can invade that tissue and finish off the rest of the plant. Its also kills off the microbiome that enable roots to remain healthy.  

If you are looking for indoor plant care services in New York City

Call Plant Specialists TODAY !

Don't delay – the sooner the better !

 

GREENING NEW YORK FOR OVER 51 YEARS !

  Article written by our Staff Horticulturist, Peter B Morris, BSc, MSc, MBAAll photographs used with permission from our own customers gardens ! 

Peter Morris

Peter was born and raised on a beautiful green island in the midst of a tropical rainforest. He was introduced into the world of plants at the age of six when his grandmother, an avid Spanish gardener herself, asked him to help her grow seeds for her pepper garden. He was hooked! By the time he was a teen, he had his own rose and orchid collection numbering in the hundreds. Botany was in his blood, and that is what he set out to study.

His passion brought him to NY in the late seventies to further his education. His tenacity allowed him to work full time at Plant Specialists while he completed a MS in Plant Biology. As a manager at the time he felt unsatisfied with his knowledge of business and business processes. Peter felt compelled to learn, so he then pursued and completed an MBA in Quality Management within a few short years.

Peter’s other passion is teaching. His natural ability is quickly consumed by our staff in all subjects in Botany, Horticulture, and Landscaping. He created an immense reference library of more than 3,500 plants providing an invaluable resource for our staff.

Peter’s breadth of knowledge and wisdom allows him to effectively diagnose the needs of plants. Sometimes just by walking into a garden he can create a prescription that fixes even the hardest issue. He is our Staff Botanist, Diagnostician, and all around Mentor. Recently, he has put his immense knowledge and skills into developing a new department that focuses on Plant Healthcare. As he puts it, “Magic through Science”. The PHC staff that surround him have avidly consumed his teachings. Substantially developing their own plant wisdom, many have taken on difficult plant health issues with spectacular results.

Plant Healthcare has been an instant success with customers! The proper treatment of insects and diseases including Organic methods has made pest control a necessity for every plant. Correcting hormonal imbalances caused by planting in containers or refurbishing soils leached of nutrients by irrigation systems are big challenges PHC has become quite comfortable addressing. The scientific approach to the complex demands of keeping plants healthy in our harsh city environment has made many a customer say WOW!

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