House Plants Growing Guide

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Increase Humidity

Indoor houseplants can be fickle at times, depending on the plant and location, a lot of gardeners tend to look after their houseplants as they would their garden. It is common practice to mist houseplants too in crease humidity. This method is acceptable but is time consuming and the benefits to the plant are often short lived. There are alternative ways to combat dry air problems such as we have here. One way is to stand the plant on a tray of damp pebbles. The subsequent rising water vapour is trapped between the leaves. This "trapping" of the water can also be achieved by setting dishes of water around the plant. The other way to increase humidity is to bunch plants together with strength in numbers as more foliage can "trap" more water that's in the air. In this way they can create their own little micro climate.

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Spring & Repotting

Moving Houseplants as the days get longer, and the sunlight more intense, our houseplants are waking from their winter "sleep". This time of active growth, around the end of February is the best time to repot. Select a new container about 2 inches (5 cm.) larger than the old one. Add a layer of soil, so that the plant will be at the desired height. You do not want to bury the plant any deeper than it is now. Loosen the root mass slightly; especially if it is solid from being constricted by the old pot.

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Winter is a stressful and damaging season for indoor plants, so they may require some care and attention to maintain good health.

With the shorter, darker days, plant growth slows dramatically. Watering and feeding schedules must be adjusted accordingly. Plants use much less water and food under winter conditions so the soil in the pot need longer to dry out. Open blinds and curtains during the day to let in as much natural light as possible. Consider moving plants to brighter spots for the winter. Installing grow lights may also be an option for some plants that require longer daylight periods.

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Cleaning Leaves

Giving your plants a solid spray with water to wash off the leaves is a good practice this keeps dust from clogging up the stomata (essentially these are pores) in the leaves that they breathe through. A leaf cleaner will give them a beautiful shine!

Plant Name	Botanical Name	Light	Watering	Description
AIR PLANT	Tillandsia spp.	Bright filtered light	Mist frequently with distilled water	Brightly coloured, long lived flowers; leaves absorb moisture from misting
ALOE	Aloe spp.	Bright direct light	Allow soil to dry completely before watering	Succulent plants with fleshy leaves, many varieties
ARALIA - BALFOUR	Polyscias balfouriana	Bright indirect light, warm	Allow soil to dry slightly before watering	Grown for it's attractive round variegated leaves
ARALIA - FALSE	Dizygotheca elegantissima	Bright indirect light, warm	Allow soil to dry slightly before watering	Delicate compound leaves with a palm-like shape and unique colour
ARALIA - JAPANESE	Fatsia japonica	Bright indirect light, cool	Keep soil moist in summer, less so in winter	Bright lobed, fan-like leaves, dark green
ARALIA - MING	Polyscias fruticosa 'Elegans'	Bright indirect light	Allow soil to dry out slightly before watering	Grown for its twisted stems and delicate foliage
BEGONIA - REX	Begonia rex hybrids	Bright indirect light, cool	Allow soil to dry somewhat before watering	Heart shaped leaves with rich colours and attractive patterns; small pink flowers in spring
BIRD OF PARADISE	Strelitzia reginae	Bright direct light	Allow soil to dry before watering	Large leaves on long stalks; large, colourful, orange and blue flowers, in spring
BOUGAINVILLEA	Bougainvillea buttiana	Direct light	Allow soil to dry out before watering	Climbing plant with woody stems, tiny flowers surrounded by colorful, papery bracts
BROMELIAD	various spp.	Bright filtered light	Add water to cup at center of plant once/week, water soil every three weeks	Colourful long lasting flowers and variegated leaves
BUNYA - BUNYA	Araucaria bidwillii	Bright indirect light	Allow soil to dry slightly before watering	Evergreen plant with small, sharp-needled shiny foliage
CACTUS	various spp.	Bright direct sunlight	Allow soil to dry completely before watering	Huge family of succulent plants with sharp needles, variously colored flowers possible on some species
CALADIUM	Caladium x hybrids	Bright indirect light	Keep soil moist; stop watering in fall	Thin heart-shaped, various coloured leaves, plant dies back in the fall; bulb can be saved over winter
CALATHEA	Calathea hybrids	Filtered or indirect light	Keep moist in the summer, reducing in winter	Colourful, intricately patterned leaves
CAST IRON PLANT	Aspidistra elatior	Filtered light, cool temperature	Allow soil to dry before watering	Long, leathery, dark green leaves; low light plant
CHINA DOLL	Radermachera sinca	Bright indirect light	Keep soil moist	Delicate glossy green leaves on slender stems
CHINESE EVERGREEN	Aglaonema commutatum	Filtered or indirect light	Allow soil to dry before watering	Clusters of variegated, lance-shaped leaves
CITRUS	Citrus spp.	Bright direct sunlight	Allow soil to dry almost completely before watering	Glossy green leaves with fragrant spring flowers; small fruit. Water a little less during the winter
CROTON	Codiaeum variegatum pictum	Bright indirect light	Keep soil moist	Long variegated leaves in various colours and shapes
DIEFFENBACHIA	Dieffenbachia spp.	Filtered or indirect light	Allow soil to dry before watering	Variegated leaves with an oblong shape, quilted texture; sap is toxic
DRACAENA	Dracaena hybrids	Indirect light, warm	Allow soil to dry before watering	Long lance-shaped leaves on either shrub or tree form plants
FERN	spp. and hybrids	Filtered light	Keep soil moist	Many varieties of shade tolerant, moisture loving plants with a delicate foliage
FIG - FIDDLE LEAF	Ficus lyrata	Filtered or indirect light	Allow soil to dry somewhat before watering	Tree or shrub form with large lobed, fiddle-shaped leaves
FIG - WEEPING	Ficus benjamina	Filtered or indirect light	Allow soil to dry half way down pot before watering	Evergreen plant with slender, wavy green foliage; some leaf drop periodically is normal
FLAMINGO FLOWER	Anthurium spp.	Bright filtered light	Keep soil moist	Oval-shaped leathery leaves with long lasting pink or red bracts
HOMALOMENA	Homalomena wallisii	Filtered or indirect light	Allow soil to dry completely before watering	Large heart-shaped, waxy green leaves on long stems
JADE PLANT	Crassula argentea	Bright direct light	Allow soil to dry completely before watering	Succulent plant with thick branching stems
CLIVIA LILY	Clivia miniata	Bright filtered light	Keep soil moist in summer; winter dry, cool	Narrow glossy leaves, orange flowers from April to June
LAUREL-INDIAN	Ficus microcarpa nitida	Filtered or indirect light	Allow soil to dry before watering	Upright growth habit with long, smooth oval-shaped leaves
MONSTERA	Monstera deliciosa	Indirect or filtered light	Allow soil to dry before watering	Large tropical vine with large, splitting, heart-shaped leaves. This plant is no longer classified as philodendron
OLEANDER	Nerium oleander	Bright direct light	Keep soil moist in spring and summer	Slender leathery leaves, fragrant flowers in many colors; POISONOUS
PALM	Palm spp.	Bright indirect light	Soil moisture depends on species	Many varieties of tree-form plants with feathery leaves
PEACE LILY	Spathiphyllum 'Mauna Loa'	Indirect light	Allow soil to dry somewhat before watering	White spathe forms from long stem with lance-shaped leaves
PEPEROMIA	Peperomia spp.	Bright indirect light	Allow soil to dry before watering	Several varieties of succulent plants with attractive foliage and trailing or compact growth habits
PHILODENDRON	Philodendron spp.	Indirect or filtered light	Allow soil to dry before watering	Heart shaped leaves in either tree or vine form
PINE - BUDDHIST	Podocarpus macrophyllus	Bright filtered light	Keep soil moist	Evergreen plant with dense, dark green needle-like foliage
PINE - FERN	Podocarpus gracilior	Bright filtered light	Keep soil moist	Evergreen plant with fine drooping foliage
PINE - NORFOLK ISLAND	Araucaria heterophylla	Bright indirect light, cool	Keep soil moist	Evergreen plant with soft, over lapping, tiered foliage
POLKA DOT PLANT	Hypoestes phyllostachya	Bright filtered light	Keep soil moist	Soft, bright green foliage with red or white speckles
RUBBER PLANT	Ficus elastica	Low-direct light	Allow soil to dry before watering	Large glossy green or burgundy leaves with ivory ribbing
SCHEFFLERA	Schefflera spp.	Bright indirect light	Allow soil to dry before watering	Tree or shrub form with long stems supporting 6-8 large glossy leaves
SENSITIVE PLANT	Mimosa pudica	Bright direct light	Keep soil moist	Compound lacy leaves that close when touched. Do not touch constantly, as it stresses the plant
SNAKE PLANT	Sansevieria trifasciata	Indirect light	Hardy, durable plant with sword-shaped, leathery dark green leaves, some with yellow or cream edges	x
TI PLANT	Cordyline terminalis	Filtered/indirect light	Allow soil to dry before watering	Sword-shaped leaves with red variegation
VENUS FLY TRAP	Dionaea muscipula	Bright indirect light	Keep moss moist with distilled water	Carnivorous plant that feeds on insects; attractive foliage and red traps
YUCCA	Yucca elephantipes	Bright direct sunlight	Allow soil to dry completely before watering	Sword-shaped leaves; very durable plant