If you keep to certain basic rules you can create favourable growth conditions even for the most fastidious plants
Care Rules for Houseplants
It's common knowledge that a house is not an ideal place to grow flowers and plants. But if you keep to certain basic rules you can create favourable growth conditions even for the most fastidious plants.
The first rule is punctual care, i.e. you should water, fertilize, transplant flowers and deal with pests only in certain time. In spring you should water flowers more often as in this time they increase their vital functions. It is also advisory to water flowers more on hot summer days and less when it gets colder. In autumn you should water flowers less. Use fertilizers only during active growth – in spring and in summer. Transplant flowers into a new pot in spring before the roots start to grow actively. The best time for pest managing is in summer when vermin are most active.
The second recommendation: place your plants near the sources of natural light – windows. Plants need daylight a lot that is why you should place them as close to the sources of light as possible to provide good illumination for them.
The third point: provide flowers with optimal temperature and humidity in the room. For most houseplants low air temperature and its dramatic changes are harmful. You should try to keep the air in the room in winter above 18 °C. Drafts and sources of heat also have bad influence on plants. Most plants like high humidity that is why we recommend you to spray the leaves 2-3 times a week if they grow yellow or fall off.
The fourth rule – water plants correctly. Different plants need to be watered differently but there are several common recommendations which you should always follow:
- you should water plants only if the soil is dry;
- the water should be of room temperature or a bit higher but by no means cold;
- it is better to water plants with rain water gathered outside the city, it is the best for flowers;
- it is advisory to settle water from the tab if it is chlorinated and if it is ozonized you needn't settle it;
- it is advisory to filter water but not boil, as after boiling it becomes oxygen-deficient, and oxygen is very important for the root system of the plants.
The fifth rule: nourish the soil. All plants take nutrients with their roots from the soil and impoverish it. That is why you should enrich the soil with fertilizers. There are many kinds of fertilizers which dissolve in the water for plants. Each kind of fertilizers has a detailed usage instruction which you should carefully follow. We advise you to use minimal dozes that are recommended and increase them only if the signs of nutrients deficit stay.
The sixth rule – do not change move your plants. Plants get used to their environment but the process runs slowly, that is why moving plants from one place to another can do them harm.
The seventh recommendation – transplant your flowers into a bigger pot. You should transplant it into a new bigger pot if your plant still shows signs of nutrients deficit even after the usage of fertilizers: the plant has stopped growing, it blossoms less, the colour of the leaves has changed. After you've transplanted the flowers they will get more soil enriched with useful substances.
The eighth point – keep the flowers hygienic. For this you should remove dry leaves and branches in due time and carefully clean the foliage with a cotton pad or a sponge moistened with water or special solutions for flower cleaning.
The ninth rule – deal with pests and plant diseases in due time. If a flower or a plant was bought healthy it isn't supposed to catch a disease if you take appropriate care of it. But if signs of a disease appear you'd better consult an experienced florist, e.g. in the flower shop Chalita. Besides, when you buy flowers and plants in Chalita you can be sure that they are absolutely healthy.