Indoor Gardening Tips for Jerry Seinfeld

"I have no plants in my house. They won't live for me. Some of them don't even wait to die, they commit suicide" ~Jerry Seinfeld

Come on, admit it....is your thumb not as green as you want it to be? Are you having trouble keeping your house plants alive and healthy? Can you relate to Jerry on this one? Relax?.you're not alone! Many of us (myself included at times) have felt that fake plants were our only option because we seemed to have the "touch of death" when caring for plants. Read on to find out how 10 simple changes will make you feel like a "natural born gardener"!

Top 10 Indoor Gardening Tips for Jerry Seinfeld?and the rest of us!

1. Plants will "reach" toward a light source, so rotate your plant occasionally to promote straight growth.

2. Pay attention to the lighting requirements for your indoor plants. If your plant isn't getting enough light it will appear "thin and leggy" looking. You can alleviate this problem by only buying plants appropriate for the light already in your home, or by providing an additional light source(artificial lighting). Buying plants that need medium to low light are a "safe bet" for most homes. Think before you buy!
Helpful Hint: Indoor plants can be placed outside during the warm summer months.

3. Use room temperature water when watering your indoor plants. Soak thoroughly but make sure plants aren't allowed to sit in water as this can cause the roots to rot, proper drainage will alleviate this. Different plants have different watering needs but you can use this jingle to help you remember the basics.....
~Too dry, plant will die Water fills pot, roots will rot! ~Candee Stark

4. Give your plants a bath! Just like children, plants need to be hosed down to rid them of dirt, dust, and grime. It is highly recommended to bath your kids daily but your plants only need it occasionally! Place your plant in your kitchen sink or bathtub and use the spray attachment to gently rinse it off. Use lukewarm water and allow your plant to air dry before returning it to its regular location.

5. Plants improve the quality of household air but remember plants can suffer if kept in air that is always smoky, stagnate or overly dry. Do yourself and your plants a favor by opening the windows and allowing fresh air to come into the house at least several times a week.

6. As with humans, most house plants do well in a daytime temperature range of 65-75 and ten degrees lower at night. Pay attention to your plant, if it isn't looking well a change in temperature might be all it needs to get back on the right track.
Helpful Hint: Don't overheat your house~your plants will thank you!

7. Keep the care tag for each plant you buy. This way you will remember the name of the plant and what type of individual care it needs to stay healthy. I have made this mistake many, many times thinking I would remember how to take care of the plant and after a few months I couldn't even remember the name of the plant!
Helpful Hint: Buy yourself a small spiral notebook and tape your care tags inside. Also include: purchase date, fertilizer dates, and the dates that you have repotted. Your plants will thrive because of it!

8. Your indoor plants need to be "fed" often because vital nutrients are flushed out of the soil each time you water. You can opt to use a slow release fertilizer that is added to the soil or you can use a liquid fertilizer that is added in small amounts when you water your plant. Don't fertilize in winter, instead, fertilize regularly during growing and flowering stages. (March-October)
Helpful Hint: If you find it hard to remember when you last fertilized, write yourself a quick reminder on your calendar for when to do it next. This isn't an exact science but your plants will tell you if you are fertilizing too much by having burned or dried leaves....fertilize less frequently if you notice this.

9. When growing plants indoors in containers, do not use soil from the garden as it does not yield good results. Outdoor soil can contain insects, weeds, and disease-causing organisms that can actually harm other healthy plants already living indoors. Additionally, outdoor soils become compacted when put into small containers. This will lead to problems with the plant's roots and might also impede drainage.

10. We all need room to grow and plants do too! When you notice that roots are coming out of the drainage hole or seem thick and/ or matted, it is time to repot your plant.
Helpful Hint: When picking a container/pot for your house plants, make sure it will drain properly. I know what you are probably thinking...many pots are sold without drainage holes! If you find one that you are absolutely in love with drill a hole in the bottom of the container, otherwise your plant will almost certainly die. Without a drainage hole, water collects in the pot and causes damage to the roots. If this isn't an option you can double pot your plant.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Are you feeling a bit more hopeful? I hope you and Jerry run out and buy a new plant for your home. If you still don't get the results you were hoping for, maybe a cactus garden is the thing for you! Just teasing and happy gardening!

More gardening talk at my Flowers & Garden Blog

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

© 2005, Candee Stark and Flowers&Garden.com

This article is provided courtesy of http://www.Flowers-and-Garden.com - You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.

---

The Indoor Garden: Plants that Clean the Air

There are many reasons for creating an indoor garden ?... Read More

Fall Garden Planning - Garden Plans for Next Spring and Ordering by Mail

It's August, the weather has cooled a bit here and... Read More

The Advantages of Both a Liner Pond and a Preformed Pond, Rolled Up Into One Box!

INTRODUCTIONSo you've decided to build your very own backyard water... Read More

5 Simple Steps To Dividing Your Hardy Water Lilies

If you missed the springtime window of opportunity to divide... Read More

Growing Orchids as House Plants

One of the long standing myths that I still hear... Read More

Pond Filter

A pond filter is one of the most important components... Read More

Drying Roses

There are many reasons why you might want to dry... Read More

Multi Purpose Tree ? Sugar Palm

Palm family is unique in the aspect that most of... Read More

How to Win the War Against Slugs and Snails

Slugs are one of the most hated of garden pests.... Read More

Rose - The Flower of Love and Romance

What is the flower that everyone visualizes and associates with... Read More

Agio Patio Furniture

The fresh air of the early spring solstice and the... Read More

Garlic: The Stinking Rose

Garlic (Allium sativum) has been used for centuries for both... Read More

Camellias

Camellias Named by Linnaeus in 1735 in honour of... Read More

Making Memories with Flower Gardening

Flower gardening is not only about the present, but can... Read More

Lady Bugs Are Your #1 Natural Pest Control

First, this bug has many names. Some of it's names... Read More

Ecological Landscape Design and Organic Lawn Care

There is a growing recognition, that the expanding suburban landscape... Read More

Garden for Birds #4

I would like to know...WHO STOLE SUMMER???What did you do... Read More

Storm Damage and Mature Tree Pruning

One winter evening I was working on the computer when... Read More

Wind Chimes Go Great With Gardening

What could be more relaxing than gardening on a nice... Read More

Hydroponics Gardening - An Introduction To Hydroponics Gardening For Beginners (Part 2) Plant Needs

THE BASICS OF HYDROPONICS.What Do Your Plants Need?All plants need... Read More

5 Things To Consider Before Purchasing a Push Reel Mower

Push Reel Mowers are making a "comeback" of sorts, though,... Read More

Keeping the Balance of Nature: Pond Water Maintenance

You might be tempted to let Mother Nature, tend to... Read More

Budget For Your Garden

Have you ever thought about how much it costs to... Read More

Straw Bale Culture Technique

In general, plants grown in straw bales appear to require... Read More

Learn All About Feng Shui Money Trees

A feng shui money tree is an indoor plant used... Read More

Are You Being Taken Advantage of when Ordering Flowers Online?

Did you know that you can send flowers many different... Read More

Wild Flower Garden - Recreate the Splendor of Nature in Your Own Backyard

A few years ago I made the decision to create... Read More

A Garden Bench: A Beautiful Addition To Any Garden

Okay, so you have spent hours upon hours creating the... Read More

Dont Roll that Lawn

Every spring some mysterious hormone hits the male of the... Read More

Lawn Disease And What To Do About It

Every lawn, whether new or established, is susceptible to a... Read More

Selecting Outdoor Benches

Outdoor benches are an excellent way to enhance a garden,... Read More

How To Brighten Up Your Home With These Flower Arrangement Ideas

A beautiful flower arrangement piece can become the focal point... Read More

New for 2006 - Granite Flexible Preformed Rock Ponds

Traditionally, preformed ponds are large shells, which are extremely burdensome... Read More