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Helpful Hint: Buy yourself a small spiral notebook and tape your care tags inside. Also include: purchase date, fertilizer dates, and
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
soil each time you water. You can opt to use a slow release fertilizer that is added to
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
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
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
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
bottom of
container, otherwise your plant will almost certainly die. Without a drainage hole, water collects in
pot and causes damage to
roots. If this isn't an option you can double pot your plant.
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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
results you were hoping for, maybe a cactus garden is
thing for you! Just teasing and happy gardening!
More gardening talk at my Flowers & Garden Blog
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© 2005, Candee Stark and Flowers & Garden.com
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