How to Water Your Houseplants Wisely

Written by Kori Puckett


Over watering ranks first in causes of houseplant demise because it causes roots to rot. Most plants are tough so they can recover from under watering with onlyrepparttar loss of a few leaves -- unless you wait too long and passrepparttar 113444 point of no return.

Watering schedules depend onrepparttar 113445 kind of houseplant, its size, container, and environment. No two plants haverepparttar 113446 same water requirements, so you'll need to know what your particular plant(s) require.

Generally, it's best to water during morning hours. Most flowering plants require more water than their non-flowering counterparts. Sincerepparttar 113447 needs of individual plants vary greatly, you should research your houseplant's requirements.

Test dryness of soil by probingrepparttar 113448 top inch with your finger. Tappingrepparttar 113449 side ofrepparttar 113450 post also indicatesrepparttar 113451 degree of wetness. Ifrepparttar 113452 tap sounds hollow,repparttar 113453 plant needs water. If it sounds solid, wait a day or two to water. If a plant begins to wilt and its soil looks dry and cracked, it needs water immediately.

For plants that require moderate watering, allow 1/2 to 1-inch of soil to dry out before re-watering. If a plant needs light watering, let two-thirds ofrepparttar 113454 soil dry out. For plants that need heavy watering,repparttar 113455 surface should always be moist.

Funky Garden Plants 2

Written by Valerie Garner


What's a perennial garden plant that blooms inrepparttar winter? A hellebore! It is an outdoor plant that is shocking to see blooming sometimes inrepparttar 113443 snow. There are many varieties. They are perennial which means they come back year after year. These are best planted in shady areas, but where they will get sun inrepparttar 113444 winter, for instance under leafed trees or something of that nature. What is so unusual about hellebores is that they bloom somewhere between Dec. and March. There are very few plants that do that! One variety is called a Christmas Rose. These plants usually must be puchased at a nursery. Check out your local nursery for this wonderful family of plants.

Another plant you'll surely want to try is called Sweet Annie. This is actually an annual herb, inrepparttar 113445 worm wood family. The seed is very fine and you sow it in direct sunlight inrepparttar 113446 spring after all danger of frost is gone. Sweet Annie can get up to 6 feet tall. It's fragrance is wonderful! My favorite use for Sweet Annie is inrepparttar 113447 fall to cut it torepparttar 113448 ground and dry it. It can be used as wonderful, fragrant filler for dried flower arrangements, and it can also be bound with fine wire to form a wreath base of its own. Simply tuck in other dried flowers here and there around it and you've got a beautiful dried floral wreath with a fragrance to die for!

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