| Indoor Flowering Plants |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-204 |
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Q: Are there any beautiful flowering plants that I can grow inside my home? A: (Jessie Mack Burns, Ask DIY Gardening Expert) There are quite a few, and the traditional African violet (figure A) is just one choice. Kalanchoe, for example, blooms quite nicely indoors. And if it begins to get leggy, you can snip the stalks back to where the next set of healthy leaves starts. Peel all but the top two leaves off the stalk and jab it into some potting soil, with the node under the soil. It will root and start a new plant! Clyclamen has beautiful silvery foliage and blooms in red and white and other various colors. One thing to keep in mind: When the plant goes dormant, don't throw it out. Instead, take it out of the pot, shake the soil from the roots and snip back the dead leaves to reveal a bulb (figure B). Store the bulb with the trimmed stems in a dark, cool area. When the weather starts getting warm again, pot the bulb and the plant will come back. If you take care of African violets properly, they'll reward you with blooms. Don't plant them in a container that's overly large. They like to be a little rootbound. And instead of watering them from the top, which they don't like, water them from a saucer under the pot and let the roots pull the water up. An orchid can be temperamental, but it will bloom if you give it what it wants: humidity. Mist it often. Or go another step. Fill a saucer with rocks and water and place it underneath the orchid pot to create humidity (figure C). Another frequent mistake people make with orchids is planting them in the wrong soil. They don't mind living just in bark! More Questions for Jessie:
Q: How can I care for geraniums from one season to another?
A: Try cutting your geranium back and bringing it indoors at the end of the outdoor growing season. Put it near a sunny window or somewhere else where it will get a lot of light. It may survive for the next season.
Q: How do I properly take care of an impression plant?
A: Sometimes first-time gardeners ask for an impression plant, but it's actually an impatiens. Don't be embarrassed! These plants like a lot of shade and don't need all that much water.
Q: Can you give me some information on a flower called Omphalodes Cappadocia Starry Eyes?
A: I do recognize the "Starry Eyes" but when you combine that with a scientific name, it could be a different plant. I'd like to look at it before I tried to give you more information. But you can always take the plant to a local garden center and ask them for information, because they'll be able to see what you're talking about! Books: Flowering Houseplants
By Time-Life Books
ISBN: 080946652X
Time-Life Books (1990)
2000 Duke St.
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: 703-838-7233
Fax: 703-518-4124
Complete Houseplant Book: The Essential Guide to Successful Indoor Gardening
By Peter McHoy
ISBN: 185967710X
Lorenz Books
27 West 20th St.
New York, NY 10011
Phone: 800-354-9657
Fax: 212-807-6813
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