| Heirloom Houseplants |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-705 |
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Q: I remember my grandmother's sun porch full of houseplants. I'd love to grow those old houseplants but don't know where to start. Any ideas? A: (Walter Reeves, Ask DIY Gardening expert) Even if you don't have cuttings of your grandmother's original plants, you can still achieve the same goal by using what's known as "heirloom" plants -- those that can be easily passed from generation to generation. Here are some of my favorites: - Heliotrope. This lovely vanilla-scented flower (figure A)was used by ladies of a bygone era to keep their clothes smelling fresh during warm weather. It can be grown outside or in, so long as it gets plenty of sunlight (although not a lot of direct sunlight -- dappled is best).
- Spider plant. This is also known as an airplane plant (figure B), although it's highly doubtful that it would have been called that in Victorian times! This is a popular plant, possibly because it's so easy to propagate. All you have to do it clip off one of the "babies" growing on its stems and pop it in a pot of soil. In no time you'll have a new plant to share (or to keep).
- Coleus. Up until five or six year sago this plant was primarily grown indoors (figure C). Nowadays, though, thanks to improved plants breeding methods, the coleus can thrive outdoors in the sunshine quite nicely.
To propagate a coleus, find a stem -- with leaves -- that's 4" to 6" long. Cut through the stem below the point where two leaves join it; then remove the bottom two or four leaves (this is where the root will form). Place it in a clear-glass container filled with water, and in about four weeks white roots will appear. At that point, plant it in soil and watch it grow. Coleus can get leggy in low light, so you may need to pinch it back periodically. To do this, remove the topmost tips where the leaves are forming (figure D). Two sprouts will form there; pinch them out when they reach about 4" in length. - Impatiens. If you're from Florida, you'll probably know this plant as a sultana, but the more common name is impatiens (figure E). This is another plant that is easy to grow indoors as well as outside; it procreates by forming small seedpods below the flowers (figure F). One note: Touch the pods and they'll explode and scatter seeds everywhere! If your kids find out, they'll have a new favorite pastime!
Water a houseplant so the soil is moist, not soggy. To check the dryness of the soil, just stick your finger about 2" deep in the pot. If a lot of soil sticks to your finger, the plant doesn't need water. If, however, your finger comes out clean and dry, you need to give the plant a drink.
RESOURCES :
Free list of 35 organically grown heirloom seedlings
Santa Barbara Heirloom Seedling Nursery
Santa Barbara, CA 93140
Phone: 805-968-5444
Fax: 805-562-1248
Email: heirloom@heirloom.com
Website: www.heirloom.com/heirloom/
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