Keep indoor plants fresh, clean

Jul 18, 2017

However, it gets to a crushing sight, when flowers meant to add freshness, beauty and life to a home, appear droopy and unattractive.

With already beautifully selected furniture, enhancing one's home with two to four indoor fresh potted plants would not be a bad idea.

However, it gets to a crushing sight, when flowers meant to add freshness, beauty and life to a home, appear droopy and unattractive.

Rose Gitta, an interior designer says some home owners instead discard the pot plants yet, with a little grooming, feeding and perhaps re-potting, they could be back on display growing well enough to give pleasure for another season.

"Indoor plants are stress relieving, have a smoothing effect and bring more oxygen into the room where they are placed", Gitta says

For an indoor plant to flourish, it has to be attended to.

According to Denis Kimuli a florist, watering should be done twice a week, with an even amount of clean water. A half a litre to one litre of water is enough depending on the size of the plant.

Kimuli warns that flooding washes away the nutrients, leaving the soil compact and flimsy and unable to sustain the plant.

The leaves should be dusted and cleaned with water, milk or stale beer, says Kimuli. "Leave beer for a day or two days, then use a clean cloth damped into beer or milk and gently wipe the leaves".

"Never use Vaseline on the leaves as this closes the pores and limits the breathing", he stresses.

Kimuli says too many leaves hinder proper growth space and sufficient light getting to the whole plant. Stray leaves should be gently cut off so as to make the plant look shapely and allow the light to penetrate reaching now growth.

As one gets rid of unnecessary weeds, they should also make sure the soil is not dumped or hard. Hardening limits the aeration, thus hindering the proper plant growth.

One should dig through the soil with a fork (forking) every two weeks so as to keep if from hardening. "Some plants tend to over grow and their roots foil the pot", Kimuli observes.

From the start when potting, a flower one should use the right pot size that suits, the kind of plant. In case it is a fast growing plant then settle for a bigger pot.

Feeding

Kimuli says you have to give the plant food, but they cannot absorb it when the air stomata are blocked. After cleaning, dry them. Then get soluble solutions like plant food, according to the type of plant and apply it on the leaves. This will help keep the leaves clean, neat and healthy.

According to Kimuli, most beautiful indoor plants depend on plant food. Every plant has its specific type of plant food. Go to a supermarket and ask for plant food according to the name of the plant. Get to know the names of the plants.

Treatment
Kimuli says you have to treat them by spraying. Spraying is not a must. Do it only when there is an infection. If pests have attacked them, find out the type, look for the right pesticide and spray them. For fungi, look for fungicides. Indoor plants are mostly attacked by fungi because of the usually high humidity levels in houses.

Costs

Plants range from sh5,000 -10,000 potted ones range from sh25,000-120,000 depending on the pot make and size at different flowers points.

Indoor dry arrangements go for sh35,000-50,000. These are easy to maintain and only need dusting.

Gitta says to keep the plants beautiful, you need to pay attention to them. If not well tendered a plant could grow out of shape, so you have to trim it to a shape or size of your liking.

She says you can tell an indoor plant is not doing well, when its leaves start withering, wilting and turning yellow.

A poorly maintained plant will have crowded, dusty and dry leaves. The soil is hard and wild grass may also grow in the pot.

Kimuli says the common problems are yellowing and drying leaves, as well as limpness. "Indoor plants require much time to look after. If you don't have time to look after plants, you will not be able to manage them".

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