Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show/podcast: How to kill a houseplant
Why would I tell you how to kill a houseplant? I’m supposed to love plants… I tell you so you don’t… kill them!
This time of year I get a lot of questions about houseplants. Why are the leaves brown, yellow or limp? Why is my plant crunchy? I’ve decided to share with you a list of the 5 easiest ways to kill a houseplant!
Number 1: poor light. Either too little, too much or poor quality. Your plant may need artificial light from the blue and red ends of the spectrum. One soft/warm light and one cool/white light can usually provide what you need without buying expensive gro lights. Florescent bulbs are best. Incandescents don’t offer blue rays for optimum plant health.
Number 2: overwatering! This could actually be number 1 also! When a plant doesn’t look healthy, our first thought is to water it. Not the right thought! Most houseplants like to dry out between waterings. Stick your finger in the soil, if it’s dry down to the first inch, go ahead and water. Let the water run out the bottom and empty the saucer.
Number 3: faulty fertilizing methods. Overfertilizing will burn your plant, less is better, always. And don’t fertilize when your plant is not actively growing.
Number 4: planting in the wrong medium. Never use garden soil to plant houseplants in. Plants need soil to anchor their roots, provide food and allow air to reach the roots. Yes, they need to breath. If you plant a container with your outdoor garden soil it will die, eventually. Trust me, I tried it years ago thinking that I’ve got all kinds of soil out in the garden, I’ll just use that”, doesn’t work. Garden soil is too dense for indoor plants. Cacti need different soil make-up completely. Check your plant tag and if you’re not sure, ask!
Number 5: insufficient humidity. Realistically we should strive for at least 30 percent humidity in our homes. Group your plants together, they’ll share the humid air. You can set them on a tray of gravel and water but don’t let the plants sit IN the water.
This Thanksgiving cactus is going to bloom for a 3rd time!! It didn’t flower for 2 years and now seems to be making up for it. I also changed it’s location and stopped watering it so much!
