Posts Tagged ‘potted plants’
How to Grow Plants in Pots
Posted on
April 27th, 2010 by
Grace
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You will need to know the proper soil, lighting and temperature for the plant you want to grow, as well as devote time and commitment to the project, in order to enjoy the hobby of growing plants indoors. Additionally, there are several methods of growing plants in pots.
Inspect the area where you plan to keep your plants before you do anything else. The potted plant should receive natural light, several hours per day. If you have the budget for it, you can also use artificial lighting. You can replace natural sunlight with special indoor lights and lamps. Temperature is the easiest factor for you to control, but be sure that your home’s temperature is right for the plant.
Choose an appropriate container for your potted plant. If a plant is large or will grow large, your container should be able to accommodate it. Stunted growth of the roots and the inability to “breathe” properly can result from putting a big plant in a small pot. A small plant in a large pot will usually not look good, but it might grow to fit its pot. Or you can simply grow your plant in a smaller pot and transplant it to a bigger pot when it grows. You also have the option of selecting various sizes and styles of pots. The diameter of the container should ideally be half the plant’s height. Make sure there are drainage holes in the bottom of the pot so the roots will not drown.
The next step is to look for the proper soil or growing medium. Because it is unable to drain properly, garden soil is typically unsuitable. Additionally, insects or fungi that might be harmful to the plant could be in the garden soil. There are packaged potting soils available on the market, which can hold moisture and at the same time aerate the roots of your plant.
There are a few key factors that can affect the timing of when the plant should be watered. Sun, rain, wind, heat and the type of plant you’re growing are among these factors.
Most pot plants should be watered regularly, but not to the drowning point. That said, aloe vera and other desert plants tend to do better when you let them dry out a little instead of flooding them with water. This makes some desert varieties ideal for people who have a hard time remembering to water their plants regularly. The amount of water any plant needs can vary each day.
Compared to plants grown in the ground, those grown in pots tend to dry up faster. Stick your finger into the soil to determine if the plant needs to be watered. If it is dry, then it needs to be watered.
Potted plants generally require fertilizers every two weeks. You flush the nutrients from the growing medium when you water a plant. Use organic fertilizers if you are growing edible plants or those for medicinal or personal purposes, or if you have children or pets in the house.
Note that some plants are poisonous to humans and/or animals. Before you bring a plant into your home, thoroughly research it if you have children or pets in your home. (See Pets and Plant Poisoning for more information on this.)
Protect plants from harmful pests when you grown themin or around your home. Even if it’s inside the house, insects can get in and destroy your plant. There are several organic pesticides you can use to combat this problem.
Regardless of the environment (in a garden, inside the home, on a balcony or patio), growing potted plants can be worthwhile and rewarding. Potted plants can provide herbs for teas or natural remedies, edible fruits and vegetables, fragrance, or simply decoration.
Although study and application of standard practices and proper growing techniques are necessary when growing plants indoors, the process will become easier and is worth the trouble.
About the author: Megan Barlow helps others learn to live greener and more environmentally friendly lives. Find out more about sustainable living at her blog on Sustainable Living.
This article was originally posted at Grow Plants in Pots Easily.
How to Grow Potted Plants
Posted on
February 26th, 2010 by
Grace
Comments Off
Growing plants indoors can be an enjoyable hobby, but it will require some time and commitment, and you will need to know the proper soil, lighting and temperature for the plant you wish to grow. Additionally, you can grow pot plants in several ways.
Before you do anything, you should inspect the area in which you plan to grow your plants. You must place the potted plant in an area where it will receive natural light several hours a day. You can also use artificial lighting if you have the budget for it. You can replace natural sunlight with special indoor lights and lamps. You can ensure that the temperature of your home is ideal for the plant yourself, since this is the easiest factor to control.
When growing a potted plant, you should match it with the appropriate container. The bigger the plant, the bigger the pot should be. Stunted growth of the roots and the inability to “breathe” properly can result from putting a big plant in a small pot. It usually doesn’t look good when a small plant is placed in a large pot, although it’s possible it could grow to eventually fit the pot. Alternately, you could grow your plant in a smaller pot and then transplant it to a larger one when it grows to large for the smaller one. You can also choose from various styles and sizes. As a general rule, the container’s diameter should half the plant’s height. Further, make sure the pot has drainage holes in its bottom to prevent the roots from drowning.
Next look for an appropriate growing medium or soil type. Because it doesn’t properly drain, garden soil is usually unsuitable. It might also contain insects or fungi that can be harmful to your plant. Instead opt for packaged potting soil, which can aerate the roots of the plant and help it hold moisture.
Several factors can affect when you should water the plant. These are sun, rain, wind, heat, and the type of plant you are growing.
Most pot plants should be watered regularly, but not to the drowning point. But some desert plants, such as aloe vera, may do better when their soil is allowed to dry out, and is then flooded with large amounts of water. Because of this, desert varieties are often ideal for people who find it difficult to remember to regularly water their plants. The amount of water any plant needs can vary each day.
Potted plants also dry up faster than those growing in the ground. To find out whether a plant needs to be watered, you can stick your finger into the soil. If it is dry, then it needs to be watered.
In general, you should fertilize potted plants every two weeks. Watering a plant flushes the nutrients from the growing medium. If you have children or pets in the house, are growing edible plants, or are growing plants for personal care or medicinal purposes, your best bet is to use organic fertilizers.
Note that some plants are poisonous to humans and/or animals. Before you bring a plant into your home, thoroughly research it if you have children or pets in your home. (See Pets and Plant Poisoning for more information on this.)
Protect plants from harmful pests when you grown themin or around your home. Even if you house it indoors, insects can still find ways into the home and destroy your plant. There are several organic pesticides you can use to combat this problem.
Growing pot plants – whether inside the home, in a window box, on a patio or balcony, or in an outdoor garden, is a rewarding and worthwhile endeavor. In addition to their beauty, potted plans can be used to make natural remedies or teas, provide fruits and vegetables, emit fragrance, or as decoration.
Although study and application of standard practices and proper growing techniques are necessary when growing plants indoors, the process will become easier and is worth the trouble.
About the author: Megan Barlow helps others learn how to live greener and more eco-friendly lives. Learn more about sustainable living at her blog on Living Sustainably.
Source Article: Growing Potted Plants.
Growing Plants in Pots
Posted on
December 21st, 2009 by
Grace
Comments Off
Growing plants indoors can be enjoyable, but you will need to know the proper lighting, soil and temperature and commit the time and effort to do it successfully. Additionally, there are several methods of growing plants in pots.
Before you do anything, you should inspect the area in which you plan to grow your plants. You must place the potted plant in an area where it will get several hours of natural sunlight every day. If you have the budget for it, you can also use artificial lighting. Special indoor lights and lamps are available that you can use to replace natural sunlight. Temperature is the easiest factor for you to control, but be sure that your home’s temperature is right for the plant.
Choose a container that is the appropriate size for your potted plant. The larger your plant will grow, the larger your pot should be. A big plant in a small pot can become unhealthy. Its roots won’t be able to breathe properly and this can stunt its growth. It usually doesn’t look good when a small plant is placed in a large pot, although it’s possible it could grow to eventually fit the pot. Or you can simply grow your plant in a smaller pot and transplant it to a bigger pot when it grows. Various styles and sizes of pots are also available. As a general rule, the diameter of the container should be at least half the height of the plant. Further, make sure the pot has drainage holes in its bottom to prevent the roots from drowning.
Look for the proper soil or growing medium next. Garden soil is usually not suitable, because it doesn’t drain properly. Further, garden soil could contain fungi or insects that are harmful to the plant type. Instead opt for packaged potting soil, which can aerate the roots of the plant and help it hold moisture.
Several factors can affect when you should water the plant. Among these factors are the type of plant you’re growing as well as heat, wind, rain and sun.
You should water most plant regularly, although not to the drowning point. However, desert plants like aloe vera may do better when you allow them to dry out instead of flooding them with large amounts of water. Because of this, desert varieties are often ideal for people who find it difficult to remember to regularly water their plants. The amount of water any plant needs can vary each day.
Potted plants also dry up faster than those growing in the ground. You can determine if the plant needs to be watered by sticking your finger into the soil. If it is dry, then it needs to be watered.
In general, you should fertilize potted plants every two weeks. You flush the nutrients from the growing medium when you water a plant. Use organic fertilizers if you are growing edible plants or those for medicinal or personal purposes, or if you have children or pets in the house.
As a note, some plants are poisonous to animals or humans. If you have pets or children in your home, ensure you do proper research on a plant before you bring it into an environment where they can access it. (See Pets and Plant Poisoning for more information on this.)
When you grow a plant in or around your home, you should do what you can to protect it from destructive pests. Even if you house it indoors, insects can still find ways into the home and destroy your plant. To combat this problem, you can use one of the organic pesticides on the market.
Regardless of the environment (in a garden, inside the home, on a balcony or patio), growing potted plants can be worthwhile and rewarding. In addition to their beauty, potted plans can be used to make natural remedies or teas, provide fruits and vegetables, emit fragrance, or as decoration.
As is the case with any gardening project, growing indoor plants does require a bit of study and application of standard practices and proper growing techniques, but this will become easier with practice, and will be well worth the trouble.
About the author: Megan Barlow helps others learn to live greener and more environmentally friendly lives. Find out more about green living at her blog on How to Reuse and Recycle.
Original Article: Grow Plants in Pots Easily.
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