Green thumb easily acquired
if phiiodendron, ivy selected
House plants have grown to
be a fad in the last year,
; according to two local plant
, retailers.
In downtown Lincoln alone
two new shops dealing in
plants have sprouted. Plants,
especially popular with
students, have become an
integral part of residence hall
room and apartment decor.
Commenting on the recent
increase in plant sales, a
long-time Lincoln florist said,
"It's amazing how people are
going after them (house
plants)."
Another local plant retailer
recommended three types of
plants for beginners to grow
indoors: philodendrons, ivies
and draceana. He said these
were the most popular plants
sold for interior decoration.
"That's just because they're
the easiest to grow and people
have the best luck with them,"
he said. '
Ho said his shop also deals in
many more exotic plants,
pointing out the more than
300 varieties he sells.
The florist recommended
any type of philodendron or
scheff leria for the beginner,
but "they're going into all
varieties. People are learning
how to take care of plants, so
they are growing plants that
require more care," he said.
The first two would do well in
residence hall rooms because
they can take the dry air found
in the rooms, he added.
However, "with proper
conditions, you can grow just
about any type of ' tropical
plant," he said. Many tropical
' plants require high humidity
and frequent watering plus
carefully controlled sunlight.
Both retailers said the
philodendrom was one of the
most popular indoor plants. It
can grow to practically any size
and some grow in vines which
will climb or hang.
, The philodendron is a
' tropical plant of South
America and naturally grows in
, a shaded environment. As with
most of the easily maintained
plants, it requires indirect
sunlight and daily watering,
according to the retailer.
"The most favorable
location for them would be in
an eastern window where they
get morning sunlight," he said.
George Abraham cited three
reasons for the failure of
indoor plants mf his book The
Green Thumb Book of Indoor
Gardening: poor selection,
neglect and injurious gases.
The experts agreed that the
most important factors
contributing to the success of
plants are the amount of
sunlight, humidity and
frequency of watering.
If your windows are on the
north side or the south side of
a building, it might make a
difference in the amount of
light and therefore the types of
inflation
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plants 'you can grow, the
retailer said.
Although most house plants
are shade-loving plants, people
tend to not give them enough
light, the florist said. Indirect
Indoor lighting is much
different than direct sunlight.
. Philodendrons need intense,
though filtered, light,
according to Abraham. "A
weak yellowish color in the
leaves of an otherwise healty
plant indicates too much
light," he wrote.
Drainage is an important
factor in watering plants,
according to the experts. Clay
pots usually have a hole in the
; bottom to allow for the
drainage of excess water, but if
the pot you're using doesn't
allow for frainage, you can
place charcoal and gravel in the
bottom of the pot to absorb
the excess water, the retailer
said.
The soil should never be
allowed to dry out, according
to Abraham, but too much also
water also should be avoided.
"More house plants are
killed by improper watering
than any other cause," he
wrote.
"Basically, give plants a
good watering whenever they
need it," said the florist. He
cautioned that plants "don't
like wet feet."
Humidity must be
considered with many types of
plants. Ideally, the humidity
' should be 80 to 90
according to Abraham. He said
humidity often drops to 12
in many rooms, which is lower
than the Sahara Desert.
The florist suggested putting
a "tray of rnoist sand under
potted plants to encourage
humidity in small rooms.
Plastic or metal misters also
can be used to spray plants
with a fine mist of water.
Soil type depends on the
type of plant, according to the
plant store operator. While
plants such as a cacti require
sandy soil, many plants require
rich moist soil. "Philodendrons
will grow out of almost any
soil," he said.
Care also must be taken to
keep the plant leaves clean,
according to both retailers.
"We use warm water to clean
the leaves unless the plant is
really tough," said the plant
seller. He recommended a small
amount of detergent added to
the water if water alone was
not sufficient to ''remove dirt.
He discouraged the use of
polishes, leaf cleaners,
mayonnaise or milk on leaves
because "anything outside of
water will clog up the pores."
Plants, should be cleaned
whenever furniture is dusted,
he said.
The experts recommended
feeding plants with liquid plant
food once or twice a month.
Small doses should be poured
directly into the foil.
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Abraham recommended
commercially prepared plant
foods, but the local plant seller
recommended fish
e m u I s i on-1 iq u id fish
fertilizer because it is organic.
Used once a month and twice a
month in summer, it will
double the growth rate of
plants, He said.
Many of the more exotic
plants require special care
which is not necessary for
more common house plants,
said the plant store operator.
"We're more into plants
that are kind of a challenge,"
he said. "We're going for
variety lots of different types
of plants."
House plants retail for $5
and up, according to the
florist, but many smaller plants
can be purchased for about $1.
The average price range for
larger plants is $8 to $1 5.
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