By Kathy Conner
Cornell
Southside Master
Gardener
 |
|
This Urn Plant, Aechmea faxciata, is a
bromeliad that blooms annually. The bloom usually lasts for several weeks. The
white on the leaves is scale that allows the plant to absorb moisture from the
air.
|
With any
luck, your houseplants have had the opportunity to spend the summer
outdoors. Most of these plants came from
areas of high humidity, something our Southside summers have in buckets. It has been my experience that exposing
interior plants to the natural atmosphere makes them stronger and
healthier. Just watch out with the sun,
most are happy with dappled shade or at least shade in the afternoon. Bringing the plants in before the first
frost. If you are concerned about
bringing insects into the house just give the plants a blast with the hose.
Houseplants
provide color in our homes when not much is happening in our gardens. They filter the air and give us fresh
oxygen. Because they are dependent on us
for water and food, there are a few tips that are good to know. As with kids, if you spoil a plant from the
beginning, it will always need to be spoiled to survive. In a recent webinar the annual and perennial
guru Allan Armitage said that it is important to let container plants dry out
between waterings to toughen them up.
Frequent shallow waterings lead to weak root systems. It is recommended to water once a week during
the typical growing season and every week and a half during the winter.
Fertilizing
should be done at a diluted strength of 1/4th of the recommended
amount during the growing season along with the regular watering. The plants thrive on a small steady amount of
fertilizer versus a big bang once a month.
Using organic fertilizers will reduce the salt buildup caused by
synthetic fertilizers. I have found Worm
Tea to be especially effective. Stop
using fertilizers from December 1 to March 1 to give plants their winter rest
period. Turning the plant a quarter turn
during watering will keep the plant shape uniform.
Snake
plant Sansevieria trifasciata, many types of Philodendron, Pothos
Scindapsus and Begonias are tried and true houseplants. But sometimes you might want to adventure
into something a little more exotic.
Bromeliads are a favorite of mine.
There are so many types with gorgeous blooms. Many people consider them difficult but there
are a few tricks that help. Bromeliads
are epiphytic meaning they grow on something else, therefore they have weak
root systems. You might have to add a
stick or some other type of support when the plant reaches a good size.
When
growing bromeliads be sure to use the diluted fertilizer method mentioned
above.
Water thoroughly and allow to dry
out. Hard water that goes through a salt
softening system cannot be used, even if aged.
It will kill the plant. Rainwater
is a great alternative. Contrary to what
is usually mentioned on the plant care tag, do not allow water to stand in the
cup (rosette) of the bromeliad. This
works in nature but at home you are setting yourself up for rot.
Bromeliads
need lots of humidity. Misting daily
will work but who has that much time.
Since I have several different types I use a rubber boot tray. The plants rest on the ridges and then I fill
the base with water. The pot should be
resting above the water, not in it. For
a single plant, a tray of gravel with water will work.
Bromeliads
are hapaxanthic meaning that it will bloom once, produce seed and then
die. So because the original plant is
dying, all is not lost. Look for a
little baby or with luck, babies growing at the base of the plant. You can just let them grow in the same pot or
divide and repot. To divide – wait for 3
full leaves to develop on the plantlet.
To plant, use Bromeliad potting mix or orchid potting mix, which is more
commonly available. The key element with
these mixes is that they are well draining.
Bromeliads
won’t bloom unless they get full spectrum light. Sunlight provides full spectrum as do
gro-lights. In the house I have mine
where they get morning and some afternoon sun.
I used to keep my bromeliads on our front porch. One year we had it screened it. That following winter none of them
bloomed. The next year I tried putting
them out under a tree and they bloomed the next winter. If you have followed my suggestions but are
not getting blooms from a mature plant, take it out of direct sun and put in a
plastic bag with an apple. Leave for 4 – 7 days, remove plastic and in up to 3
months blooms will appear.
Houseplants
decorate our house with nature. Take
care of them lovingly and don’t be afraid to try something exotic. For more information on the Southside Master
Gardener Association visit www.ssmga.org or contact Bill McCaleb at the Halifax
Extension Office at 434-476-2147.
