1. Understand your plant – Plants are capable of communicating their requirements. Observe and study your plants carefully. The dampness of the soil, the posture and colour of the leaves, are all clues to the needs of your plant. Drooping leaves often indicate burning due to excessive sunlight or disease, holes in the leaves are often caused by insects examine your plants daily!
2. Choose the right place – For your plants to thrives, it has to be placed in the right location. Try out different spots in the room, until you find the optimum proportion of light, air and moisture. Once you find a suitable place, avoid shifting it at all. Once settled, plants do not like being disturbed.
3. Don’t over water – Every plant has specific water requirements, especially indoor plants. The frequency and quantity of watering depends on the species, the location of the plant and also the surroundings. Plants near a window tend to lose more water due to evaporation and thus require watering more often. A plant in the middle of the room, which receives less or no direct light, may not require as much watering. Understand the water requirement of your plant by doing a soil moisture test. Push your finger into the soil; if it comes out without any trace of soil on it, start watering. The soil should have the consistency of a damp wash cloth.
4. Mist your plants – Most indoor plants enjoy an occasional misting of water, especially plants in centrally airc onditioned rooms, as the air becomes very dry. Misting can be done using a spray bottle. Make sure you use room temperature water to spray.
5. Or shower them – As many indoor plants come from a rainy, tropical environment, showering your plants in a bath tub or shower cubicle is an extremely beneficial alternative to misting. In summer, give your plants a light shower at least once a week.
6. Wipe the leaves – Most of the time insects reside on the under side of the leaves, which we tend to overlook while spraying. Using a moist cloth, gently wipe both sides of the leaves to get rid of dusts and insects.
7. Watch out for pests – At the first signs of an infestation, mix a few drops of non-perfumed liquid soap with water and spray the leaves. This helps to kill and control pests.
8. Create the right environment – Although indoor plants require lower or moderate temperatures, a constantly air conditioned environment is not ideal as it has a drying effect on plants. A good option is to reduce the direct blast of the air conditioning and switch on a fan. It helps in air circulation and also blows dust off the plants.
9. Remove weeds – Check the soil regularly for any weeds; they grow quickly and suck up the water and nutrients meant for your plant. To help your plant flourish, pick out and throw even the smallest weed.
10. Remember to fertilise – Fertilisers are food for your plant and necessary for their nourishment. Fertilise indoor plants once every three months to keep them healthy.
