How to Care for Ferns Indoors

With their wide variety of leaf structure, ferns are among the most beautiful houseplants. Not only do they add a tropical feel to your indoor garden, ferns are among the best plants you can grow to help purify the air indoors. Ferns are relatively easy to grow if you provide them with what they need: medium to bright, indirect light, humidity and a room temperature of between sixty- and seventy-degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, it’s important to maintain a consistent soil moisture level with regular watering. Allowing the soil to dry out between watering will stress the plant. Consider investing in a soil moisture meter to help you maintain the right moisture level. 

Ferns will also benefit from a light fertilizing a couple of times a month. Kelp is a good choice because it provides the low Nitrogen fertilizer that your ferns need during the winter months. Plan to use one to two teaspoons every other week to feed your plants.  Supplement your fertilizing program with Super Thrive on the weeks that you don’t use Kelp. These two products emulate the nutrients that ferns would typically receive in their natural surroundings. Ferns do well when grown together or when combined with other houseplants. Clustering plants together helps raise the relative humidity, an important factor when growing ferns indoors. Adding a room humidifier or placing your plants on a pebble tray will also increase the humidity around your plants. Avoiding conditions such as dry air, drafts and temperature extremes will encourage your ferns to maintain their lush green fronds all year round. 

While the Boston fern is easily the most recognizable, there are many varieties of ferns that will do well indoors, including Maidenhair, Bird’s Nest, Kangaroo Paw, Rabbit’s Foot and Staghorn. Ferns make beautiful houseplants, adding a tropical look to your indoor garden all year round.    

 

Five House Plants For Low Light Rooms

Houseplants benefit us in many ways. They brighten our homes, help change our moods and even clean the air. A common question we get is "will this plant do okay if I don't have a lot of light?" Just because you don't have a bright, well-lit room in your home or office, doesn’t mean you can't grow healthy houseplants. Here are five houseplants that are easy to grow and will do well in areas where they don't receive a lot of light. 

The distinct ornamental foliage of Aglaonema or Chinese Evergreens makes them a standout display in your room or office. A slow growing plant, Chinese Evergreens like to be pot bound so don’t be in a hurry to repot them. Water thoroughly, then let the soil dry out slightly before you water again. 

The Snake Plant is an easy to grow succulent; very tough and durable and very tolerant of low light.  Some varieties can grow two to three feet tall. Water liberally, then let the soil dry out a little before you water again. This is a great choice if you’re just learning how to care for houseplants. 

The ZZ plant is a slow-growing plant that tolerates less-than-perfect conditions indoors. It does well in low-light areas and tolerates low humidity conditions very well. 

A super easy houseplant, pothos can be grown in a hanging basket or in a pot on the table or desk.  There are many varieties to choose from.

 

Peperomia plants can handle low to high light. Let the soil dry out slightly between watering. Growing Peperomia supposedly brings you luck with money. In addition, plan to feed your low light houseplants about every two weeks with houseplant fertilizer, such as Jack’s 20-20-20.  These are five good choices for low light conditions. There are many more. We’ll be glad to help you pick the plants that will match the conditions in your home and office.  will help your indoor garden thrive for many years. 

 

 

Winter Watering is Important

 It’s important to understand that trees don’t go in to total dormancy during the winter. Underneath the past weekend’s snow fall, tree roots are actively looking for moisture and while this storm helped, it did little to hydrate the soil your trees, shrubs and perennials are growing in. You may not see the damage right away, but trees that don’t receive supplemental watering during the winter may experience smaller leaf production, branch dieback and chlorosis through spring and summer. This is especially true of trees planted this past season that haven’t had time to establish. While more mature trees have the advantage of a larger root system to draw moisture from, newly-planted trees need to be watered during the winter to prevent damage and die-back to fine roots. For winter watering to be effective, there are key factors you need to take into account, including temperature, time of day, and sprinkler type. First, pick a day when the ambient temperature is forty degrees or higher and there is no snow on the ground. Plan to water around mid-day, to allow time for the water to soak into the ground. You can water using a soft spray attachment such as adjustable water nozzle or attach a simple sprinkler to your hose.  Don’t turn your sprinkler   system on. 

For deciduous trees, place the sprinkler under the dripline.  The dripline is that area under the outermost branches of the tree. This is where the feeder roots are located and the area where you get the best water absorption. How long you run the sprinkler or hose attachment depends on the size of the tree trunk. The general formula is ten gallons of water per inch of trunk diameter, measured at knee height. A tree with a three-inch trunk needs thirty gallons of water.  For established trees, watering once a month during the winter should be sufficient to keep the roots hydrated. For newly planted trees and conifers, you should plan to water every two weeks. If you start to experience run off while you’re watering, turn the water off and let it soak in before you resume watering. This soak and cycle method will help reduce waste from runoff and keep the water at the root system, where it’s needed.  Shrubs and rose should receive five gallons of water per month. Winter watering your trees, shrubs and roses will help them stay hydrated and the moisture acts as an insulator and helps reduce damage from temperature variations. Once you’re done watering, be sure to disconnect the hose from the outside faucet.   

How to grow culinary herbs indoors this winter.

 

Growing herbs indoors is a great way to continue gardening right through the coldest days of the season. By growing your own culinary herbs indoors, you will be rewarded with fresh cooking herbs you grow and harvest yourself, as well as the color and aroma herbs bring to the table. Here are some tips to help you grow healthy herbs indoors successfully.  Start with quality herb plants. You can grow herbs from seed, but it takes time for them to reach the point when you can begin to harvest from them. Popular herbs which do well inside are cilantro, oregano, parsley, basil, sage, rosemary and thyme, but most herbs lend themselves very well to be grown in pots and containers indoors.  

 You have many options when it comes to selecting a container for your herb plants. The main consideration is the pot is the correct size for the plants you are growing and that it drains. Over potting herb plants will lead to root problems. Along with the right sized pot, select a potting soil that drains well. The Flower Bin Potting Soil Mix is a good choice. Happy Frog Potting soil also works well. Both contain mycorrhizae for better root development. Choose herb plants which will do well in the light you have available. Growing low light herbs is a good option if you do not have enough natural light or a way to add supplemental lighting. Herbs that do well in low light,  as defined by less than four hours of direct sun daily include chives, lemon balm, tarragon, mint, thyme, parsley. You can grow herbs indoors anywhere they will get at least 6 hours of sunlight, such as a south or west facing window. Your other option is to supplement your natural lighting with additional lighting from a fluorescent fixture or an incandescent bulb. Grow bulbs are available which will fit a standard socket such as a desk lamp. This makes it easy to achieve the light you need to grow herbs indoors successfully.  

 

Herbs with similar water and light requirements can be combined into a single container such as this Bay Laurel, Basil and Parsley combination. There are many attractive clay or ceramic container options to plant herbs in, just be sure the container has good drainage.  Plan to feed your herb plants every other week with a mild fertilizer such as Neptune’s Harvest or Age Old Grow®. Herbs will do best if they are continuously harvested. Apart from cooking, herbs make great house plants. Pineapple Sage will flower, plus many herbs have relaxing fragrance, even when they are not blooming. An indoor herb garden allows you to enjoy the flavor and fragrance of fresh herbs year-round.