The Unspoken Secrets Of Common House Plants
There's nothing better than a plant to bring life to a room. If you're new to the world of houseplants it can be difficult to determine what plants will thrive in your home.
We asked plant pros to share their favorite common house plants, from trendy newcomers to tried-and-true classics. Get your watering bottle and take a look for ideas for your greenery!
Peace Lily
This popular plant is also known as Cobra Plant or Peace Lily. (Spathiphyllum wallisii) It was the most searched plant in many online furniture and home decor websites in 2023. This is not a surprise, considering the beauty of this houseplant and its air-purifying properties.
The peace lily has been a favorite for anyone who is looking for a beautiful houseplant that's easy to maintain. The bracts (which are technically not flowers, but bracts which are white) appear in the spring and fade in the fall. But, a few sprays of water and you'll be rewarded with blooms again in the autumn.
These plants prefer a warm and humid environment with temperatures that range from 68F and 85F during the day, dropping 10 degrees at night. They grow best when the soil is moist but not soggy and has filtered indoor lighting. Avoid direct sunlight because it can cause burns to the leaves. Be sure to water regularly but ensure that the soil doesn't dry completely, as this can lead to root rot.
If your peace lily starts to look yellow, it's likely that you're overwatering. If you are unsure how often to water your peace lily one good rule of thumb to follow is to water it when the top inch or so of soil feels dry. Make tall house plants of distilled or filtered water for keeping the amount of chlorine down.
Browning of leaf tips is a common problem with peace lilies. This could be due to sunburn but more often, it's due to excess fertilizer. To remedy this flush the soil with clean water by watering until the water drains out of the drainage holes. After six months cease fertilizing.
Often, people think their peace lily is dying if they see green flowers and no new buds. The reason for this is that if your plant was fertilized to produce flowers and it was given too much nitrogen, which inhibits the flowering capacity of the plant. To remedy this, you should switch to a fertilizer lower in nitrogen and more in phosphorous. Move your peace lily into a brighter area to encourage blooms. If that doesn't work you could try a different variety of peace lily or a different type of fertilizer.
Spider Plant
Spider plants are popular because they're easy to cultivate and produce lots of young "spiderettes" on their ends. When mature, these can be detached and planted to create new plants (known as "Spider Plants"). The Spider Plant is a good choice for new houseplant owners because it's durable and able to endure neglect.
The original Spider Plant, Chlorophytum comosum is a perennial grassy plant with long leaves in a variety of colors, including stripes and yellow. Every year, it produces flowers which produce tiny white plantlets that can be cut off and then rooted. When grown in hanging baskets, the long wiry stems can produce a impressive and stunning display.
The Spider Plant Like the Peace Lily is a versatile and adaptable plant that can thrive in most lighting conditions. It does need bright indirect sunlight, however, to keep its variegated leaves. Avoid direct sunlight because the variegated Spider Plant will burn. It's also important to keep the soil moist but not soggy--it needs to be just wet enough for water droplets to fall off the leaves and into the bottom of the pot.
You can prevent soggy soil by using smaller pots and potting mix. You can also create it yourself. Another thing to be aware of is that Spider Plants respond well to basic, all-purpose fertilizer. However you shouldn't over-fertilize them because this can cause salt build up in the soil.
One of the benefits of the Spider Plant is that it's well-known for its ability to purify the air inside your home by removing indoor pollutants such as formaldehyde,3. Put the plant in a location with a lot of sunlight so that it can absorb the harmful chemicals and assist to eliminate them through its foliage. The plant can be utilized in conjunction with other plants to improve the air quality inside your home. It has been shown to reduce odors such as smoke and cooking smells.
Fiddle Leaf Fig
The fiddle leaf fig, formally called Ficus Lyrata is the most sought-after current plant of the moment due to its gorgeous violin-shaped leaves. It is a tropical plant that thrives in humid, warm environments and it's easy to see why so many people are attracted to this house plant: it can grow quite large and adds visual interest to any room.
This plant is susceptible to fungi and mold. It is essential to monitor your plant to look for these conditions. This is particularly true in the case of soil that has been around for a long time. It is also essential to help the plant stay healthy and lessen the chance of getting sick.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make with a fiddle leaf fig is overwatering it. The fiddle leaf fig is a native of rainforests and is accustomed to being flooded with water and then dried out. It is recommended to water it sparingly and let the soil completely dry between waterings.
Keep the plants free of dust and other debris that could clog the leaves and prevent photosynthesis. The best way to accomplish this is wiping the leaves clean with an damp cloth every week. This will keep the health of your plant and keep pests at bay.
There are a couple of serious issues that can happen to a fiddle-leaf fig, apart from mildew and fungus. It is essential to keep an eye out for scale insects and other pests that commonly attack plants in the home, such as aphids or mealy bugs. You should also be on the lookout for thrips, which could cause leaves to yellow.
It's also recommended to regularly mist the fiddle leaf fig with a spray bottle in order to increase the humidity inside your home. This is especially beneficial in winter, when indoor air is generally drier. It is best to mist your plant in the early morning so that it can get time to evaporate.
Dracaena
Dracaenas are a popular house plant that thrives in a variety of indoor environments. They are low-maintenance and slow-growing. Some varieties such as 'Lemon Lime Dracaena have bright colors that can brighten areas that are shaded within the home.
The spiky lanced leaves of the dracaena come in a variety of colors and patterns. This creates a unique, rustic and modern look. Some dracaenas have solid forest green colors and others sport red, yellow or white stripes. The leaves also curve slightly, creating a more tree-like appearance.
Like tall house plants , dracaenas can live in a shaded or indirect environment. Be aware, however that a lack of sunlight may cause the loss of variegations as well as other distinctive characteristics.
Avoid over-watering dracaenas as this can lead to root rot and other problems. Allow the soil to completely dry before watering it again. If you notice that a plant is dying or wilting, move it into the sunnier area or mist the leaves with tap water that is plain to provide moisture to the air.
Pests rarely bother dracaenas however, regular checks are vital to keep the plants healthy. Aphids that are not wingless suck juices from the leaves, stems, and buds of dracaena plants, stunting their growth and decreasing their vigor.
Mealybugs and scale bugs, which have an appearance of cotton and are feeding on the dracaenas. These pests can kill the dracaenas if not controlled. They do this by sucking the sap from the leaves.
Tip cuttings are a simple and easy way to propagate Drachaenas. They can be taken all year round. To start new plants, simply cut a tip that is 8cm in length and above a node from the parent plant. Place the tip in the jar and place it on a window sill to keep the water in a fresh state. After a few weeks roots will appear and the plant can then be planted into fresh free-draining soil.
Dracaenas are sensitive to fluoride, which is why it is important that you make sure you use water that is not fluoridated when watering your dracaenas. It is also recommended to fertilize the plant with a feed branded 'Houseplant' every four times during spring and summer, reducing this frequency slightly in the winter and autumn.