Whenever you introduce a new house plant, it should be checked for insects and disease before placed alongside clean plants already present in your home. It does not matter where your plant came from, prevention is the best tactic. Begin by cleaning and applying an insecticide treatment to any new plant. If they are clean there’s not much to worry about, as far as pests are concerned, but it is still recommended to apply pesticides frequently.

Cleaning, or sponging, a plant’s foliage has multiple benefits. By removing dust from the leaves, you open up the pores, technically called stomata, used by a plant to breathe. Like anything that has life, plants must be able to breathe. House plants should be dusted monthly. Simultaneously, you should remove any insects, eggs or pupae present.

Pest Control

This method is perfect for plants with large leaves but for cleaning those with dense foliage, like ferns or grasses, dipping is preferable. This process should be done in a large sink, tub, or somewhere you can completely immerse your plant in an insecticide solution. You’ll want to keep your plant in this location until it dries completely.

Sponging and dipping are effective in removing the following pests: aphids, a plant-eating, plant lice; thrips, minute insects with fringed wings; and red spiders, actually a type of plant-feeding mite closely related to arachnids. Unfortunately, there are more tenacious pests that necessitate more extreme measures. Mealy worms and scale insects are examples of these troublesome pests.

Telltale signs of a mealy bug’s infestation are the actual presence of the small, yellow bug covered with a powdery, wax matter. Because this wax-like covering is quite water-proof, spray insecticides are worthless. Brushing each insect off and soaking them each methylated spirits will result in their demise. The second step, equally important, is to follow with sponging the entire plant, as described above. This two-step treatment is the most effective in providing your plant relief from these insect.

Because of their scaly coverings and shaper, scale insects are similar in appearance to that of freshwater snails, or limpets, thus the origin of its name. Individual removal of the insects, using a match or piece of wood, from any leaves or stems is required due to its impermeable outer coat resistant to insecticides. Again insecticide sponging is an essential step in treating your house plant. It will destroy any eggs that may have been left behind.

Special insecticides are also available for controlling ants, earwigs, woodlice and slugs.

Soil Quality

Although controlling pests is crucial, soil maintenance also offers multiple benefits. Vital to your plant’s health is the use of clean dirt when adding top soil or repotting. To sterilize compost, it must be heated in a heat-resistant container to kill any insects, larvae, disease, weeds, seeds, and roots. This process also releases organic nutrients and improves the soil’s fertility. During the 20 minutes of the heating process, at a temperature no greater 85?C, the soil should be stirred sporadically and later removed and spread out to cool off. Do not try using the soil until well cooled. The same results can be obtained by using naphthalene powder or ?Aldrin?, the brand name for a chemical soil sterilizer.

Fungal Disease

Mildew is the most common fungal disease and appears on the top of houseplants leaves and stems. This fuzzy white matter should be treated with fungicides, watch out on corn plants and bromeliads. By sifting the powder over the leaves and upper and lower areas of the plant, you will effectively cure your houseplant of this disease.

Many people worry a lot when it comes to caring for their plants. When talking about house plants, there is absolutely no need to worry. There are just a few things you need to consider.

1. Watering

A watering can is a must-have in every garden. It is recommended that you purchase the one with a narrow spout to ensure adequate watering. But that does not always apply, so the finger test may come in handy. Insert your index finger up to the first joint into the soil. If you feel that the soil is damp, don’t water it. Otherwise, do.

2. Feeding

With foliage plants, they always need to be high in nitrogen. For flowering plants, on the other hand, K2O is needed. Fertilizers such as the slow release ones can be mixed with the compost. However, some plants like cacti and orchids need special feeds. Feed plants on the height of their active growth.

3. Lighting

Plants like Sanseveria and Aspidistra require no shade. They can be placed away from a window. Spider plants need semi-shade. You can put plants like these near a window that does or does not get sunlight. Others need sun or no sun at all like cheeseplants.

4. Temperature

With houseplants, they can survive in temperatures a little bit higher than 15 - 250 C or 55 - 750 F. But drastic fluctuations of temperature may not be good for them.

5. Humidity

Some houseplants require a humid environment. One tip to maximize humidity is to put the pot inside a larger pot and fill in the gaps with stones or compost to keep in the moisture. The compost will not dry out. Plants are capable of creating their own climate if grouped together. This tip can also be used for keeping the soil moist. If you want, you can spray them with water once or twice a day depending on the day’s temperature.

6. Repotting

Other plants require repotting for optimum growth but some plants may not be suitable for this idea. They would not want their roots to be disturbed or other plants’ root system is small. One way to check if your plant needs repotting is to turn it upside down. Tap the pot to release the plant and check its roots. If roots are all you see, then repot.

You just need to have a little care for your plants and in turn, you’ll reap its benefits. You don’t only have a garden that can add to your house’s beauty you can also learn how to respect and nurture life in its varied forms.

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If you plan to grow more than one or two plants at a time, chances are most of them will be foliage plants. Though they aren’t as showy as the flower bearing varieties, foliage plants can also be quite beautiful. In addition, they are simple to grow, easy to propagate and acclimate well to nearly any indoor environment.

Foliage plants are the backbone of every home garden. With few exceptions they know no seasons, growing and prospering throughout the year. Thousands of species of foliage plants are common and easy to find, and a large number of hybrids extends this variety even further. While planning your indoor garden you have almost an unlimited choice of plant size and shape, leaf form and colour. The two species described here will grow in any part of the country with equal ease and are available everywhere.

Peperomia sandersi is one commonly cultivated Peperomia. It has been called the Watermelon Begonia because the distinctive color and striped pattern of its leaves resemble the watermelons found in the American south. As the leaves of this plant are smooth, shiny and oval-shaped and the stems are red or pink, how it acquired the nickname Begonia is a mystery.

Peperomia is a low growing, bushy plant with fleshy leaves and stems along with being an indoor house plant. Originally found in the jungles of Brazil, these plants like lots of warmth and humidity and dislike exposure to wind or even slight drafts. Place them in partial shade, being careful not to give them too much sun, and provide them with plenty of water and good quality plant food. To keep your Peperomia happy, give it only room-temperature water. Propagate it by stem or leaf cuttings, preferably in the spring when the growth rate is at a maximum.

Pick-a-back Plant, also known as Piggy Back Plant (or by its botanical name, Tolmiea menziesi), gets its name from the curious way that it propagates: new plantlets sprout from the joint where the leaf meets the stem on the parent plant. The pretty, heart-shaped leaves of this species are light green, delicate and grow at the end of long stems. Pick a-back Plant should be well watered and kept in only partial sun.

In its natural state the plantlets root as soon as they touch the ground, so propagation is simple: just place a new leaf-bearing plantlet in a starting mixture and allow it to root. If you prefer you can place the plantlets in water, but be sure to used purified water. A good way to do this is to treat it with dissolved charcoal. The Pick-a-back originates on our own West Coast, growing from California on up to Alaska.

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The world over, gardening is a popular pastime among people from all walks of life. Whether planting vegetable patches to save money on produce, or planting a variety of plants for the sheer pleasure of the craft, gardening has remained a relaxing and humbling experience for hundreds of years. While outdoor gardening is the preferred style of most serious gardeners world-wide, giving your inner sanctum some plant love is much advised as well, and brings with it a new set of techniques and tricks that may escape even the veteran outdoor gardener.

Indoor plants function largely as decorative, while also instilling the room with a sense of nature and cleanliness. From window sill herb gardens that provide an extra dash of charm to both the room and dishes, to an elegant vine plant hanging its tendrils down lazily from its perch, to a small rubber tree in the corner of a room, the options for indoor gardeners are as diverse as the ones available for outdoor gardeners.

The variety of options doesn’t end there though. Annuals and perennials can get a head start by being groomed indoors for the coming season, and gardeners with a real eye for meticulous detail and the wish to cultivate something truly extraordinary can take on the task of rearing begonias or African violets.

Coleus are a striking plant, with a dazzling display of colors made especially effective when catching the rays of the sun from a windowsill perch. Baby’s tears are evocatively named for the striking image they portray, teardrop shaped leaves spilling elegantly over the side of the pot. A plant favoured for fall time grooming is the chrysanthemum. The winter doldrums can be beaten by planting a variety of striking flowering plants to bloom before their time, such as daffodils, hyacinths or crocuses.

Hanging baskets containing a variety of plants can supply any room with a unique look. Just make sure they’re high enough to avoid the heads of your tallest house mates. Kitchen windows are the perfect place for herb gardens and other salad friendly delights. They’ll provide your kitchen with a sumptuous smell that just may cause others to think it’s meal time all the time.

For the salad lover the tiny gourmet leaves of the mesclun plant will tempt your palate and those of all around you. The best things in life take time is a saying that the mesclun doesn’t adhere to. It grows its delicate leaves quickly, and spoils just as quickly. The indoor gardening enthusiast must constantly be on the lookout for the perfect opportunity to harvest these leaves and make them a part of a delectable salad immediately. The extra monitoring effort will be well rewarded with a great tasting salad.

Indoor gardeners are certainly not wanting for options like bamboo palms for example when it comes to their craft. What it lacks in the appeal of being outdoors and knee deep in dirt under a baking sun, if you want to call that appealing, it more than makes up for with variety and charm.

Good soil is a crucial component for growing healthy herbs, either in the ground or in containers. Herbs receive the energy they need for growth and reproduction from the sun, but many of the components they use to carry out these sun-driven chemical reactions are derived from the soil in which they are planted.

The makeup of the soil determines a plant’s water, nitrogen and phosphorous content, as well as its alkalinity, acidity and much more. Keeping all these factors in the proper balance is of utmost importance to the health of your herbs. Plants grown in outdoor soil have nature on their side and may require only a little bit of assistance from the gardener. On the other hand, the soil makeup present in a container garden is completely determined by the grower and may be altered to suit the needs of particular plants. Lavender likes good drainage and dry, alkaline soil, and sage can suffer root rot if the soil is kept too wet.

The needs of your plants should determine the type of soil you grow them in. Soils may range from sandy to clay-like, with many variations in between. Soils that are rich in clay tend to hold and retain water, while sandy soils, made up of glass-like particles called silicates, allow for better air flow and allow water to drain through them easily.

Most herbs are happiest with a mix of both soils, and you can vary the mixture to suit your particular plant. Sage, for example, likes drier, sandier soils, while peppermint thrives in a moist, clay-rich soil. A good compost can help with the soil balancing act.

Both airborne and underground pests are a consideration when growing herbs, but the proper soil maintenance can keep your plants strong enough to deter most of them. In fact, many herbs are pest-resistant when properly cared for.

Planting chives, mint, basil and cilantro around your roses and vegetables can help keep aphids away, and basil can also stave off tomato hornworm attacks. Sometimes, though, the balance becomes more tricky, and you must determine what you want to attract and repel. If you want to keep beetles away, dill and yarrow will attract the parasitic wasps that feed on them, but then you have the wasps to contend with.

Because tomato hornworms also love dill, the herb is often used as a “trap crop,” meaning you can grow it so that the worms will eat it instead of your tomatoes. Of course, using this method ensures your dill won’t last very long. Many herb gardeners deal with such dilemmas by carefully using pesticides that harm the pests that certain herbs attract. These chemicals must be used carefully, though, if you plan to use your herbs as food seasonings. Even pesticides deemed “safe” on indoor houseplantscan accumulate to toxic amounts over time.

So perhaps your best bet to fend off herb pests is to keep your plants strong and healthy through proper soil maintenance.

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When it comes to home decorating, choosing the plants that will take up residence alongside the furniture is often a more difficult proposition than the choosing of the furniture itself. Plants come in such a wide variety of colors, sizes and styles that they can single-handedly provide a touch of unique flavor and warmth to a room that furniture simply can’t accomplish. This lead to rise in artificial plants, as homeowners sought to outfit their homes with this touch of flavor, while avoiding the upkeep involved in doing gardening, often seen as too time consuming and difficult.

With the right schedule and planning though, indoor plant care requires very little effort, and gives your house added benefits beyond the mere aesthetic value of artificial plants by being a natural vacuum cleaner of your air supply.

If you don’t know the first thing about indoor gardening but would like to get started, these are some of the most important pointers for you to consider.

Lighting - As even the most egregious of gardening neophytes surely knows, plants require varying degrees of sunlight to survive. Based on your plant choice, a suitable area of the house will also need to be selected, providing your plant with the just the right amount of UV. In the absolute absence of such light in your ideal area for a plant, you can always resorting to moving it for stretches of the day, or setting up an artificial light source near it to keep it healthy. Plants that are easily kept in areas with minimal natural lighting include the African Violet and the philodendron.

Watering - Like above, it’s common knowledge that plants need water. What isn’t common knowledge is how much water each plant needs, and a common practice is to over-water house plants, which can be just as harmful as under-watering them. A simple bit of research will tell you how much or how little to give to your plant. Learning how to care for a peace lilly is a great education primer on plant care.

Potting - All indoor plants require placement in pots or containers of some sort. The pot should be neither too restrictive, nor too broad, and should always be clean with fresh soil when you add your plant to it.

Humidity - Many homes and even outdoor areas are too dry for the liking of plants. For this reason it may be a good idea to spray your plants leaves gently with a water bottle, and even outdoor plants can benefit from this practice.

Fertilization - This will be dependent upon the individual plant, like most of the above options. Fertilization is ideal for helping plants to maintain themselves with less constant care from you. If you’re following the above steps, fertilizer will probably not be necessary, but if you would like to take advantage of its potential, you’ll again need to base the decision of what type of fertilizer to use on your specific plant.

These easy tips can help you maintain a bevy of indoor plants with ease, giving you their decorative aspects and their air cleaning quality as well. That feeling of nurturing life is also an added bonus, and a great reason to get your kids into gardening as well.

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One of the great things about outdoor plants is they require very little attention. They gather all of the nutrients they need from the surrounding air and soil, and in an environment that is anything but arid, require very little to no feeding. This is in contrast to indoor plants, which require a thoughtful and constant eye from the gardener. If you’re not careful though, even outdoor plants can suffer if not properly setup and looked after.

Fertilizers come with varying concentrations of three key elements, Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium, and the degree to which each element exists in a particular fertilizer is displayed on the packaging, abbreviated as three numbers separated by dashes. 10-10-10, an equal mixture of all three elements is common, but many other mixtures can be found to suit individual plants or patches of garden.

Each plant species will require different amounts of these elements to thrive, and just as they can wilt under too little of these elements, so too can they suffer if given an overdose of the wrong element. The season will also affect the needs of many plants, with flowering plants requiring more sustenance in spring while they grow, and less in the fall.

Plants also absorb this fertilizer at differing rates. Fertilizer with slow-release nitrogen beads is often ideal, as they deliver material below the surface at a steady rate.

Phosphorus is essential for flowering plants, and is tied in with the pH level, or acidity of the soil. This pH scale functions on a scale from 0-14, with 7, the pH level of water being neutral. The lower on the scale, the more acidic the compound is, the higher on the scale the more basic.

If soil is either too basic or too acidic, it can affect an indoor houseplant’s absorption and release of phosphorus, inhibiting plant growth, especially the growth of roots.

The finally element, potassium helps fight diseases and also promotes the development of fruit bearing plants. It aids fruit growth and development by transporting elements throughout the tissues of the plant.

Another convenient fertilizer option is to go with an all purpose liquid, which works with a number of different plants, effectively delivering an even level of fertilizer. For some plants with higher absorption rates though, this method may result in delivering elements to the plant too quickly, potentially poisoning the plant.

Whichever method and degree of fertilizer you choose, always be sure to apply the fertilizer to dry soil. Applying the fertilizer to wet soil can lead to an increased concentration of elements and damage the plant.

New plants will not need fertilizer after purchase in most cases, save for flowering plants in spring. All others should be fine to begin with if they were properly maintained at the gardening center before purchase.

Through careful soil and element manipulation, you can ensure your plants will survive and thrive under almost any condition, and with a minimal level of further upkeep required. Be sure to read the labels on your plants, or consult someone with a knowledge of the plant to ascertain its ideal fertilizer choice.

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The majority of indoor plants need a healthy dose of light to process their food and survive. Natural light may not always be an option though, especially if you’re keeping plants in a finished basement, or other area of the house that doesn’t have a good degree of natural lighting. In these situations there’s no need to bemoan the fate of your plant, as artificial lights offer a great alternative to natural light.

These lighting sources come in different colors and are measured through a light meter. What sunlight provides to plants are UVB and UVA rays, which are necessary for them to manufacture food. Unfortunately, sunlight does not always cooperate with our wishes and penetrate into areas it can’t reach, or even make appearances at all on some days. This makes artificial lights a great choice for plants stuck in low light areas, as well as a temporary fix on overcast days for plants in areas of the house that would normally get sunlight.

Indoor lights come in a variety of models. Incandescent lights can be used to illuminate any darkened area, and supply plants with a good degree of light, but these lights also give off plenty of heat, which may not be suitable for small rooms or enclosed areas. These lights are perfect for a basement area.

Next are fluorescent lights, which are cheaper than incandescent lights, but take more effort to install and ready. These lights also have models specifically designed for plant growth called plant growth lights, making them the perfect choice for just that.

Finally, HID lights are the costliest and hottest lights of the bunch. These lights emit a high intensity beam that covers the entire spectrum of light that a plant could possibly need. In most instances these lights will need to be kept a good distance from the plant, even with easy to care for house plants as the heat discharged by these lights are very likely to cause a plant to wilt. Having these lights on for long stretches of time in a small room could also cause it to become unbearably hot. These are also ideal for basements.

The lack of heat emission and cheap price point make fluorescent lights the best choice in most cases, though your individual situation may dictate choosing one of the other styles. Whichever you end up going with, you’ll have taken the fickle nature of Mother Nature out of play, and ensured your plants will grow strong no matter where they’re located.

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If you have a green thumb, you will love greenhouse gardening. In a greenhouse, you have complete control over the conditions that your plants grow in. You can grow some of the most beautiful plants available in a greenhouse. It doesn’t take a massive building to have a successful greenhouse. The space can be small or large, depending on your needs. If you have had a successful backyard garden, you will probably find even more success in a greenhouse. Being able to control the temperature is the largest advantage to growing in a greenhouse.

You may wonder how a greenhouse can really help you. One of the main reasons is so you can grow plants during the winter. Being able to produce flowers in this time of year that is often grey and dull can lift your spirits very quickly. It?s amazing what colorful flowers can do. In addition, a greenhouse can protect plants through the winter that will be used to grow more plants in the spring to populate and outdoor garden.

Greenhouse Gardening - Great and Beautiful Rewards

If you want to start growing plants directly from seeds, the controlled environment of a greenhouse is the perfect place to try. Starting from seeds will save money while providing you with the same end result. A greenhouse is also the best place to grow rare exotic plants, since you can mimic their natural conditions. There is no need to fight against cold, harsh weather or dry conditions.

If you want to be able to provide fresh vegetables all year long, a greenhouse may be the way to make that a reality. You can produce top quality vegetables, even in the winter. It is fulfilling to grow your own food.

If you want to experiment or teach children about gardening along with some tips on houseplant care, the greenhouse is a great option. You will be amazed with the high quality plants you can cultivate. If you are serious about gardening, building a greenhouse will be a great asset to you.

How to Dry Herbs and Retain Their Quality

No doubt that, herbs are considered compliment to most of recipes. Purchasing herbs from the shelves of supermarkets means getting products of lower quality that are stored for a long term. Consequently, knowing how to dry herbs from your own garden is to get the best quality.

One of the easiest ways to dry herbs is to air dry them and this slow drying process which doesn’t rob the herbs of their natural oils, works best with herbs that don’t have a high moisture content, like oregano, bay, and thyme.

How to Air Dry Herbs

It can cut herbs in the mid morning, as soon as confirming that the dew has dried. It must remove any insect damage or disease leaves. Herbs can put under cool water. Four or five small bundles of the herbs may be made. They may tied with string or using a band of rubber. Herbs bundles can be hanged in a ventilated place and left to be dried.

To use paper bags in drying herbs is a good method. The paper may be punched firstly. Put the small bundles of herbs into the paper bags and hang them. A couple of weeks later, you can check your herbs and see that they are dried completely.

How to Dry Herbs Using a Dehydrator

If a food dehydrator or freezing are used, drying of herbs including more moisture will be best. A dehydrator is a best way of drying. It is quicker and easiest way that maintains the herbs’ high quality and control of air circulating and temperature as well. Drying times are varied according to moisture contents. Also leaves’ thickness and quantities of drying per a time are reasons of different times of drying. As soon as the leaves are crisp, and stems brittle herbs can be dried.

Storing the Dried Herbs

Store herbs after having dried, is important in order to maintain their freshness. There are many methods to store herbs, such as small plastic bags or jars. It must avoid light and heat. As soon as learning the ways of drying herbs, it will be considered as the first step towards being skillful cookers.