START THE YEAR WITH HAPPY HOUSEPLANTS

We get a lot of questions about looking after houseplants at this time of year. Many people feel the need to fill the gap left by taking their Christmas tree down with other indoor greenery. Houseplants are a brilliant way of adding a calming presence to any room – plus they have lots of health benefits too – perfect for creating a good start to the new year.

If you have a houseplant it should have come with a care label. If it did make sure you have a read to see what amount of light and temperature the plant likes. If you don’t have a label then please feel free to ask one of our team for some advice when you next visit in store.

The main killer of houseplants during the winter is over watering. We often get concerned when the soil looks dry and because we are heating our houses. Whilst you can kill plants from lack of water, during the winter a plant’s watering needs will reduce. To check if a plant needs water put your finger down the side of the pot. If it feels dry about an inch below the surface and if the pot feels light then a water is necessary. If the pot is heavy though, leave it a day or two before checking again. It’s easier to bring a plant back from lack of water than overwatering! Nearly all foliage plants need high humidity levels around their leaves, to achieve this you can use a hand held mister and mist daily or stand your pot in a saucer filled with damp pebbles/chippings. As long as your pot isn’t sat in water your plant will love the moist air that will come as the water evaporates upwards.

If you have a flowering houseplant, remove any flowers that are faded and going over. Whilst a plant is flowering a weekly to fortnightly feed with a flowering houseplant fertiliser is also a good idea.

If you fancy treating yourself to a new plant, looking good in our houseplant section at the moment are:

Chamaedorea elegans

Ctenanthe

Gynura

Spathiphyllum Cupido
Dieffenbachia Compacta
Alocasia Pink Passion