Are you sad and feeling sick? - Aug 04, 2017
The air in your house could be killing you?
Dear gardening friends
Scientists have discovered that green is good for you. We've all known that, but now RMIT University has analysed research from around the world and made it easy to understand.
Air borne toxins are created by paints, furniture finishes, carpets and air pollution.
If you put one indoor plant in a room 5x4 metres it will reduce the air pollution by 25%. The more plants you have the cleaner your air will be.
Studies have also found that plants don't just clean the air and look good, they also make you feel happier. The first few plants give a limited benefit but once you get a collection your wellbeing increases quickly.
I grew up in the 70s when every house was full of plants. Australian Crawl wrote a famous song with the lyrics "you know the gardens full of furniture, the house is full of plants".
In 1970 my bedroom was full of plants. I was still going to school and my bedroom looked like a jungle. It was this interaction with house plants that made me realise that perhaps I could choose this as career.
I had no trouble growing plants because my bedroom had South and Western facing windows so the room was flooded with light. Indoor plants need light so if you go off to work every day and close all your curtains, then unless you have Sky lights, your plants will never grow.
I did a post on Facebook this week and a lot of followers said they killed all their indoor plants. Why do indoor plants die?
Here is my advice.
Indoor plants need light so you can't put them where you think a plant would look nice, you put them where a plant will get light. That means they grow best near windows.
Not every plant you find in a nursery is suitable for inside. Even the plants that are inside the shop aren't always indoor plants.
Alexander Palms, Bangalow Palms and Golden Cane Palms are not indoor plants.
Kentia Palms are the best indoor Palms and they are used extensively by the Indoor Plant Hire Industry. They cost more than all the other Palms mentioned above but they survive so they are cheaper in the long run.
I've had a Kentia Palm in my office at home for 10 years. It's huge now and my office looks like a jungle now too.
Madonna lilies or Peace Lilies are super tough too. These lush green plants have beautiful white flowers if they get enough light. If they don't they will still produce the lovely green leaves.
Happy Plants are one of my favourite indoor plants. They have yellow and green striped leaves. My parents have had one of these inside their house for 30 years!!!!
They can produce a sickly sweat flower and the Chinese believe that if your plant flowers, then you could become rich.
When you buy an indoor plant they have to be repotted into a bigger pot straight away.
If you don't repot then the plants go into decline and often get attacked by Mealy bugs. These white cotton wool like insects suck the nutrients out of the leaves and make your plants very sick.
Unfortunately many brands of Potting mix being sold today are such poor quality your plants will never grow. We have done trials here to prove it. Don't buy chain store Potting mix even if it's Premium Australian Standard. Suppliers are cutting costs to get the business and now plants don't grow in it.
Repot your indoor plants into a bigger pot.
It has to be at least 25% bigger. Make sure the pot has a hole in the bottom for drainage. Some pots don't have holes. These are called Cover Pots. You sit the plastic pot in this so it looks nicer. If you buy a cover pot you need to repot your plant into a bigger plastic pot.
Don't let water sit for more than an hour or so in saucers or cover pots. Poor drainage causes your plants to get root rot.
If you buy a plant and a pot from us we will repot it for you using Tim's Best Potting Mix for free. We only offer this service for small pots. We gift wrap for free too. New Ceramic pots have arrived that look amazing. They have saucers too.
Check them out in the photos.
Water your indoor plants once a week.
Give them a big drink, not a sip.
If the leaves start to droop, water again.
Poke your finger in the Potting mix. If the mix is dry you need to water.
Pot bound plants get attacked by insects so keep your plants healthy by repotting them as they grow.
Fertilise your plants in Spring and Autumn with Tim's Fast Food. This keeps them nice and green.
Never put indoor plants out in the rain or they will get sunburnt.
Put them in the shower if you want to freshen up the foliage by washing off the dust.
Cyclamen are not great indoor plants unless you put them in a room that has no heating. Cyclamen love the cold and they will drop dead if it gets too hot.
I've had this red flowering one inside my house for two months. It's beautiful. I water it when the leaves just start to droop.
Indoor plants are a necessity in today's toxic houses so come and see us for advice on the best indoor plants.
Happy gardening
Tim