House plants! Myths busted!
We get a lot of customers dropping in every week looking for advice on how to best care for their house plants! The simple truth is less is more!
Most house plants such as Kentia Palm, Dracena, Yucca and Ficus, come with care instructions including best position, how much water to give etc. However, over the years here we have found through experience that these rules of care have worked best for us!
Stop Killing Your Plants with Kindness
We are all guilty of it, over watering. The biggest cause of plant death in my opinion. We see it time and time again, plants sitting in water that has gathered in the bottom of the container, rotting the roots and saturating the soil. The majority of indoor plants thrive in dry soil with sporadic watering! Good drainage in the bottom of the pot will help also. They are not exposed to the elements such as the sun & wind like their outdoor counterparts and so, do not need to be constantly watered. Our advice? pick a day, first of the month lets say, and water your indoor plants on this day only! They’ll thank you for it.
Give them a wash
Plants as we all know, breath through their leaves right? So it makes sense to keep the foliage clean! We too would find it hard to breath if we were covered in a layer of dust! Our advice? Take advantage of this mild weather and bring your houseplants outside for a water fight! Put the gentle sprinkle on your hose and give them all a good wash down. Avoid soaking the soil and let them dry in the shade so as not to discolour the leaves. In the colder months, a wipe with a clean damp cloth once a month, will do the same job.
Right Plant, Right Place!
When you buy a houseplant, chances are its been grown and kept in optimal conditions so don’t be surprised if it gets a shock when you bring it home. Some leaf drop with the likes of Ficus is to be expected as they do not like to be moved. So pick the right plant for the right spot and leave it there! Our advice? As a general rule, plants with lighter foliage do well in a light position and darker foliages do better in less well lit areas. For full sun positions such as conservatories, seek some advice from your local florist for the right plants! That’s what we are here for!
Don’t be afraid to prune!
It is totally natural to find brown or yellow leaves or bare branches over time on most indoor plants. Don’t be afraid to remove these, as they are most likely to never recover! In fact, pruning the dead weight encourages new growth. Similarly, if you plant is getting too big for its boots so to speak, keep him in check with some strategic pruning. Our Advice? Prune out some of the older growth to make room for the new! Remove any dead flowers as they finish. Don’t prune back too hard though without advice, as you could kill the plant!
Do NOT water your indoor plants with tea/coffee! It attracts flies and pesky greenfly!
Hope this was helpful to some of you and remember we are here to answer any queries you have anytime. Just drop us and email (info@oasisflorists.ie),give us a ring (01)4900112 or pop in and see us for a chat or advice when you need to! And remember to keep an eye on social media for special offers and updates on new and interesting plants and flowers in store weekly!
