I confess. I am addicted to plants. I want to have one of everything I can find. I want more plants even when I am out of space. Every new or different plant I see calls my name!
Does the above statement sound like something you could say? Do you find yourself buying new plants even though you don't really need them? Learn from my experiences with this addiction. Going to work in a floral department was probably the worst job I could have acquired. I found myself searching our new stock each week for something new to bring home. However, I forgot the very basics of selecting plants. Read on to learn how I brought my addiction to plants under control.
How to Choose A Plant
Here are some basic guidelines for selecting new plants for your home.
1. Do you actually have space for them? If you don't have such a space, you DON'T need another plant.
2. If you satisfy the requirements in step one, evaluate the light situation for the empty space available. Is it a dark corner in a living room? Centerpiece for a dining room table? Which direction does the window face? Will you need supplemental light for the plant to thrive in its new home?
3. Identify the plants that will fit your light situation best. Most houseplant books list low light, medium light and high light plants. Plant identification tags (if you are lucky enough to find them) will also give you this information in addition to water, temperature and heat requirements.
4. Determine how much time you wish to devote to taking care of your plant collection. Do you like to fuss over plants? Do you need plants that will take care of themselves? Are you an overwaterer or underwaterer? With one exception, which is explained in step five, there is a plant for virtually every situation.
5. Think about the purpose of buying a plant for your home. If you want a centerpiece plant for the center of your dining room table in a room that receives very little light -- either natural or supplemental -- do yourself a favor and buy a nice artificial plant arrangement.
6. How do you want to grow your plants? Hydroponically? Under lights? In individual pots or in large planters? In terrariums? Your answers here will determine which plant species you should purchase.
Analyze your Current Plant Collection
I used the above 6 steps to analyze my own overcrowded jungle. Since I anticipate moving to a single bedroom townehouse in the next two years, I know there will be less room for plants. I anticipate having to reduce my current plant collection to those needing low lights or those small enough to fit on lighted plant stands such as those pictured here. Plants that are filtered out in this step fail to meet guidelines 1 2, and 3 above for selecting plants. Therefore, discard them or give them to a good friend with a friendlier environment for those plants species.
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