Houseplants Under Lights

Lesson 4: Proper Plant Selection and Care

Refresher on Selecting and Repotting Plants

Select several plants that interest you. Read about the cultural needs of each of the plants you are thinking about purchasing. Choose one plant to start with. List its special needs below: Special Note: Please don't rely on plant tags. These are frequently generalized.

Type of potting media to use:

Moisture requirements:

Light requirements:

Fertilizer needs:

With your light garden, can you realistically expect to grow this plant successfully? If no, select another plant. If yes, it is time to purchase a plant (either for first time, or just adding to your existing collection). Review the following checklist when searching for your new plant.

Houseplant Buying Checklist

Signs of a Good Plant: healthy foliage, moist potting media, appropriate size for your light garden.

Problems to Avoid: Insect damage, mushy or rotten root system (yes, pull the plant out of its pot to see - ask the store for permission first); soggy potting media.

Buyers beware: if one or more your answers to the above problem questions is yes, don't purchase the plant. The plant is already under stress due to poor treatment in the store. Always look for a clearly healthy plant. Don't try "bargain or marked down plants" unless you have prior experience rescuing plants. They're usually just a waste of money.

Transplanting

Tools needed: a small piece of nylon window screen to cover the drainage hole in the pot, Plant, potting media, kitchen tongs, protective gloves, planter or other container.

Procedure: Gently remove the plant from its pot. Wash the roots off carefully to remove all of the potting media. Place a small piece of screen over the drainage hole in the pot or container. Place a layer of the potting media in the bottom of the pot. Depth of layer is determined by the size of the root ball. Gently place the plant in the pot, holding it so the base of the plant isn't more than ½ to 1" below the planter's top edge. Sift potting media down into the root area and gently tap the base of the pot on a hard surface to make sure the roots are fully covered. Air pockets may kill the plant. If you are going to use the wick watering method, please refer to Chapter 4 and follow those directions for potting a plant. Finish filling the planter with potting media to within ½ to 1" of its top edge. Use your fingers to gently firm the soil down. Water the plant with lukewarm water and set it aside to drain completely. Move the plant to its new growing area.

NOTE: Do not add any fertilizer for a month after potting up your new plant. This gives the feeder roots time to recover or regrow from the shock of transplanting. If you prepared the plant for wick watering, don't put fertilizer in the water storage container for a month.

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