Relentless rain has pretty much scuppered any ideas that we may have had for our outside gardens but one thing it can't do is ruin our inside planting in saying that if you are lucky enough to have a greenhouse or polytunnel do watch out for moulds and mildew with all this damp around.
This article however is about how to make the most of your houseplants, some of the common problems and how to remedy them.
So what are the main issues people find with houseplants?
Over and under watering.
Underwatering
I know I am guilty of this, life happens and the poor plant in the corner is forgotten about until on passing I notice that its usual perky self is looking tired and droopy.
It is easily spotted by wilting leaves with quite often crisp brown edges. To be sure just touch the surrounding soil with your hand. Or lift the pot and if it's extremely light it no doubt needs water.
The best way to revive an underwatered plant is to place the whole pot in about 2 inches of water or a 5th of the pot for half an hour. After the soil has replenished place back to it's spot and get back into a regular watering routine. Bear in mind it may take a week or two for it to fully recover.
Certain pests also thrive in underwatered soil the spider mite being one, so if you spot a spider mite problem no doubt drought is the issue.
Overwatering
A common problem for new plant owners.
After putting a lot of effort into choosing plants and placing them often enthusiastic house gardeners will be overly generous with water not realising the damage being done.
The problem may be caused by lack of drainage, so when buying pots or plants make sure there are drainage holes in the bottom.
As with underwatering there are certain pests that love the damp soil conditions caused by overwatering, fruit flies are a dead give away. If you notice an abundance of them you can be sure overwatering is the issue.
Mould and mildew on the leaves is another sign which can also be accompanied by a musty smell in the house.
Leaf drop (not droop) also occurs especially with new growth.
Sadly plants do not always make a good come back with overwatering as their root system may have rotted making overwatering the main cause of plant death.
If you do spot it in time the best thing to do is let the plant dry out and then cut back on the watering frequency.
Checking the dampness of the soil with your hand every time is the best way to go, if the soil is still very moist don't water it.
Pot Bound!
As plants grow so do their root systems if it's pot is not big enough it will start
to suffer. Symptoms of this are wilting, browning and stunted growth as it can't get the water or nutrients it needs.
You can visibly tell if it is pot bound by lifting up the pot and seeing whether there are roots poking through or tangled through the drainage holes sometimes the pots maybe be cracked or bent out of shape in severe cases.
To fix this problem you must repot the plant in a suitably larger size. When repotting you can gently untangle and loosen the root ball with your hand before placing in a high grade soil such as Peat Free Houseplant Potting Mix 8L and water well (making sure of sufficient drainage holes).
Just like your outdoor plants houseplants love a treat, a hassle free way to feed your plants is with the Houseplant Droplet Feeder 40ml just snip off the end and place in the soil, you can then forget about it safely for 4 weeks.
To add nutrition to your watering routine Westland Houseplant Feed 200ml every second water in the spring/summer and then every fourth in the winter will encourage vibrant growth and plenty of blooms on your flowering plants.
Happy House planting!
Sophie x
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