Houseplants Archives - Page 2 of 3 - gardenmyths.com

An Introduction To Streptocarpus Houseplants

Streptocarpus are not commonly available and most gardeners either have not heard of them or they know very little about them. I was one of these gardeners not that long ago but now that I have some experience with them I can’t believe they aren’t more popular. They grow in fairly low light, are easy to take care of and flower 12 months of the year. They are also available in hundreds of colors and flower shapes including singles, doubles, straight and frilly-edged. Some of the newer hybrids don’t even look like streptocarpus. In this post, I will introduce you to streps, as they are commonly called.

Streptocarpus 'Grape Ice', source: Streptocarpus.ca — Streptocarpus ‘Grape Ice’, source: Streptocarpus.ca

If you like this post, please share .......

Flowering Orchids Is Easy If You Know What Triggers Them?

Orchids are one of the most popular houseplants because they are easy to grow and flower – for some of us. But many people struggle to get them to re-bloom a second time. Over the years I have heard a number of myths for reblooming orchids and I have even been guilty of passing some of these on to others. In this post I will separate myth from real science to better understand how best to flower orchids.

Flowering Orchids is Easy if You Know What Triggers Them?

If you like this post, please share .......

Do Potted Plants Produce VOCs in Your Home?

I have written extensively showing that plants do not clean the air in your home, and now new studies suggest that they actually produce VOCs that pollute the air. Not only that, but plastic pots and microbes in the soil make the problem even worse.

Should you get rid of your houseplants to have cleaner air in your home and office?

Do Potted Plants Cause Air Pollution in Your Home? — Do Potted Plants Cause Air Pollution in Your Home?, credit: ETonline

If you like this post, please share .......

Growing Orchids in Water Culture – Is It A Good Idea?

I first came across water culture for orchids about 5 years ago. My immediate reaction was horror. I’ve been growing orchids for over 30 years and the thing that kills more orchids than anything else is overwatering. Now people suggest submersing the roots in water full time – that’s crazy – or is it?

Some people seem to be able to grow them well in water. The picture below is a large glass vessel containing several phalaenopsis orchids in water culture and they seem to be doing well. I am also part of a Facebook group dedicated to orchid water culture and I have personally tried both full and semi-water culture. In this post I will review the pros and cons of the technique and give you my impressions. I will answer the question, is this a good technique for growing orchids?

Growing Orchids in Water Culture - Is it A Good Idea? — Growing Orchids in Water Culture – Is it A Good Idea?

If you like this post, please share .......

Selecting the Best Potting Soil and Potting Mix

While creating some videos about potting soil (links below) I reviewed a lot of commercial products, looking at both ingredients and marketing claims. What a mess out there! It’s no wonder gardeners are confused when they go out an buy a potting mix. I created this post to try and bring some clarity to the situation.

I will go through a process of selecting a good product while pointing out the important issues and showing you what marketing gibberish you can ignore. This discussion applies to potting soil for houseplants, outdoor containers and starting seeds.

Selecting the Best Potting Soil and Potting Mix, credit: Pistils Nursery

If you like this post, please share .......

How To Debug Plants Before Bringing Them Indoors

Growing marginally hardy or non-hardy plants in cold climates usually involves growing them in containers and moving them indoors before winter. Everyone loves to see houseplants flourish when grown outside during warmer months – but no one likes bugs hitchhiking back inside! Fortunately, there are ways to remove unwelcome insects before they enter your home.

How To Debug Plants Before Bringing Them Indoors — How To Debug Plants Before Bringing Them Indoors, Credit: Vadim Kaipov

If you like this post, please share .......

Orchid Fertilizer Myths – Grow More Flowers

There is a lot of information floating around about fertilizing orchids, but much of it is wrong. For example, the whole concept of “orchid fertilizer” is a myth because there is no such thing.

It’s time that orchid growers understand fertilizers better. It will benefit your plants and save you money.

Orchid Fertilizer Myths - Grow More Flowers — Orchid Fertilizer Myths – Grow More Flowers

If you like this post, please share .......

15 Cactus Myths – Learn to Enjoy Your Spiny Friend

Cactus are very weird plants. They almost never have leaves. They sit there and do nothing for a good part of the year. They don’t flower – or do they? If you are old enough to remember all of the cowboy movies on TV, you are sure to know that you can always stop by a cactus and get a drink.

My first foray into horticulture was a collection of over 100 different cactus, under lights in my bedroom. At that time I went to Europe, in part to see “native cacti”. I’ve grafted them, and even grown them from seed. Fast forward 40 years, and I still have a cactus growing in the garden (zone 5).

For this post I have collected together all of the cactus myths that I could find. Enjoy.

Golden barrel cactus source: Pamla J. Eisenberg — 15 Cactus Myths, Golden barrel cactus source: Pamla J. Eisenberg

If you like this post, please share .......

Fake Orchids – How to Convert Ugly White Orchids Into Blue, Orange and Even Green Ones

Orchids are one of the most beautiful flowering houseplants you can buy and yet they are just not good enough – according to some people. Commercial growers have found a way to add even more color to them so that you can enjoy blue, orange and even green orchids.

How is it done, and how long does the color last?

Blue Orchids - Are they Real or Dyed? — Blue Orchids – Are they Real or Dyed?

If you like this post, please share .......

Why Can’t You Trust Gardening Information on the Internet – Using a Ghost Writer

Why can’t you trust gardening information on the Internet? As part of my effort to bust gardening myths, I also try to understand how the myths are created in the first place.

I decided to run a test to illustrate why gardening information on the internet can’t be trusted. I hired someone to write an article on how to flower indoor plants more. How accurate will the information be? Will it be suitable for posting on one of my blogs?

Why Are So Many Gardening Websites Wrong? — Why Can’t You Trust Gardening Information on the Internet?

If you like this post, please share .......

How to Get Indoor Plants to Bloom More

There is nothing like flowers in winter time but indoor plants don’t always cooperate and bloom well. Why? What can be done to make them bloom better?

In this post I’ll help you play detective and figure out how to get your houseplants to bloom more.

How to Get Indoor Plants to Bloom More — How to Get Indoor Plants to Bloom More, Streptocarpus, photo by Nzfauna

If you like this post, please share .......

21 Common Indoor Plant Myths – That Save You Time and Money

The popularity of indoor plants has skyrocketed in the last year and so have the myths surrounding them. I have gathered a long list of common houseplant myths to save you the trouble of making mistakes and getting into bad habits. Each myth has a brief description, and where appropriate, a link to a more detailed discussion.

Growing indoor plants is fairly easy if you take some time to research the plant you are growing and follow some basic rules. Don’t get sucked into internet hype about new ways to deal with problems. Experienced gardeners keep things simple.

Common Houseplant Myths That Save You Time and Help Plants Grow Better — Common Houseplant Myths That Save You Time and Help Plants Grow Better, photo by Proline

If you like this post, please share .......