Gardeners make repotting more complicated than it needs to be and in the process, they have created all kinds of myths about the process. It’s time to simplify repotting and bust the myths around it.
Streptocarpus seeds are some of the tiniest you will ever sow but they are also very easy to germinate if you follow these simple instructions.
Streptocarpus are becoming popular houseplants and for good reason. They are relatively easy to grow, they don’t need high light and they bloom all year long in the right conditions.
How much light do they need?
Ideal conditions for Streptocarpus are at or above these values:
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There are so many types of fertilizer that it’s hard to know which one to use. Which NPK ratio is best? Is one brand better than another? Organic vs synthetic. Soluble vs slow release. This all seems so complicated, but in this post, I will simplify the whole process of selecting the best fertilizer.
Watering indoor plants seems to be one of the most complicated things for new gardeners to learn, which is surprising since it’s really simple. The problem is that a lot of the information out there makes the subject complicated and it gives new gardeners bad advice.
In this post I am going to give you some simple rules that work for any houseplant and makes watering easy. I’ll help you decide when to water and show you the best way to do it.
Everyone loves poinsettias at Christmas but are they toxic to cats and dogs? What about people? Many websites include the plant on their “toxic Christmas plants list.
It is winter, and time to close up our homes to keep the heat in and the cold winds out. It is also the perfect time to buy some more houseplants because, if you believe all of the headlines, they will purify the air in your home. This is especially important during the winter months when we keep the doors and windows shut.
Do plants purify the air in our home?
Google showed almost 4 million hits when I asked this question. The good news is that the top of the list shows my previous blog post – and it answers the question correctly. Almost all of the other 4 million hits give the wrong answer.
The first hybrid streptocarpus was released in 1946 and since then hundreds of new cultivars have been developed and yet few people are familiar with them. I predict that will change. Streps are easy to grow house plants that can flower all year long. What other house plant gives you that much star power in a small package? They are even better than orchids because they flower more and are easier to take care of.
However, even this lesser-known houseplant has started to generate some gardening myths. Let’s have a look at some here.
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.
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.
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?
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?
