Come home to the plants

Indoor plants with masses of lush green foliage liven up dull spots in your home and office.

Whether it's an elegant areca palm with its gently arching fronds or a robust philodendron standing tall in a terracot pot — indoor plants add colour, texture and height to any indoor setting.

Since temperature is not an issue inside the cool confines of an air-conditioned setting, you can grow a wide selection of indoor plants with a minimum of fuss.

There are lots of small trees, shrubs, succulents, cacti, bulbs and climbing and trailing plants that will thrive indoors, provided you are prepared to pay attention to their basic requirements.

In the absence of the right growing conditions, even the most expensive and sturdy-looking plant may gradually turn into a yellowing eyesore before it eventually dies.

Visual impact

Selecting the right indoor plants to set off the décor is as important as choosing the right furnishings or paintings.

You may simply want one or two large plants to brighten the corners or may wish to have a jungle-like setting with an assorted collection of tall palms, trailing ivies, hanging bird's nest ferns and climbers.

It goes without saying that the larger the plant, the more will be its visual impact. A single large specimen plant such a tall ficus tree (Ficus benjamina) can serve as the focal point around which smaller plants and ornamental accents can be clustered.

If you want more colours besides green, go for plants such as the Flamingo flower (Anthurium) with a bright red spathe or the Scarlet Star (Guzmania lingulata) bearing a central rosette of red bracts.

Indoor plants such as coleus and croton have leaves as colourful as flowers — but they need plenty of light to retain their bright colours.

As for containers, traditional terracotta pots are always appealing, but glazed china, stoneware or solid metal containers can help emphasise a theme.

Regardless of which plants you choose, you need to pay attention to their basic needs. If your plants are looking lacklustre and out of shape, it's not too late to revive them to their original glory.

In an air-conditioned setting, the key factors that decide the fate of your indoor plants are light, water and humidity.

Most of the popular houseplants originally come from the tropical regions and that is why they enjoy plenty of indirect light, reasonably high humidity, uniform temperature and proper watering.

However, the individual requirements may vary from plant to plant, and that is why it is important to carefully read the plant care labels when you buy a new plant, even if it means using a magnifying lens to read the small print.

Right light

If sunlight is the primary source of light, place all indoor plants with medium to high light requirements close to the windows so that they receive adequate light.

Plants that are beginning to appear spindly decidedly need more light. An indoor area that does not have enough light for comfortable reading is usually too dark to support the growth of even shade-loving ferns.

Houseplants vary considerably in their light requirements — but most of them need indirect rather than direct light for growth.

While plants such as jade plant, rubber plant, coleus, asparagus etc will perform best under bright light conditions, plants like ferns, areca palm, philodendron etc can endure moderate to low light conditions.

In general, plants with variegated foliage such as croton, coleus, dieffenbachia (dumb cane), pothos (money plant), spider plants etc need more light than plain green foliage plants.

When kept in low light conditions, variegaed plants tend to lose their leaf colour.

Most cacti and succulents need full sun, but even sun-loving species can be scorched by strong midday sun when placed right next to a south-facing window.

Although sunlight usually gives the best results, broad-spectrum fluorescent tubes or commercial grow lights can effectively substitute natural light in settings that receive limited sunlight.

When placed 6-14 inches above the plants, an artificial, fluorescent tube will fulfil the medium light requirements of foliage plants.

Plants grown near windows should be turned regularly to ensure they receive light on all sides for uniform growth.

Watering

To water or not to water is a dilemma faced by most plant lovers.
Sometimes we love our plants so much we choke them to death with our overflowing care.

Over-watering is the main cause of death among most indoor plants. If your plants are looking decidedly sick with symptoms such as wilting, leaf fall, yellow leaves, brown leaf tips etc., you probably have given them more water than is good for their health.

Or it could be the other way round. Unfortunately, the symptoms of over-watering and under-watering are quite similar — both lead to root decline and eventual death of the plant.

The rule-of-green-thumb is to water when the potting mixture feels dry to the touch.

To test this, insert your finger into the potting mix about two inches deep.
If the tip of your finger feels dry, the plant needs watering.

Water thoroughly and allow the excess water to drain into a saucer.
Empty the saucer — do not leave the plant standing in a saucer full of water, as it would cause the roots to rot.

Watering needs may vary from plant to plant, so always check the label for individual water requirements for more insight.

Humidity

Many tropical plants such as ferns, philodendron, fittonia, orchids, bromeliads, etc have high humidity requirements and may need regular misting for a healthy growth.

Placing houseplants together in groups or placing them on a tray containing moist gravel are good ways to create a humid microclimate for such species.

Feeding

Plant fertilisers can be liquid, powder or tablet. A convenient method of fertilising is the slow-release fertiliser that lasts for about 3-4 months and can be mixed into the potting soil at planting time or applied to the surface.

Follow the directions on the label. Too much fertilising can burn the roots.

Never fertilise plants that show signs of wilting. Always water houseplants a couple of hours before fertilising — adding fertiliser to dry soil will kill the plant by burning the roots.