I'm itching to start digging and planting full-force in the garden, but it's a tad too soon here in Colorado. That's OK though because there's still plenty to do indoors with the Green Nation. My houseplants can definitely use a little TLC about now -- each one needs a shower in the kitchen sink, a haircut, a top-dressing with new soil, and a few dog food nuggets snuggled down a few inches in the soil. Yes, dog food -- as it decays, it releases its nutrients -- just make sure your dog doesn't see you do it! Or you could use diluted fish emulsion, but dog food doesn't smell.
Some people evidently don't use rooting hormone with ficus, but I had never rooted it before so figured I needed all the help I could get, plus we already had some. Moistened each cutting and dipped it into the rooting hormone.
Do you feed houseplants anything unusual? I'm collecting ideas.
I used to be big into house plants, but not so much time for them now, but they do put oxygen into the air so I keep a few. Once or twice a year I feed mine cold coffee as it has nitrogen in it (or that's what I was told, and one always puts coffee grounds into compost for that reason I believe)) and I always use distilled water for watering. I do not like to add any unnecessary minerals (this I learned when I worked a year at a plant/greenhouse/florist).The guy I worked with said more plants were killed from salt in the water and other stuff or putting them on a surface that immits heat, i.e. t.v. set, table over heat vent, etc.than anything else.
ReplyDeleteYou have some great tips -- I didn't ever even think of cold coffee, there's a little of that around here now and then -- and using distilled water, that's a good one, too. Thanks, Helen!
ReplyDeleteI always pour leftover tea into the soil of my houseplants too. I use tap water, but I let it sit in gallon jars so that the chemicals can evaporate before watering the plants. I heard lately that the chemicals do not evaporate, so who knows? I put most of my houseplants outside over the summer.
ReplyDeletewhen i rinse out the milk carton, i pour the milky water into houseplants. they love it.
ReplyDeleteMarilyn, I use herbal infusion, too -- and as far as I know, chlorine does evaporate.
ReplyDeleteOur drinking water could be left out as well. Sometimes we treat our plants better than our animals and ourselves!
Velma, that's another thing I've never done before! It makes so much sense -- plants need calcium. Thanks!
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