USEFUL GARDENING TIPS

Landscape Javier E. Del Río Mol; Manager of Jardinería Natural sl and Viveros Estepona.

THE HOUSEPLANTS

In our houses, indoor plants have everything they need to be comfortable, because they are at hand to care for them. To save them for a long time, no deal yet as real plants and not just put them in a newly bought corner.

Before going to plant them !

Think first light: it is the most important factor of all ! .Plants need light to grow, as it is their energy source. And the homes in which we live are dark. In summer, a very bright room , facing due south, you will receive a maximum of 10 % of solar energy. We must therefore choose houseplants that resist shadow. The dieffenbachia , the aglaonemas , ivies , ferns can grow inside in a room that receives little direct sunlight, near a window. Fats and cactus plants need full sun. Feel free to put them near the window, and can gradually accustom. They can get frostbite if they've been light faults .
Think also adapt the substrate, the land on which the plant cultivated, depending on your needs. Indoor plants need a soil rich in humus, stop filtering water after irrigation. It should not be very rich in peat because it is difficult to moisten if dry .



When you go to plant them !

When you purchased a plant put it in to other pot. It's a bit of work, but it retained much longer. Choose a barely wider than the current pot plant, pot with drainage holes. On a plastic cover remove the plant from its pot and untangle the root ball so that you can free up some roots. If the substrate is very fibrous, remove the maximum. Put 2 inches of clay pebbles at the bottom of the pot and then cover with a few inches of substrate. Enter the plant and fill the earth with the gap between the root ball and the inside edge of the pot, pushing down with your hands or with a stick. Once the land has reached 2 cm below the rim of the pot, water copiously, then place the plant in a bright enough exposure to it.

The Care !

Regularly clean the leaves with a damp sponge, no product for shine. Compost it, if the plant thrives. If the stems elongate spaced leaves disproportionately to indicate missing light. Move closer to the light. If the plant does not take up much room, regularly cutting the tip of the stems, which forces them to branch .