September 1, 2009

Indoor Gardening: Treatment of House Plants

: Image by crows to burnaby via Flickr

MANY species of plants, which were formerly regarded as hot-house subjects, have in recent years become popular for indoor decoration. Although some of them are native to the tropics, they may be acclimatised and can be grown indoors in temperate countries with confidence. The beginner in the cultivation of house-plants should, however, proceed with caution. Some plants are more capable of withstanding a dry, hot atmosphere than others, and these should be chosen first, in order that experience may be gained in plant culture. Generally, plants which have thick, leathery foliage respond best to room conditions. The reason for their ability to withstand the unfavourable conditions of living rooms is that the leaves are tough in texture and in some species they are so constructed that transpiration is reduced to a minimum. Transpiration, the loss of moisture by the leaves, may be slowed down in these plants by devices such as sunken stomata (breathing pores) and thick cuticle (outer skin). The Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera), Sansevieria and Hoya are typical examples of such plants. Other plants, such as the maidenhair fern, Coleus, Cyclamen and Fuchsia, have thin leaves which give off moisture very rapidly and are not so easy to cultivate in rooms. These plants grow best in a moist atmosphere, but this is not easily provided in rooms, and attempts made to maintain a moist atmosphere are detrimental to the furnishings of the rooms.