Indoor House Plant Sitemap

FOREWORD - A great variety of house-plants, grown for the beauty both of their flowers and of their foliage, is now available from nursery­men. All too often the success of these plants in rooms is unnecessarily short-lived, largely because the treatment they receive is not suitable. However, with appropriate culture and care and a knowledge of their various requirements, the plants may be readily grown successfully indoors.

PREFACE - In this book I have described and given details of the care and cultivation of plants suitable for growing in the dwelling-room and conservatory.

I have also included a list of plants for shop decoration for which purpose they are now being used extensively.

Most of the plants mentioned are easy to grow but a few require special care because of their tropical nature.

1. ROUTINE TREATMENT - 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.

02. PROPAGATORS - To raise plants from 'cuttings', it is necessary to use a propa­gating case for most kinds. In this apparatus suitable conditions can be provided to ensure that the 'cuttings' remain in a fresh condition during the period of rooting.

The simplest form of propagator consists of a box about 12 inches deep. It should have a layer of pieces of broken flower-pot or some rough siftings from the compost, placed in the bottom, to the depth of 2-3 inches, to provide drainage.

03. AFTER POTTING - When pot plants are raised from seeds, 'cuttings' or by other methods, they require a certain amount of attention to ensure that 'bushy' compact plants are obtained.

To induce plants to form basal shoots, the tips of the main shoots are pinched out to stop them from growing straight upwards without 'breaking' (Fig. n). The effect of the removal of the tips is to cause the side shoots to develop.

04. MISCELLANEOUS PLANTS - By planting bulbs in ornamental bowls filled with fibre, it is possible to have flowers in the home throughout winter and spring.

The secret of success is to plant the bulbs as soon as they are obtainable in August or early September. The fibre, -which is sold for the purpose, must be made damp before it is put in the bowls, in which a few lumps of charcoal have been placed. When the bulbs are set in position, their tips should be just showing above the surface of the fibre.

05. INSECT + FUNGAL - If proper precautions are taken, house plants should remain fairly free from pests. In the first place, all plants, as soon as they are received, whether from friends, from a nurseryman or a florist's shop, should be thoroughly cleaned. If they are brought into the house in a pest-free state and placed among clean plants, there is not much danger of their becoming infested with many pests.

06. HOUSE PLANTS - These plants are suitable only for a very well-lighted window. They grow 9-12 inches in height on rather slender, slightly hairy stems and bear very attractive red, blue, purple or white flowers in summer. The blooms, which are about 1 inch across, are round and flattened with a slender basal tube. The oval leaves are coarse and slightly hairy.

THE END