Over Watering And Diseases Two Common Plant Problems
Sterilizing the soil and pots will not eliminate all the ailments your house plants are likely to get. The indoor environment under which plants are grown is the cause of many house plant ills.
The distribution and intensity of light in the average home is very uneven, often strongly one-sided and several hundred or even thousands of times less than the plant would normally receive outside on a sunny day. Atmospheric moisture (humidity), especially in winter, in most homes is much lower than what it would be outdoors.
With modern thermostat controls there is little change in temperature between day and night. The amount of soil in pots is strictly limited, forcing abnormal root growth. Most communities have a treated water supply which contains large amounts of minerals. If these are not periodically flushed out they accumulate and are often injurious. All of these factors, plus the irregular and fluctuating water supply, make it difficult to grow handsome house plants.
Plants weakened by low light, chilling, low or excessive humidity, a high content of soluble salts, over-watering and poor air circulation are more readily attacked by disease.
Before growing house plants which are strangers to you or with which you have had trouble, check with your local extension horticulturist or florist regarding the light, humidity, temperature, fertilizer, soil type and water requirements for each plant. When these factors are all in "favor of the plant" the chances of success are greatly enhanced.
Most house plants do best with a good lighting source which is as uniform as possible. Artificial illumination may be necessary to get "long-day" plants to bloom or other plants to grow well. The humidity of the air may be raised by placing the pots in shallow saucers filled with water, and on trays or in planters containing moist gravel, vermiculite or sphagnum moss. If practical, plants kept in a very dry room should be enclosed with a glass, clear plastic or cellophane-covered case, which has a moistened floor.
Most plants thrive at day temperatures under 70 degrees and night temperatures five to ten degrees cooler. Plants should be watered regularly, alternating between moderate wetness and dryness. Occasional drenches will flush out toxic salts and cleanse the foliage. Avoid heavy watering and extreme drying, using tap water at room temperature.
Keep Foliage Dry
Avoid wetting leaves and flowers when watering (or be sure it dries promptly). Free water on the foliage for a period of several hours may lead to leaf and stem spots, rots, blotches, stem cankers or galls, die-back, bud rot, mildew and gray mold. These diseases are caused by air-borne fungi and bacteria which can infect only through plant surfaces which are wet.
A final way to avoid trouble is to select your house plants carefully before purchasing or propagating. Diseases which affect the whole system of a plant, particularly those caused by viruses, can only be controlled by discarding plants which are abnormal, stunted, sickly or show symptoms of mosaic, ring spot, yellows or wilt.
If your soil and pots are sterilized, if only top-grade plants are chosen for propagating and growing in the home, if the environment (light, temperature, humidity, water and fertilizer) is carefully controlled to favor plant growth - there's no reason why your plants "can't look just like those you see in catalogs. The chances are those beauties were grown with plenty of TLC (tender loving care) - and in sterilized soil, too!
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