Most of your
indoor tropical plants will benefit from spending the spring, summer
and early fall outside, and by now, you may already have set them
out. Here are some guidelines and things to consider to ensure their
time is beneficial and well spent for both the plants and you.
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| Sun-burned Neanthe bella palm |
Just a short add to the last post about 'Light'. Here is a picture of a Neanthe bella palm taken a week after I had planted it out at the trailer. The weather that week was sunny and hot and the leaves of the tree beside the palm had not yet filled out to provide sufficient shade. The result (as we discussed) was burned leaves. I cut off the damaged leaf material and expect a full recovery, of the palm that is.
Proper watering
of your indoor tropical plants can be a bit haphazard at best. There,
I said it.
So, when you move
your plants outside, be prepared for a completely revised watering
regimen. Things have changed for your plant. The environment has
become more variable and often more demanding. However, when you and
your plant adapt to these changes the benefits will be substantial.
I am frequently
asked how often to water the plants and how much water to give them.
The correct answers to these questions are to water the plant when it
needs it and give it the amount of water needed to bring it back to
its ideal moisture condition.
While these may not be the
specific answers people want to hear, they are the right answers and
you can apply these same answers to watering your tropical plants
when you move them outdoors.
When your plants
move outside, the most significant change will be the increase in
both the intensity and duration of natural light. This will have the
biggest affect on how your watering regimen will have to change.
With the increase in light your plants will want to grow more and
faster. They will use up the water reserve in the potting mix sooner
and more completely. That reserve will need to be replenished more
often.
Whether indoors
or out, it is important not to let your plant become completely dry.
Doing so will interrupt the continuous flow of nutrients and moisture
in through the roots and on up to the plant. This will cause air to
be taken into the roots, which will in turn impede the uptake of
nutrients and moisture when you finally do get around to watering the
plant again. All of this on again – off again attention is very
stressful on the plants mechanical systems. Yes, your plants can
become stressed and no, they do not handle it well.
Learn and know
the ideal moisture condition for each variety of plant you
have. Ask the experts where you bought them. If that may be an
oxymoron, drop me an email at plantsforall@ody.ca
or call us at 519-767-2161 or comment at the end of this post. We
would be glad to hear from you.
Water your plant
to its ideal moisture condition. Initially,
check your plant every 2 days to see if it is still in its ideal
moisture condition. It probably
will not be. Add enough water to bring it back to its ideal
moisture condition. Check your
plant every couple of days and you will soon learn how your plant is
reacting to outdoors and adjusting its water usage.
I have a few more factors that will have a bearing on your plants'
water usage outdoors, and we will get into that next time.
And one more thing ....
We have posted a new web page featured plant on our web page at http://www.plantsforall.ca . We are offering a Venus Fly Trap (Dionaea musipula) for $9.90 with a regular price of $11.25.
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| Venus Fly Trap |
Many plants are
available only on a cyclical basis – for the Venus Fly Trap, its
time is now & once they're gone they won't be available until
next year. This plant
gets its nutrients from absorbing animal life in its pads.
Go to our web
page “Featured Plant” page for a free information pdf download.
Check it out on the "Featured Plant" page of our web site. That offer expires Monday, June 18, 2012.
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