INDOOR PLANTS
With the increasing
concern for the environment and the campaign against the use of cut
flowers, indoor plants have now become a vital part of interior
decoration. The use of artificial plants for the purpose of
decoration has also become popular and these have the added advantage
of minimal maintenance. The advantage of natural plants over the
artificial plants is that they are not only decorative, but they also
absorb potentially harmful gases and clean the surrounding air. Most
paints and furnishings in the process of degradation emit trace
levels of organic chemicals that can build up into toxic levels.
Natural indoor plants act as air cleaning machines, removing the
trace levels.
In hotel properties,
indoor plants are appreciated for their ability to add charm and
liveliness to hotel guestrooms and public areas such as lobbies and
corridors. They should be chosen with care, so that their colours,
shapes, and size fit in with the décor of the space. The
temperature, humidity in the room, and the amount of light available
there must also be taken into account. The health of a plant depends
on the soil medium. Ideally, the soil should be of an open texture to
allow air to reach the roots. A mixture of red earth, coarse sand,
compost and leaf mould forms a very good medium.
Plants can be potted in
clay/ plastic pots. Clay pots are porous and allow evaporation of
moisture, hence they require more watering than the plastic pots
which they are likely to be over watered. Holes at the base of the
pot assist in the drainage of water.
BASIC ELEMENTS
THAT A PLANT NEEDS FOR GROWTH:
1. Air temperature
2. Light
3. Water
4. Humidity
5. Re-potting
6. Food / fertilizers
7. Pruning
8. Disease and pest
control
AIR TEMPERATURE:
Plants thrive well in
warm temperatures. They cannot withstand a constant change in
temperature. Therefore it is wise to allow some transition time in
the shade when transferring it to extremes of temperature.
LIGHT:
Although plants can be
kept indoors, they need light for their growth. Light is a vital
factor in the photosynthesis process by which plants make their food.
Artificial lighting does enable a plant to grow properly. Indoor
plants will generally not grow in a dark or poorly lit room. Plants
with dark green leaves
can be placed in a dark
area with sufficient artificial light. The light intensity of a plant
varies according to the darkness of the area. Dimmer the light,
longer the lighting.
Often it is noticed
that plants grow only in one direction. This is because they are
seeking light only in that direction. To achieve a uniform growth,
rotate the plants in their place periodically.
Indoor plants need to
be brought out for fresh air at least once a fortnight. Care should
be taken however to ensure that the plants are not placed in the
direct sunlight. Doing so, even for 5 minutes will scorch the leaves
of the plant.
WATER:
The water requirement
of the plant depends on many factors like season, position indoors,
age of plant, type, room temperature, type and size of pot and
soil medium used. It is incorrect to presume that frequent watering
of the plant keeps it healthy. It is quite the reverse as
over-watering can kill a plant.
Water has to be
provided judiciously and though there is no accurate guideline for
this, one can test the soil in the pot for dampness. If the soil is
damp, the plant does not need watering. If it is dry then sufficient
water must be given so that the water drains out from the drainage
holes at the base of the pot. By using less water here to prevent
overflow, there is the risk of damaging the root system and killing
the plant as the root will grow upwards in search of water and may
get exposed and damaged by external factors.
Under-watering can also
lead to the accumulation of salts at the top or side and cause
marginal or tip burning of leaves. Over-watering is as dangerous as
it will lead to root suffocation and rotting.
Useful hints for
watering:
·
The winter month require less watering for the plant as the
root is dormant. Conversely,
summer is the growing season of the plant.
·
Plants with thin leaves require more water than others. Cacti
and succulent plants which store
water require less watering.
·
Freshly potted plants with less root development will require
little water as over-watering can
cause rotting of the tender roots and vice versa for well grown
plants.
·
If the temperature of the room is high, plants require more
water. If it is cool, the watering
should be less.
·
It is necessary to clean the leaves regularly with a wet
sponge in order for plants to thrive well
and look healthy. This prevents the pores in the leaves from getting
clogged with dust.
HUMIDITY:
Often one notices the
tip of the leaves turning brown and wilting which happens in an air
conditioned room, simply because air conditioning dries out the
humidity in the air. The plants lose water faster from the pores in
their leaves than they can replace it through their roots.
Some suggestions to
provide humidity for the plant –
·
Place the plants on a tray of wet pebbles. The water
evaporates upward from the surface of stones and
creates a humid
atmosphere around the plants.
·
Group the plants together so that they can break the air
currents blowing on them and also take
advantage of the
moisture evaporating from each other. Water pools between plants can
enhance this
effect.
·
Spray water on leaves of the plant.
RE-POTTING:
Plants cannot grow
forever in the same pot. As the roots gradually fill up the pot, it
needs to be planted in another pot for it to continue to grow. For
further growth, remove some soil from the top and replace it with
fresh soil, at least once a year. Repotting should be done during
summer or during the rainy season. Plants should be watered the day
before re-potting, but care must be taken not to over water making
the soil slushy. The plant should slide out of the pot smoothly
without damaging the roots. For the purpose of re-potting, the next
larger size which is bigger by 3 cm in diameter is suitable and has
drainage holes in the bottom which allow excess water to flow out.
Transfer to a very large pot may result in damage to the roots as
they will hold more water.
FERTILIZING:
Plants need to be
fertilized fortnightly with a proper balance on N.P.K. These are the
three elements that are most essential to the growth of all plants.
Nitrogen is essential for the growth of the stem and leaves,
phosphorous for the roots and potassium for the general sturdiness of
the plant. There are ready chemical fertilizers with a mix of all
three.
PRUNING:
Pruning is required to
make the plant grow bushier and to give it the desired shape. It is
also done to get rid of the diseased parts of the plant. Pruning
should be done when the plant is in its active growing stage and
should never be carried out in winter.
DISEASE AND PEST
CONTROL:
Most plant problems
occur due to two reasons – disease and pests. Be on a constant
look-out for symptoms of plant disease. Spray the plants fortnightly
to prevent attack. A neem spray is an organic way to keep diseases
and pests at bay without any side effects.
Guidelines to avoid
plant problems –
·
Adequate fertile soil with essential nutrients.
·
Constant inspection and check on plants and any infected parts
should be immediately
removed and destroyed before it spreads.
·
Overcrowding of plants can cause diseases since they require
adequate sunlight, water and
good air circulation.
·
Water the soil as required and allow drying out between
watering, as over watering can cause
rotting problem.
·
Remove all unnecessary old leaves, weeds, etc.
·
Regularly turn soil and leave exposed to sunlight
allowing it to sterilize.
·
Do not give any insecticide treatment on a hot sunny day as
the plants could get scorched.
Spray in the late evening when there is minimal air movement.
·
Avoid spraying insecticide on delicate flowers and petals as
they may be adversely affected.
SO, CARING FOR
PLANTS –
1. Watering - care
must be taken at the time of watering as no plants can survive
without water, yet
more plants die
from over-watering.
2. Light and sun -
light is usually beneficial, but direct sunlight intensified through
glass will
scorch leaves –
giving brown papery areas on the leaf. Lopsided or one-sided growth
is another
indication of
inadequate lighting.
3. Humidity -
dry air can cause leaf tips to turn brown and papery on vulnerable
plants.
4. Feeding -
pale leaves and short, stunted growth may be due to lack of
fertilizer in the compost.
5. Bud drop -
bud drop is often caused by dry compost or dry air. Some plants do
not adapt or re-
orientate their
buds to light from a different direction if they are moved round.
6. Wilting and
collapsing - plants usually wilt for the following reasons –
too much water, too little
water or insects or
a disease affecting the roots. If the stem looks black or rotten, a
fungal disease is
the likely cause
and the plant should be discarded.
SOME IMPORTANT
CATEGORIES OF INDOOR PLANTS
1. BULBS, CORNS, AND
TUBERS :
All possess a fleshy
organ from which roots are produced and in which food and water are
stored.
Examples – Begonia, Crocus, Cyclamen, Hyacinths,
Narcissus, Tulip
2. FERNS:
Ferns are foliage
plants which do not produce flowers and seeds but reproduce by means
of spores.
Examples –
Adiantum, Davallia, Nephrolepis, Pellaea, Polypodium, Polystichum
3. CACTI:
Cacti are succulent
plants. These are of two types – desert and jungle.
Examples –
Aporocactus, Echinocactus, Epiphyllum, Notocactus, Opuntia.
4. MONSTERA:
Only one species,
MONSTERA DELICIOSA, is a popular house plant. The
leaves are shiny and are basically heart-shaped. If well treated they
can grow very big – 10 to 15 feet tall and 6 to 8 feet across.
5. ORCHIDS:
Orchids are probably
the largest flowering plants family and most are quite expensive.
They are also called EPIPHYTES. They are available in a
vast variety of shapes, colours and sizes. They may be produced on
the flower stem in clusters or singly and the stalks can be erect or
drooping. Flowers can be scentless or delicately scented. Most have a
fleshy, waxy texture and each bloom is long-lasting (3-6 weeks).
Examples –
Brassia, Cymbidium, Miltonia
6. PACHYSTACHYS:
Only species of this
grown indoors is PACHYSTCHYS LUTEA (Lollipop plant), a
low growing shrub with tubular flowers with dark green, shiny leaves.
7. SANSEVIERIA:
These are popular and
easy to grow. Two main types are: tall growing plants with stiff,
erect, lance-shaped leaves; and dwarf- growing rosette forms.
8. SUCCULENTS:
These store water in
their tissues.
Examples -
Agave, Aloe, Cotyledon, Graptopetalum, Pachyphytum, Sedum, Lithops.
9. SAXIFRAGA:
Only one specie is
useful indoors – SAXIFRAGE STOLONIFERA which has many
off springs. It is a stem less plant, look attractive in small
hanging pots.
10. TULIPA:
These are essentially
outdoor plants, but they also make very decorative indoor plants.
These have small leaves, short flower stalks and large flowers. These
are grown from bulbs.
11. WASHINGTONIAS:
These are popular fan
palms and are easy to grow indoors.
12. YUCCA
13. ZANTEDESCHIA
14. TOLMIEA.
ASSIGNMENT
Q.1) Why are indoor
plants replacing flower arrangement in hotels?
Q.2) What is the
advantage of using natural plants rather than artificial plants?
Q.3) Explain are the
basic elements that an indoor plant need for its growth?
Q.4) Why are re-potting
and pruning necessary for indoor plants?
Q.5) How do water and
humidity affect the growth of indoor plants?
Q.6) Give reasons for:
A) Plants should be
rotated in their place periodically.
B) When indoor plants
are taken outdoors they should be placed in the shade before being
put in the sunlight.
C) Clay pots are
preferred to plastic pots.
D) Under-watering
causes marginal or tip burning of leaves.
E) Plants need to be
fertilized with a proper balance.
Q.7) Name 10 indoor
plants that are placed in the hotels .