Bear in mind, however, that in winter as well as in summer leaf surfaces are apt to become dusty in the home. However clean the home and the air, all leaves must collect some dust on their surfaces and for plants with large leaves this can be a serious matter, for the leaf pores or stomata will then find it difficult to breathe.
Plants growing together in a bowl or plant community usually require less water individually than if they were growing alone, which means that the entire bowl will require less in quantity than the sum all the plants require.
I do suggest, however, that the comparatively large leaves of a Ficus elastica or Monstera deliciosa should be cleaned carefully at least two or three times a year. Do this with a soft sponge or tissue well wetted with clean, tepid water. Do not use milk or oil, however glossy these may make the leaves, for they leave a film on the surface that will inhibit transpiration.
If by some accident a plant has been given too much water, drain off any excess that may be lying free. The roots may still be waterlogged, so nothing can be done about this except to allow the plant to become almost bone dry before the next watering.
Better still where the size of the plant will allow, remove the entire plant to a sheltered spot in the garden or courtyard during a fine summer shower or drizzle. Both the falling rain and the high relative humidity will be a great tonic to almost all plants. But throughput all this talk about watering we have been assuming that all plants are in pots with a drainage hole in the base to permit the leaching away of any excess water.
For those plants which are growing in decorative pots or bowls without drainage holes, how do we ensure that the roots are not waterlogged and how often should we water? All plants growing in containers without drainage holes must have a layer of drainage material beneath their roots which will ensure that they are not perpetually standing in water. - 19955
Plants growing together in a bowl or plant community usually require less water individually than if they were growing alone, which means that the entire bowl will require less in quantity than the sum all the plants require.
I do suggest, however, that the comparatively large leaves of a Ficus elastica or Monstera deliciosa should be cleaned carefully at least two or three times a year. Do this with a soft sponge or tissue well wetted with clean, tepid water. Do not use milk or oil, however glossy these may make the leaves, for they leave a film on the surface that will inhibit transpiration.
If by some accident a plant has been given too much water, drain off any excess that may be lying free. The roots may still be waterlogged, so nothing can be done about this except to allow the plant to become almost bone dry before the next watering.
Better still where the size of the plant will allow, remove the entire plant to a sheltered spot in the garden or courtyard during a fine summer shower or drizzle. Both the falling rain and the high relative humidity will be a great tonic to almost all plants. But throughput all this talk about watering we have been assuming that all plants are in pots with a drainage hole in the base to permit the leaching away of any excess water.
For those plants which are growing in decorative pots or bowls without drainage holes, how do we ensure that the roots are not waterlogged and how often should we water? All plants growing in containers without drainage holes must have a layer of drainage material beneath their roots which will ensure that they are not perpetually standing in water. - 19955
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During midwinter, your indoor gardening houseplants will also need watering freely.
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