Houseplant Questions Answered

By: Becky Long

Always give a plant a brief once-over, at the very least, prior to making the purchase regardless of where you are buying the plant. The subsequent list tells you about the major signs of distress and ailment in a plant.

Wobbly Plants, give the plant a prompt shake. A plant that is rickety in its pot might not be well-rooted. Shaking the plant also can also tell you whether the plant has whiteflies because the flies, which resemble dandruff, move immediately when the plant is moved.

Crowded Roots, check the underneath of the pot for roots emerging out of the drainage hole. Roots emerging from holes in the pot don't necessarily mean that the plant is rooted, but it's commonly a primary indication. if in uncertainty, ask the clerk to remove the pot, if feasible so that you can catch a glimpse of the roots. expect this kind of service only in a nursery, garden center or a florist shop. If roots are tightly packed around the base of another plant of the same kind that has a smaller root ball, that plant is root bound. A healthy root ball holds together but does not have excess roots showing when you remove it from the pot.

Unhealthy Roots, If you have persuaded the sales clerk to take off the pot to let you inspect for packed roots, go ahead and check the plant's general health as well. Roots appear in all sizes, shapes and colors, none the less, always make sure they feel firm, not soft. If the tips are a paler color than the rest of the root, it is quite possibly you are face to face with soil mealybugs. On the other hand, that white fluff could merely be more than tiny pieces of perlite, a ordinary medium for potting plants. A wet growing medium also means bad news.

Signs of rot; Sniff the potting mix. If it has a fragrant forest smell, all is fine. If it has a sickly sweet smell of a rotting potato, put the plant down, more than likely, that plant has a bad case of root rot or stem rot.

Leaf spots; leaf spots can signify disease, and I know you do not want to obtain a diseased plant. Physical damage can generate leaf spots, garden center plants tend to get tossed aroung a tad. Injured leaves never recover, nevertheless, ask yourself whether you are prepared to wait for the plant to generate new leaves. You may decide you prefer a heathier specimen.

Spindly, leggyt plants or ones with brown leaf tips: These symptoms suggest the plant had not been getting enough care for quite some time.

signs of insects or disease; Make sure to look underneath the leaves and at the leaf axils the site where the leaf meets the stem, two places where the majority of pests hang out.

Yellowed leaves or abundant leaf loss: A yellow leaf or two at the base of a plant is nothing to be worried about. If you observe many yellow or fallen leaves, though, the plant is probably stressed and consequently not a good decision.

Lots of Open flowers, but only a few unopened buds: A good rule of thumb, flowering plants in full bloom can look amazing but may be well past their prime and ready to end blooming in short order. Obtain a plant mostly in bud with just enough open blooms to let you see its eventual color. Then you know that you have yet to see the plant at its best.

Chrysanthemums and miniature roses are exceptions to the rule, avoid the lots of opened flowers rule. Chrysanthemum and rose buds not completely opened may not open at all under home growing environment unless you can give them full sun, buy chrysanthemums and miniature roses already at their height of bloom.

Article Source: https://www.collectibles-articles.com

This author has a love not only for plants but for dogs and kids, enjoy visiting some of her websites sleepingbagsforkids.info/ blog.coolaroodogbeds.com/

Related Items on eBay:

2" Pot Live Chinese Money Plant Pilea peperomioides Indoor House Plants
$12.95

Spider Plant 10 Ready to Root Babies Easy Care Cleans Indoor Air
$16.00

Live Adromischus marianae var. herrei Succulent Plant Bare Root Indoor plant
$39.99

Money Tree, Large, Live Indoor Plant, Easy to Grow Pachira House Plant Gift, Hom
$99.99

Bamworld Plant Stand with Grow Light for Indoor Plants Corner 7 Tier Metal Wood
$47.99

Tectorum Ecuador Air Plant Wholesale Beautiful Tillandsia
$9.95

Print This Article

Comments Closed

Add To Favorites

Email to Friends

Publisher Ready