Wandering Jew
Description: The Wandering Jew is a beautiful vining house plant that has green heart shaped leaves with purple stripes and a silvery sheen. Depending on the variety, the leaves can be solid or variegated. Blooms are small with three petals and can be violet or white. Lighting: Wandering Jews thrive best in bright, but indirect sun light. The brighter the light that you provide for your plant, the more flowers it will produce. The plants deep colors will look faded if the plant doesn’t receive enough light. Watering: These plants are happy as long as they’re not kept soaked or allowed to be completely dry too long, evenly moist is the best. If the soil is dry 1/2 inch down then the plant should be watered. Soil: General purpose potting soil will work for Wandering Jews, but they prefer a rich soil that is organic. However, it must retain water while draining well. Sand, Perlite or peat moss can be added to help with aeration. To make your own soil mixture, add equal parts of coarse sand or Perlite, peat or humus and garden soil together and lightly dust with lime. Fertilization: A water soluble fertilizer can be used twice each month during the growing season, but should be mixed at half strength. Slow release fertilizers can be added to the soil on a yearly basis. Propagation: Wandering Jews are easily propagated from stem cuttings. Place stems in water until roots form and then plant in potting soil. Stems can also be placed on top of soil and secured until they take root while still on the mother plant. Toxicity/Poisonous: In some people and animals, skin irritation can occur when coming in contact with the sap from the plant. Tips: Pruning the long vines will promote a bushier, fuller plant. The cuttings can then be placed in water to form roots and start new plants. Common Name: Wandering Jew, Chain Plant, Purple Heart Plant Genus: Tradescantia Family: Commelinaceae Plant Type: Perennial Origin: South America Blooming Time: Year round Humidity: Average Temperature: 50-75*F Height: 3′-4′ Color: Green, purple, silver Insects and Diseases: Aphids, scale, mealy bugs Written by Connie Corder for HouseplantsForYou.com, Copyright 2008 All Rights...
Caring for African Violets
Description:African Violets are very popular among plant enthusiasts. They’re low growing plants that produce small, dainty flowers year round with the right lighting, water and temperature requirements. They have soft, furry feeling leaves that are thick and arranged in a rosette and are either green or dark green in color. The underside of the leaves are usually either lighter green or a red violet color. Plant varieties include single, double and even ruffled flowers. Some African Violets will even have ruffled or serrated leaf edges and may even have variegated leaves. Leaf shape can range from long and thin to serrated or ruffled edges and some will have heart shaped leaves. Lighting: African Violets do best when they’re kept in bright indirect east or north sunlight. They will also grow very well with grow lights if you don’t have a area to give them natural sunlight. Bright light should be provided for 8-12 hours each day. If the plant isn’t receiving enough light it won’t produce any flowers. But, if you notice that the edges of the leaves are turning brown or you see some brown spots on the leaves, the plant is getting too much light. Watering: Over watering is one of the fastest ways to kill an African Violet. Don’t water them on a schedule, such as a certain day of the week. Feel of the top of the soil and water them when the it becomes dry. Avoid getting water on the leaves as this can cause the leaves to spot. African Violets are best watered from the bottom by setting them in the sink or a saucer. These plants don’t like water that is hot or cold, adjust the water to room temperature before adding it to the plant. Soil: Violets need a rich soil that will retain water yet that will also drain well. Potting soil especially for African Violets if widely available, but you can mix your own soil. When mixing your own potting soil it is recommended to use a half and half combination of peat and perlite. The best pot will have a drainage hole in the bottom. This will prevent overwatering and allow you to water the plant from the bottom. Fertilization: Feeding can be done every time you water the plants if you use an extremely diluted mixture. Or you can choose to only fertilize once per month with a mixture at half of what is recommended on the plant food label. Plant food that is specifically made for African Violets is highly recommended, although any type can be used. A plant food high in phosphorous will stimulate flowering. Propagation: Propagating violets is very easy through both division and leaf cuttings and can be done at any time of the year. Regular potting soil can be used, but a mixture of perlite and peat makes the best planting medium. Choose a good healthy, firm leaf and remove the entire leaf from the plant at the stem. Trim the leaf stem to about 1-1 1/2 inches long and plant the leaf into the soil and water thoroughly. Roots will generally begin to appear within 3-4 weeks and leaves should begin to grow about 3-4 weeks after the roots appear. Repotting can be done once the plant has several leaves which can take anywhere from 2-6 months depending on conditions. Plant division can be done on larger plants by carefully separating the plant into two separate plants. Be careful when dividing the plant to make sure that each new plant has it’s own root system. Toxicity/Poisonous: None Tips: To get more flowers on your African Violets, keep them rootbound. The pot should be approximately 1/3 the size of the plant itself. The suggested repotting time is twice a year, but they often will do very well with transplanting done on a yearly basis. There are two things that you can do to grow really large violet plants. While keeping the plant rootbound will increase blooms, allowing extra room for the roots will cause the plant itself to grow larger. You can also remove the buds to increase the plants size. To still have some flowers to enjoy, only remove part of the buds. But, if you remove all of the buds the plant will grow much faster. Common Name: African Violet Genus: Saintpaulia Plant Type: Perennial Origin: Tanganyika Blooming Time: Year round Humidity: Medium Temperature: 60-85*F Height: 6″ Color: White, lavender, purple, pink, red, yellow and bi-color Insects and Diseases: Mealy bugs, aphids and mites Written by Connie Corder for HouseplantsForYou.com, Copyright 2008 All Rights...
Mother In Law’s Tongue
Common Name: Snake Plant, Mother In Law’s Tongue Latin Name: Sansevieria Family: Ruscaceae Plant Type: Succulent Origin: South Africa Blooming Time: Rarely Humidity: Low Temperature: 60 – 85*F Height: 4′ Color: Dark green, light green or creamy white Insects and Diseases: Thrips, scale Description: Mother in Law’s Tongue has thick, vertical sword shaped leaves. The leaves are dark green and are accented with lighter green bars going horizontal along the blade like leaves. Some varieties have a yellowish colored border along the leaves. Lighting: Bright indirect sunlight is recommended for Snake’s Tongue. The plant can survive in lower lighting conditions, but it will grow faster and have deeper colors when given brighter light. Watering: The soil should be kept barely moist, but not soaked. Watering can be done in sink or tub, to make sure that all the roots get water. But, make sure that there’s a hole in the bottom of the pot so that excess water can properly drain. Soil: Soil should retain water, but drain well to prevent root rot. A African Violet soil mixture will work very well when a little sand is added for drainage. To mix your own soil add 1 part garden soil, 1 part peat and 2 parts of Perlite or coarse sand. Fertilization: Snake’s Tongue should be fertilized once a month. Use a good quality water soluble mixture that is nitrate free. Fertilizer is only needed during the growing season and shouldn’t be given during the winter months. Propagation: Propagation can be easily done through leaf cuttings or division of the plant. Keep leaf cuttings in evenly moist soil, provide occasional mistings and place them in filtered sunlight. Toxicity-Poisonous: All parts of the Snake Plant are mildly toxic, but the plant has been used in herbal remedies in some areas of the world. While low doses of the plant normally don’t produce any symptoms, large doses can cause vomiting or nausea. The poison found in the plant can cause the tongue and throat to swell and be numb. In severe cases there may be distress in the digestive tract. Tips: Unlike most plants, Snake Tongue’s will droop when they’ve gotten too much water not too little! If the leaves have a wrinkled appearance or start to bend, the plant isn’t getting enough water! Snake’s Tongue plants like to be root bound, repotting should be avoided unless the plant gets too heavy for the pot and can’t remain upright. When repotting, select a pot that is just a few sizes larger than the current pot. Written by Connie Corder for HouseplantsForYou.com, Copyright 2008 All Rights...
Dumbcane
Description:There are several varieties of Dumbcane with different veining and verigation in the leaves. The leaves can range from dark green to a lighter green with white, off-white and sometimes even yellowish verigations on the leaves. The plants leaves are ovate with pointed tips and grow on stalks that can actually grow up to 8′ or more. If left unpruned the plant will grow to resemble a palm tree. Lighting: Dumbcane’s prefer a medium to bright lighting source, but can do well even in low light conditions. An area that gets bright, but filtered light is the ideal location. Watering: The best way to water Dumbcane is too completely drench the soil and let it get moderately dry before rewatering. This method can only be used if you have a pot with a hole in the bottom so that excess water can properly drain. Let dry between waterings, but never allow Dumbcane to get bone dry for long periods of time. Soil: Dumbcane needs soil that will retain water, but also drain well. If general potting soil seems to pack tightly, add some Perlite or sand and a little peat moss for aeration. To mix your own soil add 1 part moist humus or peat, 1 part garden soil and 1 part Perlite or coarse sand. Add a light dusting of lime to the mix and use a pot that has a hole in the bottom. Fertilization: You should fertilize Dumbcane at least every two weeks. Use a good quality plant food that is lime free. Don’t fertilize during the winter months when the plants growth rate is slowed. Propagation: Propagation can be done through air layering, suckers and stem cuttings at any time of the year. Propagating should be done with a mixture of Perlite and moist peat. To air layer, cut the plant about half way through the stem with a sharp knife approximately one foot down from plant top. Place a toothpick or other thin object into the stem to hold soil mixture in place. Wrap some wet moss around the open cut and secure with plastic and rubber bands or strings. Once the roots have formed, cut the new plant off below the roots and pot. Toxicity-Poisonous: Dumbcane is considered one of the deadliest house plants. The sap from the plant contains calcium oxalate crystals. Ingestion can cause the mouth and throat to burn and swell. In severe cases the swelling can block airways resulting in suffocation. Ingesting the plant can cause an inability to speak, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive salivation and head shaking. Immediate medical attention is recommended. Common Name: Dumbcane, Dumbplant, Leopard Lily, Spotted Dumbcane, Zebra Plant Latin Name: Dieffenbachia seguine Family: Araceae Plant Type: Perennial Origin: North and South America Blooming Time: Mid-spring Humidity: Moderate to High Temperature: 60- 85 *F Height: 8′ Color: Green, white, off-white Insects and Diseases: Mealy bugs, aphids, scale, whitefly, spider mites Written by Connie Corder for HouseplantsForYou.com, Copyright 2008 All Rights...
India Rubber Plant
Description: The India Rubber Plant is a very popular house plant that has large, dark green oval shaped leaves. Some varieties will often have a burgandy tint to parts of the leaf. The leaves are shiny and feel thick and almost pulpy and can reach 8 inches or longer under optimal conditions. Leaves grow inside sheaths that will drop off from the plant once the leaf has developed. Immediately inside the new leaf, yet another leaf is waiting to develop. Lighting: While Rubber trees can survive in a variety of lighting conditions, it will grow better if given bright, indirect sunlight. Placing your plant near windows or providing artificial light will keep it healthier. Watering: The soil should be kept moist at all times, but not soaked. And, the plant should never be allowed to sit in water. If you have a pot with a hole, generously water the plant until the water starts to drain out of the hole. Remove any standing water in the bowl after a few minutes. The watering time will vary depending on the humidity and other conditions of the room, so you should always touch the soil to check for dryness. Always use warm or room temperature water to avoid shocking the roots and damaging the plant. Soil: A general purpose potting soil works well with Rubber trees, but make sure that it is aerated. You can add some sand or Perlite to the soil to help with drainage. Soil should drain well, but retain moisture. When mixing your own soil add equal parts of coarse sand or Perlite, garden soil and peat or humus. The plant will thrive much better is you add just a slight amount of lime to the mixture. Fertilization: During the spring and summer months, a good quality water soluble fertilizer can be used every two months or so. If your plant is in a low light area, reduce the feeding times to about once every four months. Propagation: Propagation can be done with seeds, air layering or stem cuttings. Cuttings and seeds should be planted in a mixture of Perlite and peat and covered with a plastic bag to retain moisture and placed in indirect sunlight. After the new plant has gotten well established it can be re-potted in regular potting soil. For air layering, cut halfway through the stem approximately one foot down from the top of the plant with a sharp knife. Wrap the cut area with sphagnum moss and secure a plastic bag over the area. Once the roots have formed, cut the new plant off below the root area and plant it. Propagating new plants with the air layering method can take up to two months or more. Tips: If you need to re-pot your Rubber plant, it’s best to only do it in the spring when the while the roots are actively growing. The new pot should only be around 2 inches larger than the original pot. To keep the glossy shine to the leaves, frequently wipe them with a damp cloth or tissue. If the plants leaves get stains or hard to remove soiled areas, a mild hand soap can be used to wipe the leaves. Extended lengths of time in low light conditions will cause the Rubber plant to lose it’s bottom leaves. If your plant begins to drop it’s lower leaves move it to a sunnier location. Common Name: India Rubber Plant, Rubber Bush, Rubber Fig Plant Type: Perennial Origin: India Genus: Ficus Family: Moraceae Humidity: Medium Temperature: 60-85*F Height: 6 ‘- 10’ Color: Dark green, burgundy Insects and Diseases: Mealy bugs, whitefly, scale and thrips Written by Connie Corder for HouseplantsForYou.com, Copyright 2008 All Rights...
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