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AARcr LLre:Ar T. AcLe:lr
CRALL OE
F L A M T G | C A R l r c A r L l : ` e L e L e age 2


F L A M T G | C A R l r c A r L l : ` e L e L e age 3
CARlrc lcR cLeL FLAr:e

lor klds carlng for house planLs ls a good flrsL sLep ln Laklng responslblllLy for anoLher llvlng
belng lf Lhey are noL yeL responslble enough Lo look afLer a planL donL geL Lhem a bunny!
Carlng for house planLs ls a llLLle blL dlfferenL Lo carlng for planLs ouLslde ln Lhe garden 1he
baslc needs of planLs are Lhe same wheLher lndoors or ouLdoors buL because lndoor planLs llve
ln a compleLely dlfferenL envlronmenL (an unnaLural one!) Lhey are compleLely dependenL on
us Lhelr human carers Lo ensure Lhelr needs are meL
So lL ls a good ldea Lo know whaL Lhelr needs are!
lanLs (llke humans and anlmals) need Lhe flve baslc needs meL Lo survlve and Lhrlve 1hese
needs are for waLer food warmLh alr and llghL 1he baslc ldea of house planL care ls Lo ensure
Lhose needs are meL more or less correcLly for each lndlvldual planL
?oull know wheLher you are geLLlng lL rlghL because Lhe planLs wlll begln Lo wllL look
somewhaL sad and even dle lf you compleLely neglecL some of Lhelr needs!
LeLs look aL Lhese baslc needs and flnd ouL how besL Lo care for house planLs
Car|ng for nouse |ants by rov|d|ng Water
ll planLs need waLer or Lhey wlll dle 8uL more planLs are k|||ed by overwater|ng Lhan by lack
of waLer! Pow much waLer Lhey wlll need depends on Lhe Llme of year Lhe Lype of planL and
Lhe envlronmenL
now to check whether a p|ant needs water|ng
knock agalnsL Lhe slde of Lhe poL wlLh your knuckles lf lL sounds hollow waLer lf lL sounds llke
a dull Lhud donL waLer
s a general gulde
O lanLs wlll need waLerlng 3 t|mes per week durlng Lhe sprlng and summer monLhs
(Lhe growlng perlod) and 13 Llmes per monLh durlng Lhe wlnLer
O lanLs wlLh large fleshy leaves and succulenLs requlre less waLer Lhan planLs wlLh small
Lhln leaves
O lanLs ln sma||er pots wlll need waLerlng more frequenLly Lhan Lhose ln larger poLs
WlLh a few excepLlons (eg frlcan vloleL) water the house p|ants from the top fllllng Lo Lhe
brlm and leLLlng Lhe waLer draln Lhrough fLer abouL half an hour go back and empLy Lhe drlp
saucer or Lray so LhaL Lhe planL ls noL sLood ln a weL puddle!
F L A M T G | C A R l r c A r L l : ` e L e L e age 4
Caring for House Plants by Providing Food
lor house planLs addlng some form of fert|||ser ls even more lmporLanL Lhan for garden planLs
1he food ln Lhe poLLlng composL afLer repoLLlng runs ouL wlLhln abouL 2 months whlch means
LhaL Lo care for house planLs properly lnvolves feedlng Lhem afLer Lhls Llme
Mlnerals wlll usually be lndlcaLed by Lhelr abbrev|at|ons as follows
nlLrogen n
hosphaLes 2C3
oLash k2C
lanLs wlll need feedlng durlng Lhe grow|ng and f|ower|ng season whlch for mosL planLs ls
March Lo CcLober nd excepLlon Lo Lhls are wlnLer flowerlng planLs (eg Lhe ChrlsLmas CacLus)
leedlng Lhem durlng Lhe dormant sLage can resulL ln 'forclng Lhem and endlng up wlLh splndly
weak growLh lanLs need Lhelr beauLy sleep [usL as much as we do!
MosL feeds conLaln a mlxLure of n|trogen (needed Lo make leaves) phosphates (needed for
maklng rooLs) and potash (needed Lo produce flowers) 1he mosL effecLlve way of feedlng Lhem
ls Lo add llquld ferLlllser Lo Lhe waLer when waLerlng
Caring for House Plants by Providing Warmtb
1here ls a mlsLaken ldea LhaL because many house p|ants or|g|nate from the trop|cs LhaL Lhey
wlll llke hoL room LemperaLures cLually Lhey donL 1haL ls noL unless Lhey have equally hlgh
amounLs of llghL and humldlLy as found ln Lhe Lroplcs!
lanLs are generally less concerned abouL general LemperaLure and more unseLLled by large
LemperaLure flucLuaLlon ldeally house planLs llke Lo llve ln sLeady LemperaLures below 23C
ldeal LemperaLures for proper house planL care range beLween 7C to 23C for mosL Lypes of
planLs whlle Lhe more Lender donL llke LemperaLures below 13C
Slnce mosL of our houses are centra||y heated Lhere ls a greaLer chance of Lhe planLs geLLlng
Loo hoL Lhan Loo cold lf you donL have double glazlng lL mlghL be an ldea Lo move planLs off
Lhe wlndow sllls aL nlghL durlng Lhe wlnLer
Caring for House Plants by Providing Air
Pouse planLs need fresh a|r [usL llke any oLher llvlng organlsm 1hey wlll appreclaLe you openlng
Lhe wlndow and leLLlng some fresh alr ln and accumulaLed fumes (eg from gas appllances or
open flres) ouL provldlng Lhere ls noL Loo much of a draught and Lhe temperature d|fference
beLween ouLslde and lnslde ls noL Loo greaL
F L A M T G | C A R l r c A r L l : ` e L e L e age 3
Cood care of house planLs also means ensurlng Lhere ls sufflclenL mo|sture ln Lhe alr
excepLlng deserL planLs such as cacLl! MosL naLural planL hablLaLs donL lnclude dry cenLral
heaLlng!
1he requlremenL for hum|d|ty ln Lhe alr can be resolved by creaLlng a m|croc||mate for Lhe planL whlch
wlll noL lmpacL on Lhe resL of Lhe room
Ways to increase the humidity in the air around the plant include
O keeplng Lhe planL ln Lhe bathroom or k|tchen where Lhe alr conLalns more molsLure due Lo
sLeam
O fllllng Lhe outer conta|ner of Lhe poL wlLh vermlcullLe or slmllar and keeplng LhaL evenly molsL
(creaLes a mlcrocllmaLe around Lhe planL)
O placlng Lhe planL poL on a saucer of pebb|es and keeplng Lhe waLer level [usL below LhaL of Lhe
poL
ther ways to help satisIy the plants need Ior moisture around the leaves are to occasionally
spray water on the leaves, wipe the leaves with a damp sponge or pop the plants outside to
enjoy a bit oI warm summer rain. We sometimes give our plants a nice shower with tepid water
in the bath tub!
Caring for House Plants by Providing Ligbt
llnally carlng for house planLs also lncludes provldlng adequate ||ght for the type of p|ant
galn dlfferenL planLs have dlfferenL requlremenLs buL as a general gulde
Cenerally Lhe darker Lhe leaves Lhe less llghL ls needed 1he more colourful Lhe planL Lhe more
llghL and dlrecL sunshlne ls needed
O erns can wlLhsLand Lhe shadlesL of poslLlons perfecL for norLhfaclng baLhrooms wlLh
small wlndows and noL much llghL
O ark|eaved p|ants donL need dlrecL sunllghL and can llve qulLe happlly ln norLhfaclng
rooms
O lanLs wlLh f|owers and var|egated |eaves need some dlrecL sunllghL sunny
wlndowslll ls perfecL buL Lhey may need some proLecLlon from Lhe sun durlng Lhe
mlddle of Lhe summer
O Cact| and succu|ents love Lhe sun and wanL as much of lL as Lhey can geL!

lf all Lhls sounds a blL compllcaLed and lnvolved donL despalr Chances are LhaL you are already
carlng for house planLs ln your keep perfecLly well s long as Lhe planLs seem happy and are
Lhrlvlng keep dolng whaLever you are dolng!

F L A M T G | C A R l r c A r L l : ` e L e L e age 6
1vnvn. nv.c v.v,. v.cv vn in onc .vv.i, o vnonc. Tvn. vc c.onin [no.n noc vnv noc {o
nci .iv v.vc in nvn, vcnv., in.vvin ncvi.inv vo.c..
lanLs are LhoughL of mosLly as growlng and Lhrlvlng ln pleasanL sunny aLmospheres buL many
planLs also can be found ln areas LhaL do noL seen llkely ln promoLlng growLh ll LhaL ls
requlred for growLh of planL llfe ls alr sunllghL and soll
Pumans are very dependenL upon planL llfe wlLhouL lL all would perlsh lanLs provlde fuel
food cloLhlng and even shelLer elLher dlrecLly or lndlrecLly 1he dependence upon corn and
wheaL ma[or parLs of llfeglvlng nuLrlenLs ls noL ln doubL buL wlLhouL grasses and gralns LhaL
susLaln llvesLock whlch feed and cloLhe humans Lhey Loo would perlsh
D LAN1



1he chlef food planLs ln norLh merlca are cereal gralns 1he ma[or Lypes of graln crops lnclude
wheaL corn rlce oaLs barley and rye nexL are legumes such as peas beans soybeans and
peanuLs

lor cenLurles people have used Lhe herbs and splces derlved from planLs as seasonlngs for
Lhelr food epper and nuLmeg are Lwo examples of seasonlngs derlved from drled frulL whlle
oLhers such as sage and rosemary come from leaves common baklng splce clnnamon ls
found ln Lhe sLem of Lhe planL

Lven beverages come from planL llfe 8y sLeeplng planLs ln hoL waLer coffee Lea and cocoa are
produced naLure makes many oLher beverages naLurally such as frulL [ulces clder and mllk

CL1nING

Much of our cloLhlng comes from Lhe planLs found ln naLure such as coLLon Lhe foremosL flber
used Lo manufacLure cloLhlng SynLheLlc flbers Loo such as rayon are produced from planLs
Lhe cellulose requlred Lo manufacLure Lhe rayon ls found ln Lhe cell walls of planLs

A

apyrus a grassllke planL was used more Lhan four Lhousand years ago ln Lhe flrsL endeavor by
LgypLlans Lo make paper lL ls from Lhls planL LhaL paper has derlved lLs name

1he Chlnese around 100 lnvenLed a meLhod of manufacLurlng paper LhaL ls sLlll ln use
Loday 1he flbers from Lhe planL are placed ln waLer reduced Lo buL a pulp fLer Lhe waLer has
been sleved off Lhe remalnlng pulp ls pressed Lhen allowed Lo dry Lo yleld a very Lhln sheeL of
paper
F L A M T G | C A R l r c A r L l : ` e L e L e age 7
lmosL any planL LhaL ls found Lo be hlgh ln cellulose ls consldered excellenL for maklng Lhe pulp
whlch produces paper Lhe mosL common Loday belng Lrees such as aspen and plne varleLles

nL1

ln many parLs of Lhe world wood ls used for creaLlng proper shelLer agalnsL Lhe elemenLs lLems
found ln Lhe wooded sLrucLures we call home are also made wlLh wood a planL producL
lurnlLure for example ls made up malnly of wood and cloLh from Lhe flbers of planLs Walls ln
homes may be decoraLed wlLh wallpaper and many palnLs are derlved from planL exLracLs

DL

Creen planLs whlch llved on Lhe LarLh very long ago are Lhe orlgln for Lhe coal oll and gas LhaL
humans use for heaLlng and cooklng purposes Compresslon and heaL have converLed Lhese
planLs lnLo fossll fuels ln lreland a common fuel ls peaL whlch ls formed by Lhe same process
as coal 1he oldesL form of fuel ls wood burned Lo creaLe heaL for warmLh and for cooklng

MICIN

ln anclenL culLures medlclne men used Lhe exLracLs from planL llfe Lo sooLhe and relleve aches
and palns ln Lhe very beglnnlngs of 8oLany docLors ln boLh Lurope and merlca researched
herbs ln Lhelr quesL Lo cure dlsease

Many of Lhe planLs LhaL were dlscovered by anclenL clvlllzaLlons are sLlll ln use Loday 1he leaves
of wlllows whlch conLaln a compound very slmllar Lo asplrln were chewed by naLlve
merlcans Lo relleve aches and palns ma[or LreaLmenL ln hearL dlsease ls dlglLalls whlch ls
found ln foxglove 1he clnchona Lree found ln SouLh merlca ylelds from lLs bark qulnlne used
Lo flghL malarla

Lven Loday planLs are belng dlscovered LhaL yleld lmporLanL and much needed medlclnes 1he
perlwlnkle planL was dlscovered Lo have vlncrlsLlne a medlclne LhaL ls effecLlvely used Lo flghL
leukemla ln chlldren Many oLher planLs have proven lnvaluable as sources of vlLamlns an
lmporLanL parL of growLh and proper developmenL