The Interior Landscape:
Houseplants and Plantscaping
Unit 23
• Plants are a special part of people’s lives
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• 1998 - $______interior plants sold
• Plantscaping –
– Public places and private homes
Caring for interior plants
• The Following questions should be asked.
• What is the proper way to water the plant?
• How much light does it need?
• What is the best temperature for optimum growth?
• What type of planting medium is needed?
Watering
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• Signs of improper watering:
• ______or leaves that do not seem as full – lack of water
• ______of leaves – too much water
Methods of watering interior plants
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– Desired amount of water is added all at once
• Drench/ Let Dry slightly
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– Medium should be damp to the touch ______
Lighting
• Interior environments cause excess stress due to ______
• Appropriate artificial environments must be created
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– Incandescent, fluorescent
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– All these allow plants to receive enough energy for ______
Measuring Light Intensity
• Light meters –
– Determine if the location is suitable for the plant
– Sold at florists, garden centers, dept. stores
Classification of Light Intensity
• Intensity needed is classified into 3 groups
• ______: plant should receive full intensity of natural sunlight
• Partial sun or weak sun:
• Indirect or filtered light:
• Basically the more sunlight available, ______
Artificial lighting
• Fluorescent light greatly influenced growth of interior plants
• Enables horticulturists to…
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– Start seeds of new and different interior plants
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Temperature
• Interior plants are exposed to a great range of temperatures
• Recommended temp. for interior plants is ______– daytime
• At night, temps. Can drop ______
• Plants should be located ______and direct air flows
Humidity
• Humidity:
– Lower in winter – need additional moister in atmosphere
• Humidity can be increased by…
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– Using a watertight tray filled w/ small pea gravel to hold plants
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– Placing plants in the part of the house with highest humidity
Soil Mixture
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• Sphagnum Peat Moss
Fertilizers
• 2 kinds of fertilizers: ______
• Slow release: small beads coated w/ plastic
– Dissolve over period of time
– ______are steadily released
– Eliminates risk of ______
• Soluble: available in liquid or solid form
– ______must be added to dilute the concentrate or break down the solid form
Containers
• Plants need ______to their roots
• Drainage holes must be available
• Pot should be set in a ______to catch excess water
Potting Plants
• A ______may be used as drainage in the bottom of the pot
– Crock: ______
• Add the selected potting mixture to cover the crock
• Add plant, adjust so it is _____ below top of pot
– Plant can hold extra water while being watered
Repotting
• Plants should be repotted when they become ______
– Remove the plant from original pot
– If roots are growing around ______and are _____ – repot the plant
• Roots must be ______to allow roots to develop and make new growth
• Wait until after flowering is completed to repot
General Care
• Leaves should be cleaned occasionally w/ a fine spray of water
– Wipe leaves on ______and ______
– Removes dust and insects
– Helps maintain ______
– Keeps plant ______
Controlling Diseases and Pests
• The secret is to recognize and control problems on the plant
• ______are small, green insects w/ piercing mouth parts – suck plant juices
– Leaves become sticky w/ honeydew causing a ______
• ______are small white, winged, sucking insect
– Heavy producers of ______so infestation occurs ______
• ______are white, woolly masses like a ball of ______
– Concentrate on ______and underside of leaves
– Give plant a faded yellow appearance
• Mites are ______
– Suck juices causing plant to yellow
– Too small to see w/ naked eye
– Easiest way to check for mites is to tap the leaf above a piece of white paper
Diseases
• Botrytis and mildew are 2 common diseases of indoor plants
• Botrytis causes leaves to turn ______and develop a gray ______
– Controls include providing good ______and sanitation
• Mildew causes leaves to get heavy ______
– Good air circulation and ______to control