Growing Houseplants

Five Houseplants to Grow Just for Fun

The following five houseplants are worth growing just for the sheer fun of it. All share a few common features - they are obtained from planting seeds, pips, or plant tops from fruits and vegetables you buy for eating. Even better - they cost nothing more than what you pay for them at the supermarket.

Carrot Tops

When planted, carrot tops (Daucus carota) produce an attractive spray of feathery foliage. Kids, especially, seem to love to grow them - maybe because most kids enjoy eating them. To plant, cut off the top inch of a mature carrot and trim off the leaves. Push the cut end into compost in a 5 inch pot, leaving just the crown exposed. It will take about a month for the foliage to grow, but no matter how much you wish for it, you will not be able to grow another carrot.

Note: Plants from carrot tops make fun hanging baskets for the kitchen and pretty centerpieces for dinner parties.

Pineapple Tops

Pineapples are bromeliads, and bromeliads are typically expensive houseplants to buy. Fortunately, you can get one for practically nothing by planting the top of a fresh pineapple (Ananas comosus) you bought for eating. When you're at the grocery store, choose a fruit with a healthy crown of leaves. Cut off the top inch of the pineapple and peel away the outer soft flesh so that you are left with only a leafy crown attached to the cylindrical fibrous core. Leave the core out to "cure" for a couple of days to reduce the risk of rot. Place the crown in a clear glass of water and place it on top of the refrigerator or in a spot away from hot or cold drafts. Change the water every 4 to 5 days. In three weeks you should see healthy roots. Transplant the top and roots to a pot filled with lightweight potting soil.

Avocado Plants

An avocado plant (Persea americana) is easy to grow from the large stone inside the fruit. After planting, it can take only a few years to produce a plant that is 3 feet tall. Start by opening the avocado and removing the stone from the center. Push 3 toothpicks into the thickest width of the stone. These will be used to suspend the stone over a glass filled with water (toothpicks resting on the rim of the glass). Suspend the stone so that the wide base of the pit is under the surface of the water, while the top part remains exposed to the air. Place the glass in a bright window sill. Keep the water level high enough so that the base of the pit stays submerged in at least 1 inch. In 3 to 6 weeks, the top of the avocado pit will begin to split and a stem will emerge. Roots will start to grow at the base. When the stem grows to a height of 5 to 6 inches, transplant your avocado plant to an 8 inch pot.

Date Trees

Believe it or not, the seeds from the date you eat contain the potential to grow into an attractive palm (Phoenix dactylifera). Eat the date and save the stone. Soak it in a glass of water for 24 to 48 hours, changing the water once or twice. Plant the stone vertically in a small pot filled with compost so that the top of the stone lies about 1/2 inch below the surface. Water carefully and keep the seed warm (70 degrees F) and slightly moist until it germinates. Be patient - very, very patient. Expect to wait as long as 3 months before seeing a single, long leaf emerge through the soil. Keep the plant fairly cool in winter (50-55 degrees F) and repot every year. With care, the stone from the date you ate will produce a stately 5 foot tree.

Citrus Trees

The pips of many citrus trees are some of the easiest and most enjoyable to grow, including those from lemons (Citrus limon), oranges (C. sinesis) and grapefruits (C. paradisi). As you eat the fruit, drop the pips (seeds) into a glass of warm water to prevent them from drying out. Leave the pips to soak in water overnight and then press each 1/2 inch deep into a 3 1/2 inch pot filled with compost. Keep the soil evenly moist and store the pot in a warm, dark place until the shoots appear before moving it to a sunny spot. Let your plants spend the summer months outdoors and move them to a semi-cool room (50-60 degrees F) in the winter.

By Ellen Brown

Decorating Houseplants With Toys

I love plants in my home, especially herbs that I can use all year long! I had a small child's toy bear that I added to my bonsai plant and really liked the look! So I went to garage sales and found other animals that would look good in my plants, all just for fun! Take a look!



I just check out flea markets for little plastic animals that I like and try to match them with the plant settings to create little jungles, all just for fun!



These are rosmary and thyme and other houseplants with my little horse. It reminds me of Assateague Island where we vacationed and where the horses roam free!



These chives reminded me of the jungle plants, so I added an elephant to my rainforest.



Deep in the forest, roam the cats!



Grazing wildlife amid the jungle! Adults and kids really love these rainforests!

Add some whimsy to your houseplants! Have fun adding your (or your childrens or grandchildrens) favorite pets and create your own jungle!

By Donna

Jell-o For Houseplants

Add a few teaspoons of powdered jell-o into the soil of houseplants. The nitrogen in the gelatin enhances new growth. Also reduces how often the plant needs watering.

By Janette from Parkersburg, WV

How to Buy House Plants

When it comes to gardening outdoors, buying plants that we know will grow best in our gardens is extremely important. Indoor plants are no different. They each have their likes and dislikes when it comes to growing conditions. Yet when buying them, many of us are content to select a plant based on price and appearance alone. Here are a few things to consider before buying your next indoor plant.

Before You Buy

Consider Your Space

Make sure that the plant you choose fits your space in terms of size and growing requirements (light, temperature, and humidity). Then consider your skills and how much time you are willing to invest when it comes to taking care of it. Many popular species of house plants have a reputation for being easy to care for and will do well despite our inexperience and neglect. Other species are considered more delicate and demanding. These types of plants are better suited to someone with plenty of time, patience, and experience.

Inspect Prospects Carefully

If you're buying plants in the winter, check for signs of cold damage (burned or dropped leaves), especially on tropical species. Inspect the undersides of the leaves for visible signs of scale, mealy bugs, white flies, or other pests. Then look under the pot. If roots are visibly sticking out of the drainage hole, the plant will probably need to be re-potted immediately. Because the plant has already endured plenty of stress during its journey from greenhouse to market, you're probably better off looking for a different specimen. Avoid plants that exhibit the following:

• Obvious signs of pests of disease
• Droopy or scorched leaves; missing leaves
• Roots growing out of the drainage hole
• Shrinkage between the soil and the side of the pot
• Mold or green slime on the surface of the soil

Prepare Plants for Transport

During winter weather, it is best avoid buying plants online. If you do, ask for an insulted shipping carton and be prepared to pay the higher costs. Also, make sure someone will be home when your plant is delivered. If you buy the plants locally, try to transfer the plant to a warm car for the ride home. Before leaving the store, wrap the plant with newspaper or several layers of tissue paper. Close it securely at the top to protect leaves and stems from cold drafts. During summer heat, avoid putting plants in your trunk of your car and leaving them to cook inside while you continue shopping. It's better to place them securely in box in the back seat and transport them home as soon as possible.

Acclimating Your New Arrival

Make Introductions Slowly

After you bring your new house plant home, keep it isolated from your other plants for two weeks just to make sure it is healthy. During that time, keep it out of direct sunlight, protect it from temperature extremes, and be careful not to give it too much water. While your plant adjusts to its new environment it may shed a leaf or two. Don't panic. This is perfectly normal. Just leave it alone in a moderately warm spot out of the sun.

Place Them Properly

Once you know your new plant is healthy, move it to its permanent location. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Light intensity decreases dramatically just a few feet away from windows.

• A Southern exposure offers the longest and most intense light; an Eastern exposure gets good early morning light; a Western exposure gets good afternoon light, and a Northern exposure receives the least amount of light (put plants right next to the window).

• Tropical plants, flowering plants, and plants with brightly colored foliage usually need more light than other types of house plants.

• Never place a plant where you can't read the newspaper without a light on.

• Plants will automatically bend toward the light, so give pots a quarter or half turn every few days to encourage even growth.

• If you can't offer enough natural daylight for your house plants, consider making up the difference with artificial lighting.

Let Them Settle In

Once your new plants are in their permanent location, try to avoid moving them. Just like outdoors plants, house plants like to feel as through they "put some roots down." Sudden changes can cause stress that results in leaf or bud drop and may leave plants more susceptible to insects and disease. Unless absolutely necessary, resist the urge to repot them until they are well settled in.

By Ellen Brown

Grow Your Own Avocado Houseplant

Here's a fun summer activity for the kids to enjoy and a rewarding way to recycle the left-over avocado seeds.

1. Wash the seed and suspend it (broad end down) over a water-filled glass using 3 toothpicks. The water should cover about an inch of the seed.


2. Place the glass in a warm location, out of direct sunlight. A mature seed will crack as roots and stem sprout in about 2 to 6 weeks.


3. When a stem grows to six or seven inches, cut it back to about three inches.


4. When the roots are thick and the stem has leafed out again, plant it in a rich humus soil, leaving the seed half exposed. Use a terra cotta pot with a 10-1/2 diameter.


5. Water the avocado plant generously, but let it dry out somewhat between watering.

By Connie from Oden, Arkansas

Group House Plants Together

House plants like to be in groupings, perhaps they create their own little garden atmosphere that way. Try to have several plants together instead of isolating them. I have an old apartment that has a planter as a room divider and I have my group of plants there.

By Pam from Los Angeles

Twelve Rules for Healthy Houseplants

In the wild, a plant must rely on Mother Nature to meet its requirement for growth. Houseplants, on the other hand, must depend entirely on you to provide them with what they need. Follow these twelve rules for healthy houseplants Keep in mind that plants, like people, all have different needs and that there are usually exceptions to every rule.

1. Water Them Properly

Roots need air as well as water. Keeping the compost soaked at all times means certain death for most houseplants. In fact, more plants die from over watering than any other single cause. On the other hand, too little water and the end result is the same. Different plants have different water needs depending on the size of the plant, the size of the pot, the environment and the time of year (almost all should be watered sparingly in winter). Research your plant's specific water needs and use a moisture meter to determine when it's time to water.

2. Feed Them Good Food

Whether in your garden or your house, all plants need an adequate supply of nitrogen, phosphate, potash and trace elements. The most effective way to deliver houseplant food is to use a liquid fertilizer. That way, food and water are delivered as a single operation. The amount of food needed will depend on the size of the plant and the size of the pot. When the plant is in the rest period, reduce or stop feeding altogether.

3. Bathe Them in Light

Nearly all plants need 12-16 hours of natural (or sufficiently strong artificial) light daily to maintain active growth.

There are two aspects to providing your houseplants with correct lighting-duration and intensity. Nearly all plants need 12-16 hours of natural (or sufficiently strong artificial) light daily to maintain active growth. Less light means reduced food production and induces a rest period.

The number of quality of blooms is directly related to light intensity. Intensity requirements vary from plant to plant, and although most foliage houseplants require bright light without direct sunlight, most will adapt to semi-shade. Plants with variegated leaves need more light than green-leafed plants, and the succulents (cacti, etc.) have the highest light requirements of all. Flowering plants generally need at least some direct sunlight.

4. Keep Them Warm

Although most houseplants are native to the tropics, few will grow well in households at temperatures above 75°F. This is because normal household conditions provide much less light and humidity then natural tropical environments.

Temperatures ranging from 55°F-75°F during the growing season are suitable for most houseplants. Sudden wide fluctuations in temperature (20° or more) are much worse than short periods above or below the optimum range.

5. Give Them Fresh Air

Although plants are the providers of fresh air, the can also benefit from it. Certain household vapors (fresh paint, ripe apples, dirty oil heaters) can be damaging to many houseplants and their flowers. A change of air can remove these harmful vapors as well as strengthen stems, reduce humidity (in overcrowded situations) and lower air temperatures in hot weather. Provide plants with fresh moving air by opening a door or window, but take care to guard against cold air drafts when temperatures outside are appreciably less than those inside.

6. Let Them Rest

Beginners are usually surprised to learn that nearly all plants need a rest (dormant period) in winter.

Beginners are usually surprised to learn that nearly all plants need a rest (dormant period) in winter. This usually means providing them with less water, less feeding and less heat than in the active growing period. Winter-flowering plants are the exception to this rule, and must be fed and watered as usual for as long as they are displayed indoors.

7. Maintain Good Grooming

Dust should be removed from houseplant foliage for several reasons: it prevents leaf pores from breathing properly, blocks out daylight, often contains damaging chemicals and spoils the appearance of plant foliage. Use a mister or soft cloth to remove dust from leaves. Do this early in the morning so leaves have plenty of time to dry before nightfall. Support the leaf with your hand while removing dust, and instead of hand washing young leaves, wash away dust with a syringe. Dust from hairy leafed plants like African violets can be gently swept away with a small artists paintbrush. Avoid products that produce an artificial polish on leaves.

8. Offer Them Extra Humidity

The atmosphere of a centrally heated room in winter is as dry as desert air. Use tepid water in a spray bottle to deposit droplets of water on the plants leaves. Not only will this provide them with a shot of humidity, it helps prevent spider mites and removes dust. Humidifiers and spill trays filled with gravel and water will also add humidity. Plants grown in pots share the humid effects of moist compost when placed close together. As a general rule, plants with papery leaves require more humidity in the air than those with leathery leaves.

9. Treat Trouble Promptly

Expert or beginner, trouble will strike your houseplants at some time. One or two scale insects or mealy bugs are easily picked off; an infestation might be incurable. Over watering is not fatal at first, but kills when prolonged. Learn to recognize the signs of trouble quickly and act immediately to find a resolution.

10. Group Them Together

Nearly all plants look better and grow better when grouped together.

11. Learn to Repot

After a year or two, most plants can begin to look sickly; in many cases, the plant simply needs repotting into a larger container.

12. Use the Proper Tools

Buy a watering can with a long, narrow spout and a mister for increasing humidity, reducing dust and controlling pests. You'll need a reputable brand of compost and a collection of pots, stakes and plant ties or string. Drip trays will keep water off the furniture. A bottle of organic liquid fertilizer and safe pest killer will keep your plants looking healthy. To complete your tool kit include soft a sponge, small artist's paintbrush, an old kitchen spoon, fork, and a pair of small-sized secateurs.

By Ellen Brown

Winter Care for Houseplants

The onset of winter weather outside can take a surprising toll on indoor plants. Dry air, dust accumulations, and dwindling daylight, can quickly add up to less than ideal conditions for your plants. Here are some easy tips for keeping your houseplants healthy throughout the winter season.

Dust Their Leaves

Once your home's windows are shut for the season, it's easy to put off dusting. Plants are equipped with tiny pores or openings (stomata) on the surface of their leaves. This is how they breathe (exchange gases). If these pores become clogged with dust, the plant quickly becomes dull and unattractive in appearance, growth becomes restricted (dust blocks out already limited seasonal light), and the plant starts to deteriorate. Regular dusting will also help prevent insect infestations.

• Clean your plant's leaves using a sponge or soft cloth dipped in lukewarm water. Remember to support the leaf with your hand, and avoid pressing down hard on the surface.

• If possible, clean your plant's leaves early in the day so they will be dry before dark.

• For Cacti, African Violets and plants with hairy leaves, use a cotton ball or soft brush to remove dust instead of spraying them with water.

• Don't forget to dust the underside of your plant's leaves. Pores (stomata) exist on both the top and bottom surfaces of plant leaves.

Monitor Humidity

Central heating during the winter can produce very dry air that contains as little as 10 to 20 percent humidity. Because houseplants prefer a humidity level of around 40 to 50 percent, intervening to increase the humidity around them is usually necessary. As a general rule, plants with thin, papery leaves require a higher level of humidity than plants with thick, leathery leaves.

• Misting This is not the most efficient (or effective) way to raise the relative humidity around your plants, but it does offer some temporary relief. Keep a spray bottle next to your plants to remind yourself to give them a quick mist each day when you walk by. Coat both the stems and leaves with a heavy layer of droplets. If you have wood floors, placing a towel on the floor around your plants will prevent moisture damage.

• Grouping By grouping plants next to each other, they all benefit from the moisture in the compost and on the leaves of nearby plants. As a group, their foliage acts as a canopy to trap moisture and keeps the air surrounding them more humid.

• Pebble Trays Another way to raise the humidity around your plants is with a pebble tray. Place a layer of pebbles in the bottom of a shallow tray. Fill the tray with water to just below the top of the pebbles and arrange the plants on top. As the water evaporates, the air around the plants will remain humid. An alternative method is to place your plants on a tray filled with damp peat moss.

Let Them Rest

Nearly all indoor plants need some type of resting (dormant) period during the year in order to put out healthy new growth in the spring. For example, flowering plants like orchids and cacti will flower poorly (or not at all) if they are not given a winter rest. Because of its cooler temperatures and shorter days, this dormant period usually takes place during winter. When your plants are at rest, growth either slows significantly or stops altogether. As a result, their feeding and watering schedule needs to be adjusted accordingly.

• Temperature Most houseplants will continue to thrive with indoor temperatures around 65 to 70 degrees F and during the day and temperatures of 60 to 65 degrees F at night. Avoid sudden temperature fluctuations by keeping plants away from cold drafts, heating ducts, and frosty windows.

• Fertilizer Once it becomes obvious that growth has slowed, houseplants should be fertilized sparingly (if at all) in the winter. You can always add more, but it's difficult, if not impossible, to undo the damage caused by over-fertilizing. When growth resumes in the spring (around March) gradually increase the feeding schedules.

• Water In general, most plants require less water in the winter than when they are actively growing during the rest of the year. Once a week is usually often enough for most houseplants. Of course there are always exceptions. Ferns, for example, prefer evenly moist soil all year round and may need to be watered more often. Succulents like cacti can go longer.

By Ellen Brown

Use Tea On House Plants

Don't throw away that old tea, put it in your house plants. They like to have be watered with tea every once in a while. (old tea leaves make good mulch, too).

By Pam from Los Angeles

Refresh Your House Plants

Take advantage of a light rain and set your houseplants outside. Just like giving them plant food and you don't have to pay for it. Helps keep the plants clean, too!

By Linda

Avocado Pits Grow into a Nice House Plant

After removing the pit from an avocado, don't throw it away. Wash the pit. Stick three toothpicks around the pointy upper third of the pit. Then fill up a jar water and rest the avocado pit on the rim with the large portion of the pit in the water and small portion above water. After five days, place the jar in a spot where the pit can receive sunlight. It won't be long before you see roots appears and leaves sprout. Once you have a healthy system of roots and several leaves you can transplant to potting soil. Water once a week.

Fat Separator For Watering House Plants

The fat separator I use has a long spout which I have found handy and useful to water my house plants. I really appreciate double duty gadgets.

By Angelna from Glendale, CA

Tips for Growing Palms Indoors

Growing a potted palm as a house plant is a wonderful way to add a bold, tropical focal point to any room in your home. Because of their size, mature palms are one of the most expensive houseplants you can buy.

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By Ellen Brown

The Best Houseplants for Low Light

If you find that you have a brown thumb when it comes to growing houseplants, existing light conditions may be the biggest factor standing in the way of you and success. Selecting plants to grow indoors is similar to selecting plants to grow outdoors. But instead of selecting the right plant for the right site, you need to choose your houseplants based on your available light.

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By Ellen Brown