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Stitching Pathways. Jack Kramer
Читать онлайн.Название Stitching Pathways
Год выпуска 0
isbn 9781607657408
Автор произведения Jack Kramer
Жанр Изобразительное искусство, фотография
Издательство Ingram
Overhead Watering
Use a metal or plastic watering can with a long spout that allows you to reach through foliage to the soil. The spout should have a rose (resembling a showerhead) that releases a gentle spray of water rather than a concentrated flow. Another good way to water plants is to set the pots in a sink or tub and turn on a gentle shower of tepid water. Water slowly, gently, and deeply.
Now and then give your plants a soaking.
Watering from the Bottom
Once a month, give all of your plants a good soaking. To do this, fill a sink or a pan with water and set the containers in the water. The water should be deep enough to reach just below pot rims. If the soil is dry, air will bubble out of the soil as water displaces it. When air bubbles no longer appear on the soil surface, remove the containers, and let the excess water drain.
4 Rules for Watering
• Push your finger into the soil. If the soil doesn’t give, that means it’s dry and in need of water.
• You can water at any hour in the daytime, but avoid watering at night, which can cause fungus.
• Treated water out of the tap is fine for houseplants—chlorine, fluoride, and all.
• Always use tepid, room-temperature water.
Plant Science
Without light, plants will die. Light is necessary for photosynthesis, the production of sugar and starches from carbon dioxide and water. How long a plant is exposed to light each day determines the amount of food that the plant manufactures and whether the plant grows well and produces flowers.
4 Rules for Light
• Most houseplants thrive where they receive bright or dappled light from a window, without direct sun.
• Plants that aren’t receiving enough light respond by “reaching” toward the light source. Their stems grow long and spindly. Rotate them.
• A south-facing window is brightest. However, south light is too intense for many plants.
• Plants need the blue, red, and far-red wavelengths of the sun’s spectrum of wavelengths; some artificial lighting emulates this quality.
Misting periodically improves humidity. To protect plants from water sitting on their leaves, hold a card over the leaves, and mist the base of the plant.
Heat and Humidity
Most houseplants like average home temperatures of 70°F to 78°F (21°C to 25°C) with a drop of 10°F (5.5°C) at night. The daily temperature difference helps plants manufacture sugar, which fuels their growth. Keep houseplants away from hot radiators, hot-air vents, and drafts.
Most homes have a humidity level of 30 to 40 percent, which is fine for most houseplants. On hot summer days, mist plants lightly with water between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. In the winter, try to keep the humidity more in balance by employing a room humidifier or by misting the area around the containers and soil surface between 6 and 8 p.m. every other day.
Air Circulation
In the winter, when the air is drier inside than outside, ventilation helps maintain adequate humidity. Open a window slightly whenever the weather is not too frigid, or be sure there is sufficient ventilation near the plants. When it’s really cold outside and impractical to open a window, use a small fan to circulate air. In summer, air conditioning is a boon for houseplants. Most houseplants wilt in torrid weather, but air conditioning perks them up.
Resting: Like people, plants need to rest to restore their energy. Orchids, like many flowering plants, need time to rest between blooming periods. The orchid at left is resting, indicated by its slowed growth. Resting plants usually need less water. The orchid at right is actively growing and has sent out a bud.
Feeding
Plants need three major nutrients for health: nitrogen (for vigorous growth and good leaf color), phosphorus (to grow strong roots and produce seeds and fruit after flowering), and potassium, or potash (to help them absorb other nutrients and resist disease). The labels on fertilizer containers indicate the percentage of each of the three major elements, in the order listed here. For example, a 10-10-10 fertilizer (the best general formula) contains 10 percent nitrogen (N), 10 percent phosphorus (P), and 10 percent potassium (K). The rest of the material in the bag is inert fillers.
Organic fertilizer pellets
Natural, or organic, plant foods are excellent sources of nitrogen, and are better than synthetic fertilizers because they add organic matter to the soil and their nutrients are released gradually. Cottonseed meal, fish emulsion, bloodmeal, and composted steer and cow manure are all organic nitrogen fertilizers available at nurseries and garden centers. Fish emulsion is sold in bottles and the other fertilizer types are sold in bags.
4 Rules for Feeding
• Be sure the soil is moist.
• Start feeding when plants are 2 to 4 in. (51 to 102 mm) tall, usually about three to five weeks after seeds germinate. Because their new roots are too young to absorb nutrients, never feed seedlings.
• Feed only healthy plants. Sick plants can’t absorb nutrients.
• Do not overfertilize. Forcing a plant into growth by excessive feeding will weaken or kill it.
Remove dead flower heads as soon as you notice them. Deadheading allows the plant to devote its energy to growing and staying healthy rather than producing seeds.
Trimming & Grooming
Most houseplants need trimming and grooming. (Exceptions include cacti and most succulents, orchids, and bromeliads.) Trimming involves removal of old branches to encourage fresh growth and improve overall health and vigor. Trimming also involves removal of decayed areas, which can attract fungus. Grooming involves picking off dead leaves and flowers and keeping the soil surface free of debris. Groom plants about three times a year.
Trimming Stray Branches
1. Trim away errant branches to keep your plant healthy and attractive. Prune straggly branches that detract from the plant’s form. To avoid tearing tissue, always cut at an angle.
2.