Spring will be here soon but until then many spend time with their indoor plants.

Indoor plants help to clean the air in the home, which is even more important with more home being sealed up to prevent heat loss.

This you tube talks about the different sizes and varieties of houseplants and their advantages for the home.

This list of plants covers some of the varieties of indoor plants and their care and needs for lighting in the home

• Eureka Palm
• Spathiphyllum (The Peace Lily)
• Golden Pothos
• Yucca – good for sunny window, needs less water
• Arboracola
• Dieffenbachia
• Austin Fern (hanging plant, good for bathroom)
• Succulents (require little maintenance)

It is said that to purify the home you need a minimum of 1 plant per 100 square feet to clean toxins.

I have a large selection of succulents and ferns in my home. I had never thought about the yucca plant but it is one of my favorite outdoors so we may have to add it indoors too.

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Growing plants indoors brings the feel of the lush outdoors into your home. This is particular beneficial in the winter months when many feel “cabin Fever.” Plants that may require more care or a controlled environment will also do best in an indoor environment.

photo credit: >>>WonderMike<<<

Plants are also known for adding enjoyment, beauty and health benefits to your home. And yes, plants help to improve the air quality in your home.

When carefully chosen and strategically placed, plants will add ambiance and warmth to any room or business.

How to Purchase an indoor Plant

The most important thing to remember when purchasing plants is that the plants you select must be compatible with the environment you provide.

• Lighting must be considered along with temperatures and any draft conditions.
• Time for maintaining a plant must also be thought of. If you have a busy office or travel you will not want a plant that needs to be fussed over to survive.

Choose plants whose foliage is rich green and uniform in color. Any plant that has broken stems, yellow or brown leaves, looks wilted or has sad looking soil should be avoided.

Inspect the plant for pests, such as mealy bugs, spider mites and worms. A sign of insects would be yellow leaves, sad looking soil, any odor or worn leaves.

Check the pot the plant is in. Is the pot clean and the right size for the plant? Does is have proper drainage? You may want to purchase a new pot if you answered no to any of these questions.

You may also want purchase a pot that will match the décor of your home or office. Many planters or pots that has a watering tray included, which is beneficial to the plant and in watering.

Check the label for the mature height of the plant. Make sure that it is not too tall for the location in your home. I have found that grouping a few plants makes a very attracting arrangement and will add depth and flow to a room. If you decide to group several plants in one area you will want to select plants of different heights.

One last consideration in purchasing a plant is to look for healthy new growth. New growth will let you know the plant has not been forced to grow quickly and that the soil and roots should be healthy.

Note: Bargain plants look attractive but check the plant over well to see if it has been neglected, as a pest problem or poor soil. Bringing home a plant that can infect your healthy plants or that may require a lot of attention may not be a bargain.

A plant or group of plants will last for years if properly maintained and the benefits to your home and office will be immeasurable.

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Whiteflies are tiny, flying insects that feed off plants. If your plant looks unhealthy or is yellow this may be the reason, whiteflies. If you do not rid the plant of this insect the plant will be more prone to any plant disease and eventually die.

photo credit: Kel and Val

Whiteflies eat strawberries, cotton plants, vegetable plants and many houseplants.

The whitefly actually sucks out plant juices and sap from a plant which will slowly kill the plant. Even worse, whiteflies transmit diseases like sooty mold; due to the sticky honeydew the insects exude.

For whiteflies, look for tiny white flying insects.  Being very small they are hard to see with the human eye. They look more like tiny, flying, flakes of snow.

I usually see their eggs before I see the insect. Whiteflies will lay tiny eggs in crescent or circular patterns on the bottom of leaves.

Whiteflies also excrete a sticky substance called “honeydew” on the top and underside of plants’ leaves.

If you notice a sudden swarm of tiny, white, insects hovering over garden plants, they are probably whiteflies. Check for eggs and treat accordingly

Tips:

If you identify whiteflies in your garden, use seaweed spray on the garden plants. Whiteflies do not like to reproduce on plants treated with seaweed spray. The spray is also environmentally friendly.

Spray affected plants with insect soap. It’s best to use insect soap when temperatures are below 80 degrees, as this natural pesticide can burn tender foliage in hot weather.

Repel whiteflies with fine horticultural oil. You can apply a light mist of this oil to plants in the early spring, when it will smother the eggs and developing whitefly larvae. This is available at most garden centers.

Plant a Nicotiana plant in the garden. These plants attract and then trap whiteflies. Nicotiana is a pretty plant and again makes use of natural environmental insect control.

Use a vacuum to remove whiteflies from houseplants. Agitate the foliage on the plants to cause the whiteflies to swarm around the plants, and then use your vacuum before they resettle to resume feeding.

Another popular form of control is using yellow sticky traps. Distribute 4 cards evenly in every 1000 feet of garden or greenhouse space. Hang the cards among the tender new growth whiteflies enjoy feeding on.

With a little care, you can spot whiteflies before they cause damage to plants. If you woudl like more information on indoor plant disease you may want to read this article, Indoor Plant Diseases.

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