Ever green, blooming or aromatic, plants have lots of benefits among them the capacity to reduce stress and create a feeling of well-being. But when do I water them? Which quantity? Fertilizer yes or no? Why are leaves turning yellow? Getting green fingers has never been so easy, discover our tips here that our expert florists are happy to share with you.
Blooming plants
Without going into too much detail for each type or variety of blooming plant, here are general principles suitable for most of indoor flowering pots. Unlike cut flowers, blooming plants last longer and can be a good substitute if you don’t have the chance to get a beautiful bouquet of flowers every week.
Many plants have blooms during 4 to 7 weeks in average and some even longer. If your plant’s leaves start falling in less than 4 weeks or if they turn yellow, this is the alert that something is going wrong. Blooming plants have 2 major enemies: parasites and warm air.
- They need moist soil, but not too wet, with regular watering. The good combination is 1 to 2 times a week, and almost every day in small quantity especially during summer or if they are placed next to a window. A good tip is to touch the soil to check if it’s dry or not. After watering your blooming plant, if there is some water stagnating in the pot, wait 30 minutes and empty it.
- A good light condition is very important but avoid aggressive direct sunlight that may burn the leaves and blooms.
- You can also add a specific fertilizer for blooming plants once a month during growing period.
- In winter you need to be careful that your plant is moist enough. When it’s cold outside, it’s often very dry inside with warm air. Make sure that you spray some water if your plant is next to a heat source.
- Check that your plants don’t have small parasites that may slow down their growth or kill them, such as very small spider mites or cochineal. If so use a specific treatment, don’t hesitate to bring some leaves or flowers and show it to your florists to get help and recommendations.
Did you know?
Bromeliace is a very interesting blooming plant: you need to pour the water right in the middle of the flower every week or 2 weeks, but not in the soil. The flower needs to absorb water directly to grow from inside.
Green plants
To be able to get the perfect care & balance between water, light and fertilizer, you first need to know your plant. Indeed not all green plants require the same needs. As an example, an ivy or ficus will require indirect light and moist soil whereas a sanseveria or a cactus will need bright light and dry soil. Here again we will give you general principles for most of green plants that you can find in our flower shops or online.
- Green plants should not be watered more than once a week. Over-watering is one of the most common causes of plant death. Leaves turning yellow is one of the signal for over-watering or a reaction to alternating periods of drought and flood.
- To survive, your green plant also needs a good light and warm condition. That’s why they are perfect indoor plants. But do not mix up brightness and sunlight. Behind a window, light can become a real danger for your green plants.
- A regular fertilizing is needed to help your green plant in its growth period. Our expert florists recommend to bring a monthly dose of fertilizer from January to September. It’s also important to allow your plants to a rest period. Fertilizer can be a liquid added to the watering or a stick that you can put directly in the soil.
- Inspect your plant leaves on both sides each time you water them to detect signs of disease or insects. Once you have identified the problem, use a specific treatment to avoid the contamination to other plants. When you clean your plant leaves, never use a feather duster where the insects or eggs can remain in and be easily transferred from one plant to another.
- A good tip is also to wash the leaves several times a year. When it’s raining you can leave your plants in your balcony or outside in the garden. This gentle shower will clean dust and grime from the leaves that spider mites love.
When you are on holiday, don’t forget to give them light and enough water.
Did you know?
Ivy has depolluting capacities. Placed in the bathroom, when you take your shower this plant will catch a lot of moisture and exchange it in the air during the day.
Note - Aromatic plant such as lavender, olive tree, basil are water-grumpy but it’s very important to allow them to dry a bit between watering’s. The soil should have low fertility and should never become saturated with water meaning that a well-drained pot is required.
