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Care Tips for some of our
Favorite Greenhouse Plants
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Cacti and Succulents are in the same Culture. In fact, Cactus is one family of succulent plants. A succulent is any plant that stores water in its stems and in some cases its leaves so it can survive extended periods without water.
Air plants are ideal for indoor growing. While the low humidity of indoor air is difficult for most plants, cacti and succulents have a compact, conservative structure allowing them to handle indoor conditions better than other plants. They are also tolerant of neglect and don't need attending if we take a vacation.
Cactus and Succulents are good at storing energy as well as water. Virtually any non-shaded window can provide enough light for healthy growth. If you don't have that, summer them outside to store up energy for a winter indoors. Just protect them from freezing and overly rainy conditions. They, just like you, need to be re-acclimated to full sun conditions. Two weeks in the shade does nicely. Wherever you have them, remember to turn them occasionally so they grow evenly.
The amount of light and temperature a cactus or succulent receives determines how much water it needs. Never let them sit in a saucer of water or flood them in a drainless container. Many types only need one light watering or spritzing each month during the darker winter months. Under high light and heat conditions the most they can usually handle is one good soaking per week. Fertilizing should also be conservative and in relation to the watering.
Cacti and Succulents are low maintenance in pruning as well. Many may never need it. Faster growing, branching types, such as Jade plants, may need a yearly cut back to keep them in bounds.
Like all plants, these can come under attack from insects. Their main enemies are Mealy Bugs and Scale. Insects can be controlled with systemic insecticides or with botanical oils (insecticidal soap or neem oil) that. Larger pests, (cats, dogs, kids) generally leave these plants alone due to built in defenses: Spines and thorns.
A compelling reason to utilize these plants is the seemingly infinite array of shapes, colors, and textures in a relatively small space. Since they have primarily similar needs, it is easy to have an intriguing collection without much adieu.
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Phalaenopsis Culture Orchid
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| Phalaenopsis Culture Orchid |
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Phalaenopsis, the Moth Orchid, is one of the best orchids for growing in the home, and is also a favorite with greenhouse growers.
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Light is easy to provide for phalaenopsis. They grow easily in a bright window. An east window is ideal in the home; shaded south or west windows are acceptable. In a greenhouse, heavy shade must be given, 70-85% shade, or between 1000 and 1500 foot-candles, is optimum. No shadow should be seen if you hold your hand one foot over the plants leaves.
Temperatures for phalaenopsis should be usually be above 60 degrees at night, and range between 75 and 85 degrees.
Water is especially critical for phalaenopsis. Because they have no major water storage organs other than their leaves, they must never completely dry out. Plants should be thoroughly watered and not watered again until nearly dry through the pot. In the heat of summer in a dry climate, this may be every other day; in the winter in a cool northern greenhouse, it may be every ten days.
Humidity In the home, set the plants on trays of gravel, partially filled with water, so that the pots never sit in water. Mist the plants in dry climates, or during dry weather, in the morning only. Grouping plants together raises the humidity by conserving the water that plants transpire.
Fertilizer should be applied on a regular schedule, especially if the weather is warm, when plants are most often growing. Twice a month applications of high nitrogen fertilizer are appropriate in warm conditions. When flowering is desired, a high-phosphorous fertilizer may be apples to promote blooming. Some growers apply fertilizer at 1/4 strength with every watering.
Potting Phalaenopsis plants must be potted in a well-draining mix, such as fir bark, tree fern, various types of stone, sphagnum moss, or combinations of these. Potting is usually done every 2 years. Root rot occurs if plants are left in soggy medium. To repot, remove all the old medium from the roots, trim soft, rotted roots, and spread the remaining roots over a handful of medium in the bottom of a new pot. Fill the rest of the pot with medium, working in through the roots so that the junction of the roots and stem is at the top of the medium. Keep the plant shaded and humid, but drier in the pot, for several weeks to promote new root growth.
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