by Charles Guthals INDOOR PLANT CARE
Cooler weather outdoors means heaters are turned on indoors. With generally warmer temps indoors, water patterns will probably be altered for indoor plants. This altered watering pattern can produce some unique problems for plant life, not the least of which is the accumulation of salts in the soil of the house plants.
Salt accumulation in the soil will result in brown tips or margins on the leaves of most house plants. To reduce this effect one of the several possibilities can be used:
Two other possibilities exist that can also be used to counteract salt accumulation. 1. When purchasing water soluable fertilizer for your plants, be sure to purchase low sodium products only. Since many water soluable fertilizers are high in sodium, they will compound the problem. 2. Another product available that does an outstanding job of salt elimination in house plants is Oxygen Plus. This product oxygenates the soil and improves its drainage capability, thus reducing the accumulation of salt in the soil.
- 1. In rapid sucession, water your plants 3 or 4 times to lach the salt out the bottom of the pot.
- 2. Use 1 tablespoon of distilled vinegar in a gallon of weater when watering.
- 3. Use distilled water or callected ran wateer to water your plants.
- 4. Purchase only the best (not necessarily the cheapest) potting soil when re-potting your plants. Some less expensive potting soils have been found to have high concentrations of salts.
Plants also respond in a positive way to the oxygen in the soil.
Low sodium water soluable fertilizers and Oxygen Plus are products generally found inindependent Garden Centers or Nurseries. Visit with the Master Gardener in theses outlets for reliable information concerning plant and pest problems.
Happy holidays!
Charles Guthals is a master gardener and co-owner of Guthal's Nursery of Clovis, New Mexico.
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