Frequently asked Houseplant   Questions

From:   Sandi - Kapaa, Hawaii - 27 Dec 1997

Problem: What plants are good house plants that would be good for someone who has never had house plants before? What advice can you give me along with the suggestion of house plants. I have two small children to consider so I don't pick something that is going to be dangerous to them. Would also like to keep a small plant in the boys rooms on a dresser any suggestions? Have you heard of plants being good for people that suffer from dust allergies? Does plants help keep the environment air around them clean? Would appreciate all the knowledge that you know about plants. My son suffers with allergies from dust & dust mites, heard that keeping plant in bedroon will help to clear the air. Mahalo, Sandi kjvjohn3-16@webtv.net

Solution:Well, there are several houseplants that are easy to grow and yes they do help clean the air. Ficus benjamina, Weeping Fig and Epipremnum aureum, Pothos are both known to help clean tobacco smoke from the air, and both are extremely easy to care for. Any member of the Dracaena family would be easy to grow. Ferns are excellent for cleaning the air but are harder to grow. Philodendron scandens oxycardium, the Heart-leaf Philodendron is also an excellent choice. Spathiphyllum or Peace Lily is another easy to grow plant. Stay away from Croton, Dieffenbachia and Poinsettias because they can be poisonous and palms can easily poke a child's eye or face. I recommend the Weeping Fig and Pothos because they are so easy to grow and are known for
cleaning pollutants from the air.

From: Ron Allen - Schaumburg, IL - Dec. 6, 1997    

Problem: We put a number of houseplants outside during the warmer months, and then bring them back inside the house during the winter. This year, the plants have been in the house since mid-September, and we now have a severe problem with gnats in the house. They tend to swarm around the plants, and we don't know how to get rid of them. They also appear to be multiplying as the days progress. What can we do to get rid of them, and keep this from happening in the future?

Solution:  It sounds like you have fungus gnats. There are a few household items you probably already have that will get rid of the pests. Put a few drops of tobascco juice in the soil, about 3 drops for a 10 inch pot. Also, you can sprinkle  a teaspoon of pepper on the soil. Cedar chips also work very well in discouraging pests in the soil. I would use only one of the above at a time. A good prevention would be to let the soil surface dry slightly in-between watering. The gnats are feeding on fungus in the soil brought on by too much soil moisture. Be careful, if your species of plant needs constant soil moisture then you will have go keep it moist and use the other items. There are other chemical controls that any garden center will be happy to show you, but fungus gnats are fairly easy to control and I would use the household items first. Good Luck.

From: Robyn Davis- streams@webtv.net - Nov. 29, 1997

Problem: Perhaps you can tell me what's going on with my umbrella tree (brassaia actinophylla). I moved it from its sunny window to our bathroom for a few days while we were getting our floors sanded. She didn't look as viran when I put her back late last week, which I thought might be from lack of sunlight. So today, I took a close look at the soil and found a few 1.25" x 1/8" little earthworm-looking thingies crawling around. They sort of look like baby "bloodsuckers." I haven't added any soil to this plant for months. What are these spontaneously-generated worms, and might they be responsible for the tree's seeming unhappiness? If so, what sould I do to get rid of them?

Solution: From what you described it does almost sound like earthworms. I don't know of any worms that get that big besides mealworms and caterpillars. Both of which would not live in the soil. Earthworms are not harmful in fact are beneficial but in an indoor setting you probably don't want little squiggly things crawling around the family room. You could water the soil with a mixture of 1-2 tbl. insecticidal soap/gallon of water. Try adding about 1/2 teaspoon of tobascco sauce for an extra kick. Brassaia actinophylla are very sensitive to light changes and your hunch on lack of sunlight is probably correct. Many times working at garden centers I would see truck loads of Umbrella Trees coming out of dark trucks only to loose 25% of their foliage 5 days later. You might want to get a second opinion on the worms since I am not exactly sure what they are. The 'Plant Doctor' at www.garden.com is a very good person to ask.

From: Lea Sexton - Harrodsburg, Kentucky USA - Oct. 29, 1997

Problem: I just bought a cyclamen flowering indoor plant. I have no idea how to care for it. How much water, what type light, does it have a dorman state? HELP! It was flowering when I bought it. Now the flowers are dying and the leaves are turning yellow. I have had it about 2 weeks and watered it only once.

Solution: You need to water much more frequently! Cyclamen plants like the soil to remain constantly moist. They need as much filtered light as possible and cool air temperatures to bloom. The plant will go into a dormant state during the winter. However you can grow them again next year if you remove the tubers and store in a dry cool place till summer. Replant so that about a third of the tuber is above the soil and barely keep the soil moist, increasing water as growth develops. Fertilize with a 12-12-12 every three weeks.

From: Milena Foley - Central Florida - Oct. 7, 1997

Problem: I bought a bougainvillea this past April.....it was full of blooms, after I planted it all the blooms fell off (but the leaves look healthy) and they never flowered again.I have them on the Southeast side of my house located in Central Florida, planted in sandy soil (in the ground).Why haven’t they flowered again? Please inform me if there’s a cure-all or fertilizer I can make from household items that will boost this vine and make it flower.

Solution: In Ohio Bougainvillea’s are considered houseplants and I’m not very knowledgeable on their care for outdoors. However, I did find out that low light will cause few or no blooms. It’s on the southeast side of the house so it should be ok unless covered by a large tree or eave. Poor drainage can cause root rot and poor blooming is a sign of root rot. You have healthy foliage and sandy soil so I would rule out root rot. So it sounds like a nutrient problem. This is a recipe for houseplants without the gelatin,: 2 tsp. tea, 1/2 tsp., childrens shampoo, 1/2 tsp. Ammonia, 1 cap Whiskey, 1/2 the recommended dose of (high phosphorous) fertilizer, 1 cup of apple juice. Add all of these together and put in a hose-end sprayer. Use only during late spring and all of summer, fertilizing too early in the spring can cause problems. Some plants naturally drop their flowers after transplanting but I do not know if Bougainvillea is one of them.

From: Jason Moore - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA - Oct. 4,1997

Problem: I am doing a science experiment involving philodendrons and I would like to know exactly how these plants grow and become bigger.

Solution: There are several types of Philodendrons such vining, arborescent and self-heading. The most common is the vining Philodendron oxycardium (also known as P. cordatum) , Heart-leaf Philodendron. All philodendrons are easy to care for. Any standard potting soil will do as long as it provides good drainage. Keep the soil constantly moist (but not soggy, similar to a squeezed-out sponge) this is probably the one aspect of the plant's life that can really improve health and growth. They prefer bright filtered light but not direct sunlight. Providing humidity will increase health. Place plants in a saucer filled with fish gravel and fill gravel with water, or you can mist the plant with a hand sprayer. Fertilize once a month from March-November with a half strength fertilizer like Peters© or Miraclgro©. Philodendrons usually only produce new growth from the end of any branch. They do not branch out from secondary leaves. If an end of any branch were cut or broken it would take longer for new growth to emerge from the broken end, than an undamaged branch. So pruning or damage of branches will slow growth

From: Anthony Stabile - Dayton, Ohio USA - Aug. 23, 1997

Problem: We recently purchased a large Rubber Plant (14" pot). What do you recommend for a watering plan and what nutrients if any should I give it? Any other info (lighting, temp, etc.) would prove useful. Also, what is the proper care for Bromeliads? Thanks and take it easy. -Tony

Solution: Rubber Plants are fairly easy to care for. They like to be root-bound, repot every 4 years in the spring. Let the soil get fairly dry in between waterings, but water thoroughly. Use only room temp. water. The rubber plant, ficus elastica, is very prone to root rot, so empty saucers after watering!!! Fertilize two to three times during the spring and summer with 12-12-12 (Ex..Aprl., June, Aug.). Yellowing of leaf edges and loss of lower foliage is sign of hunger. I recommend putting plant in the shower or a rainstorm occasionally to clean foliage and improve photosynthesis and repiration. - As for the Bromeliads, there are literally thousands of species but all of them have the same requirements. You want to keep the soil fairly dry most of the time. Water only in the center of the rosette of leaves. Do not over-pot or over-water bromeliads and you should be fine. Full sun and high temps will force a bromeliad to display it's unique flower. Fertilize at least once a month. Bright but not direct sun. Watch for mealy bug and scale. Low humidity may cause brown leaf tips. Bromeliads are epiphytes, air plants, which I plan to discuss futher in Botany 101 at the Institute.

To: The lady in: Juneau, Alaska - July 17,1997

I am sorry, I accidentally erased your question and e-mail address before I responded :( If I remember right, you had a question on how to divide tuberous begonias?

Solution: Tuberous begonias are easily divided by manually pulling the tubers apart. Pull the root ball out of it's container and with your hands, not a knife, seperate the white tubers and replant in fresh, sterile potting soil and keep moist. Pinch back stems to induce bushy growth.

Another route is to start new plants from small tubers that develop beside the parent. This provides a healthier plant and with the same genetics of it's parent.

From: Gary White - Boston, Mass. - USA - Feb.17, 1997

Problem: I've started a hydroponic garden in my office and thought of you all the while. I'm starting some begonias from bulbs and they seem to be going pretty slow. Do you know anything to help? i.e. - light cycles, nutrient solution, etc... I used lava rock and vermiculite as a medium and nitrogen plant food as a nutrient. I had to improvise a little because I couldn't find any place near by that knows anything about hydro-farming. I was looking for "geo-lite" (a term we used with the audrey series) but no one knew what the Hell that was. I was told by one person to look for "Hydro-lite" and that sounded more reasonable, but what do you suggest?

Solution: Good to hear from you again, Gary. First off it sounds like you are trying Tuberous Begonias. You are using the best medium you have available, it should'nt be a problem. The plant will need 4 hours of direct sunlight during the winter, but switch to curtain filtered light in summer months. Fertilize half strength until flowering and then stop all nutrients. It is very important to keep to keep the plants away from drafts and give it lots of humidity. Plant likes to stay cool, in low to mid 60's f. Keep the medium moist at all times, but not soggy( you should'nt have a problem with what you are using. The only problem I have is: what tpye of nutrients to use, I have had mixed results using regular Miracle-gro in a hydro-farm system. Here is a place that might help you with medium and nutrients . Sorry about the delay in the response!

Worm's Way - Mass.
Worchester, MA
(800) 284-9676

Back to the Problem Solver
Back to the Main Page

Hosted by The Stabile Company