| Feeding or fertilizing indoor plants can be a fairly | | | | additional cost. I also give all plants a burst with the |
| controversial topic. There are those that think indoor | | | | hose on high pressure spray, just to remove any |
| plants should be fed every other week. Some feel | | | | dust and freshen them up a bit, so really it\'s a bit of |
| that you just should not bother, some advise every | | | | a wash. After they have dried off a bit, all plants are |
| 6 months, and on and on. So, everyone has their | | | | given a spray with a weak solution of tonic via a |
| own idea as to just what is best - but what about | | | | hand-held mister, or atomiser. This is a fortnightly |
| the newcomer to indoor gardening? | | | | event, that I always perform outside, generally in the |
| Firstly there is, in fact, a problem with people over | | | | shade or broken sunlight, and all plants tend to spend |
| feeding their plants. Too much fertilizer, and certainly, | | | | about 12 hours outside. |
| the wrong fertilizer can have devastating results. Too | | | | When there is a large number of plants and sufficient |
| much, will result in the burning of a plant\'s roots. Just | | | | available space, I will use a rotational method where I |
| over-feeding can result in a house plant producing far | | | | double up all the plants. This then allows me to have |
| too much growth. Although that sounds like a good | | | | those plants that I have watered and washed,etc, to |
| thing, in fact it is quite the opposite. Over-abundant | | | | spend an entire week outside - the following week, I |
| growth results in a sappy, weak plant, far more | | | | swap them with the one\'s inside. This does require |
| susceptical to damage and insect attack. Let us not | | | | more work on my part, but also affords me two |
| forget that too much growth means you are going | | | | major pluses. The whole process can be done |
| to have to repot your plants more often, as they | | | | without having to worry about making a mess with |
| becomes unmanagable in their current pots. | | | | water, maintenance can be carried out on the plants, |
| Let us take the middle road. | | | | such as pruning and any pest spraying, re-potting, etc |
| Personally, I feed 1 teaspoon, every 6 months with a | | | | - and the results are un-beatable. |
| readily available, slow release fertilizer, specifically for | | | | The previously mentioned tonics are the only |
| indoor plants, just on top of the soil. It\'s the one | | | | concessions to organic gardening that I will make with |
| with all the shiny little beads. very easy to apply and | | | | indoor plants. I have often been asked about using |
| no odour - a consideration with plants that are | | | | compost for potting up house plants, and I advise |
| indoors. I soak each potted plant in a weak solution | | | | against it. With good reason. For starters, compost, |
| of either worm juice that I produce myself, or | | | | unless it is well aged, will continue to decompose and |
| seaweed solution - every TWO WEEKS. | | | | ultimately the soil in the pot looks like it has |
| Let me clarify this, the slow release fertilizer is the | | | | disappeared, leaving the plant without enough |
| big guns and all that is really necessary. The worm | | | | material to either hang on to, nor feed from. Also, |
| juice or seaweed solution, is a tonic which addresses | | | | compost can harbour a great many nasties. Viruses, |
| the overall health of the plants by providing those | | | | bacteria, fungi, and seeds, not to mention live |
| essential trace elements not readily available in | | | | creatures - limited only to the imagination. |
| commercial products. The application of the tonic into | | | | Commercial potting mixes, are aged and sterilized. |
| my indoor plant routine, is a significant one, mainly | | | | Therefore the soil will not continue to decompose, at |
| because the results are notable. I have indeed often | | | | any noticable rate, and there will be no critters, nor |
| made comparison tests with and without the tonics, | | | | pathogens. |
| either of them - purely when I need to shut some | | | | As we can see there is more than meets the eye, |
| doubting client up, whinging about the very small | | | | when you begin feeding your indoor plants. |