Selecting and Caring For Interior Plants
Almost any indoor environment can benefit from the addition of living plants. In homes, apartments, and condominiums, plants add year round warmth and beauty. Hotels, resorts and shopping centers and malls add living plants to provide a relaxing and pleasant environment. Commercial spaces including offices utilize plants to enhance the environment and increase productivity in the workforce.
Additionally, indoor plants can be used to divide spaces, direct traffic, enhance lighting conditions, create privacy and create more desirable views.
To succeed with your indoor plants, you must take care to select the right plant for the right situation. Selecting the right environment for the plant is critical and includes selecting the right plant for the right light, temperature and humidity. In addition to selecting the right plant for the environment, proper maintenance including watering and fertilization are key to successful integration of plants with your indoor space.
Optimium light levels are critical to healthy plants. Plants can generally be categorized into 3 light levels: 1. Low light 2. Medium Light and 3. High Light. Matching plants with locations that match the plant's light requirements is critical to the health and longevity of your indoor plants. Plants vary considerably in their light requirements. For example, plants such as the croton need direct sunlight, while philodendrons will grow under lower light intensities. If plants are not receiving enough light, their leaves may turn yellow and die.
Your interior plants should be protected from sudden temperature changes such as drafts or breezes from being near a window or exterior door. Most indoor plants will grow between 60 and 75 degrees F. Matching plants with humidity requirements similar to your space is another factor critical to your plants success. Keep in mind that most plants require a higher humidity than that of the average home. Keeping plants together is an excellent way to increase the humidity in your indoor environment.