Jhb North - Feb 24

House plants with
STAYING POWER
If you have a busy year
planned with work
trips, holidays and
getaways then these
quick recovery steps
and suggestions for
forgiving plants that
survive neglect will
come in handy.
The holiday feeling quickly evaporates
when you arrive home to drooping
houseplants. Not to worry because
here are some simple steps that will
perk them up again.
• Give them a good soak. Put them
into the bath filled with about 5cm of
water and leave them in there until
the potting soil is completely moist.
You can speed up the process by
moistening the topsoil.
• Another option is to use a hand-held
shower and gently soak the plants.
This also washes off the dust that may
have accumulated on the leaves.
• If the rain is falling put the pots
outside to soak.
• Wipe the leaves with a soft, damp
cloth to get rid of dust.
• Allow the plants to drain well after
soaking. Cut away dead foliage and
flowers and trim into shape.
• When you next water the plants,
feed a liquid fertiliser at half strength
and repeat every two weeks until you
see new growth, then reduce feeding
to once a month.
Next time around, try these forgiving
plants that survive neglect.
Sansevieria (also known as
mother-in-law’s tongue) has
upright, sword shaped leaves that
are marbled dark green with a
yellow border (Golden Futura) or
grey green. There is even a whiteleaved
variety, Sansevieria Hahnii.
Plants grow best in medium to
bright light, but if you plan to be
away for any length of time, move
it to a position that receives lower
light. If you give it a good soak
before going away, it will survive a
month without water.
ZZ plant (Zamioculcas) is one of the hardiest plants around and stylish into the
bargain. A stunning new variation is Raven ZZ which has almost black leaves.
Plants grow in low to medium light and although they prefer regular watering,
they can survive a month without it. In fact, the worst thing you can do is to over
water a ZZ plant. The thick stems are a water-storage mechanism to help it get
through seasonally dry times.
30 Get It Magazine February 24