Gardening expert Marianne Binetti shares tips on reviving houseplants that have wilted.
- If you have a group of houseplants that need reviving, lump them together in a large basket so they can share humidity and become easier to water.
- Place the plants (still in their pots) into a plastic dishpan. Put the dishpan into a basket and place it in a spot that is higher than eye level, or simply cover tops of the pots with some moss to hide them.
Pump up the Volume
To give instant volume to a plant that is too tall and lanky, do the following:
- Cut the stem of a houseplant, leaving a six-inch stump.
- Add fresh topsoil to the pot and plant the naked-stemmed plant back into the same pot--next to its mother stump.
- Give it water and notice in a few weeks how the new stem will quickly root and the cut-off stump will soon sprout new leaves. Now you are making strides to create a fuller, bushier plant.
Watering
Here's how to water plants while you're on vacation:
- Turn a potted plant on its side, slide it out and place shoelaces through its drainage holes.
- Place the plant back into the pot and put it on top of an overturned saucer in a shallow pan of water.
- The dangling laces in the water act as wicks to suck moisture into your plant. This technique prevents root rot from occurring, which happens when plants soak directly in shallow water.
Gnat Control
- Keep fungus gnats or tiny, black flies away from your plant's damp soil by simply pouring small gravel or decorative rocks over the top. This creates a protective barrier and doubles as a mulching method, so you end up watering less.
Resources Easy Answers for Great Gardens: 500 Tips, Techniques, and Outlandish Ideas
by Marianne Binetti
Sasquatch Books, 2000
Order this title from Amazon.com.
Shortcuts for Accenting Your Garden: Over 500 Easy and Inexpensive Tips
by Marianne Binetti
Storey Books, 1993
Order this title from Amazon.com.
Tips for Carefree Landscapes: Over 500 Sure-Fire Ways to Beautify Your Yard and Garden
by Marianne Binetti
Storey Books, 1990
Order this title from Amazon.com.
Guests Marianne Binetti
Gardening Expert / Author
PO Box 872
Enumclaw, WA 98022
Phone: 360-825-6186
E-mail:
Info@BinettiGarden.com
Website:
www.binettigarden.com
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