Indoor Plants

Selecting Indoor Plants Indoor potted plants are an important segment of the items for sale in the retail shop

Selecting Indoor Plants Potted plants are sometimes preferred to cut flowers because they last longer

Selecting Indoor Plants Many customers who send flowers may choose a potted plant so that the recipient may enjoy it longer

Selecting Indoor Plants Customers want to be educated about the plants that they select.

Plant Names Identified by both common and scientific names The name given to a plant be people living in the area is its common name

Plant Names Common name may reflect some unusual characteristic of the plant or a specific use.

Plant Names Common names may be confusing as a plant may be known by several common names.

Plant Names Common names may be regional. The same plant, called by different names if different parts of the country Scientific names are often used in selling potted plants.

Plant Names Scientific names come form the classification system based on how plants are related to each other.

Plant Names System was developed by a Swedish botanist named Linneaus in 1743

Plant Names This system is still in use today. All living things are divided into two kingdoms: plant or animal

Plant Names Each division is broken into classes and each class into subclasses or orders

Plant Names The breakdown continues through family, genus, species and varieties.

Plant Names The name given to a plant in each category is always in Latin or Greek, with the exception of the variety name.

Plant Names Each of the plant categories is called a taxon A group of plant categories is called a taxa

Plant Names Taxa are divided into minor or major taxa. Horticulturists are most concerned with the minor taxa.

Plant Names The binomial naming system includes the genus taxon and the species taxon. There are international rules which dictate the naming of plants.

Plant Names Rules stipulate that when a name is given to a plant it cannot be used for any other plant

Light requirements Most customers give little thought to the light requirements of the plant that they purchase. They are more concerned by its appearance and price

Light requirements Sales people need to educate the consumer about the plant they are purchasing including its environmental requirements

Light requirements High light- these plants grow best in full sun or bright, indirect light such as that found in or near sunlit windows or places where there is strong reflected light.

Light requirements Medium light - grow best in bright, but sunless, window, or four to eight feet from a sunny window.

Light requirements Low light - grow well with indirect light, such as that in a shaded window, or at a point more than eight feet from a bright window

Watering More plants die form over watching than any other cause. Each plant has individual watering needs. The proper frequency is not constant

Watering Watering depends on the size of the plant, the size of the container, the environment, and the time of year.

Watering determine if the plant needs water by scratching the top 1/2 inch of the soil surface

Moisture Requirements dry-in-winter plants: Desert Cacti and succulents should be treated as moist dry plants during the growing season

dry-in-winter from spring to fall during the winter, the soil should be allowed to dry out almost completely between waterings

Moist/dry plants water thoroughly and frequently between spring and fall water sparingly in winter let top 1/2 inch dry out between waterings

Moist but not wet plants most flowering plants belong to this group soil is kept moist but not wet at all times

Moist but not wet plants water carefully each time the surface dries never frequently enough to keep soil saturated

Wet at all times plants very few plants belong in this group water thoroughly and frequently enough to keep the soil wet, not merely moist

Rule of Thumb in the winter check the soil surface weekly to see if it is dry in the summer, the soil surface should be checked daily

Cacti in the winter, leave cacti and succulents alone unless there are signs of shriveling keep in a cool room

Drenching watering the plant until water runs out the bottom if plants are sitting in drip trays, empty the tray after 30 minutes to keep plant from becoming too wet

Drenching helps to remove salt build up from the soil drenching is easily done in the tub or shower

Permanent or temporary plants some plants are not expected to live forever this needs to be explained to customers

Temporary plants are purchased to be enjoyed for a short time and then discarded some can be made to bloom again

Gift Plants fall into the temporary category examples are: azalea, gloxinia, cyclamen, chrysanthemum, poinsettia, Easter lily

Temporary garden bulbs such as tulips and daffodils can be later planted in the owners garden to bloom again next spring.

Temporary most plants in this group - the flowers will fade and after a few weeks the leaves will fall

Blooming plants African Violet and Peace Lily bloom continuously or cycle throughout the year

Blooming plants may have attractive foliage when not in bloom these would be considered permanent plants.