1. The Interior Landscape:
Houseplants and Plantscaping
Unit 23

2. Objectives List the 4 major concerns in caring for interior plants
Select a medium to use for growing various interior plants
Describe the best cultural conditions (water, light, and soil requirements) for 10 selected interior plants of your choice
List the 4 methods of watering interior plants

3. Plants are a special part of people’s lives
Food bearing
Materials for clothing
Adding beauty
$1.191 billion interior plants sold
Plantscaping – Method of interior plant use
Public places and private homes

4. Caring for interior plants
The Following questions should be asked.
What is the proper way to water the plant?
How much light does it need?
What is the best temperature for optimum growth?
What type of planting medium is needed?

5. Watering Plant’s behavior must be carefully observed
Signs of improper watering:
Drooping leaves or leaves that do not seem as full – lack of water
Wilting or yellowing of leaves – too much water

6. Methods of watering interior plants
Drench/Let Dry
Desired amount of water is added all at once
Drench/ Let Dry slightly
Add water and let dry until it is damp to the touch
Keep medium constantly moist
Medium should be damp to the touch all the time

7. Lighting
Interior environments cause excess stress due to low available light
Appropriate artificial environments must be created
Natural, filtered sunlight
Incandescent, fluorescent
High-intensity discharge lights
All these allow plants to receive enough energy for photosynthesis

8. Measuring Light Intensity
Light meters – measure illumination
Determine if the location is suitable for the plant
Sold at florists, garden centers, dept. stores

9. Classification of Light Intensity
Intensity needed is classified into 3 groups
Direct sun: plant should receive full intensity of natural sunlight
Partial sun or weak sun: plant should receive less than 50% of natural sunlight
Indirect or filtered light: Plant should receive no direct sunlight at all
Basically the more sunlight available, the more plants that can be grown

10. Artificial lighting
Fluorescent light greatly influenced growth of interior plants
Enables horticulturists to…
Root cuttings of interior plants more easily
Start seeds of new and different interior plants
Grow tropical plants and cacti with greater ease

11. Temperature
Interior plants are exposed to a great range of temperatures
Recommended temp. for interior plants is degrees – daytime
At night, temps. Can drop deg. w/o harming the plant
Plants should be located away from air conditioners, drafts, and direct air flows

12. Humidity Humidity: percentage of moisture in the air
Lower in winter – need additional moister in atmosphere
Humidity can be increased by…
Spraying a fine mist of water on the foliage
Using a watertight tray filled w/ small pea gravel to hold plants
Using a humidifier to provide moisture
Placing plants in the part of the house with highest humidity

13. Soil Mixture
Must be loose and airy and must hold moisture and nutrients
Sphagnum Peat Moss

14. Fertilizers 2 kinds of fertilizers: Slow release and soluble
Slow release: small beads coated w/ plastic
Dissolve over period of time
Nutrients are steadily released
Eliminates risk of fertilizer burn
Soluble: available in liquid or solid form
Water must be added to dilute the concentrate or break down the solid form

15. Containers Plants need oxygen to their roots
Drainage holes must be available
Pot should be set in a saucer to catch excess water

16. Potting Plants
A crock may be used as drainage in the bottom of the pot
Crock: A broken piece of clay pot
Add the selected potting mixture to cover the crock
Add plant, adjust so it is ½” below top of pot
Plant can hold extra water while being watered

17. Repotting Plants should be repotted when they become potbound
Remove the plant from original pot
If roots are growing around root ball and are firm – repot the plant
Roots must be separated to allow roots to develop and make new growth
Wait until after flowering is completed to repot

18. General Care
Leaves should be cleaned occasionally w/ a fine spray of water
Wipe leaves on top and underside
Removes dust and insects
Helps maintain humidity
Keeps plant fresh-looking

19. Controlling Diseases and Pests
The secret is to recognize and control problems on the plant
Aphids are small, green insects w/ piercing mouth parts – suck plant juices
Leaves become sticky w/ honeydew causing a black, sooty mold
Whitefly small white, winged, sucking insect
Heavy producers of eggs so infestation occurs fast

20. Insects (cont’)
Mealybugs are white, woolly masses like a ball of cotton
Concentrate on nodes and underside of leaves
Give plant a faded yellow appearance
Mites are small spiderlike insects on underside of the leaf
Suck juices causing plant to yellow
Too small to see w/ naked eye
Easies way to check for mites is to tap the leaf above a piece of white paper

21. Diseases Botrytis and mildew are 2 common diseases of indoor plants
Botrytis causes leaves to turn black and develop a gray mold
Controls include providing good air circulation and sanitation
Mildew causes leaves to get heavy white coating
Good air circulation and fungicide