Questions tagged [houseplants]

Plants grown indoors. Use this tag with questions about houseplants in general. Please narrow down the scope of the question by using the appropriate genus or common name tags when asking about specific plants.

Houseplants are plants which are growing indoors in pots. They can help to make a room more pleasant, as well as freshen the air by producing oxygen and even to some extent help "clean" the air. Although these effects have been confirmed only in laboratory environment: "Which houseplants should you buy to purify air? None of them"[1]. As well as growing them for decoration, "house plants" could include , (e.g. dwarf citrus), and which are also grown for consumption.

Indoor environments are often very different to outdoor environments in most parts of the world, so the range of practical houseplants are often very different to typical regional outdoor plants.

[1]: www.nationalgeographic.com

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What do the numbers in the names of indoor liquid fertilizers mean?

I went to pick up some liquid fertilizer for the plant I keep at work and I saw several varieties : Liquid Growth Indoor Plant 4-12-9 Food; All Purpose Liquid Concentrate Plant Food 12-4-8 with micronutrients; All Purpose Liquid Houseplant Food…
Adam Lear
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My orchid has one yellowing leaf. What's gone wrong?

I have an orchid that I bought about a month ago. I'm following the watering directions that came with it (which means it's only been watered once so far) and I believe that it has the appropriate amount of light. But one of its leaves suddenly…
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Is my Schefflera arboricola getting the right amount of light and water?

I have a Schefflera arboricola (also known as Strahlenaralie in German). I've placed it in my office so that it receives some sunshine, but not directly - I've put it behind a plastic plant (on the right on the photo). The blinds are often closed in…
axel22
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Should I return dead houseplant leaves to the pot?

I have a hippeastrum which is about 4 years old. When the flowers and leaves die, I've been cutting them off and putting them back into the pot on top of the soil. This is in the hope that they rot down and become compost. Is this a good idea or…
jl6
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Does ginger grow well indoors?

I'm considering growing some ginger on my window-ledge. Is ginger a hardy plant that is conducive to indoor cultivation? Also, will ginger root from the supermarket grow?
Dale
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Why are there kinks in my aloe vera leaves?

On several of my aloe vera plants, the leaves suddenly became kinked. The leaf would get very thin in a spot and bend over. It starts near the tip and is most noticeable on older leaves. What is causing this? It happens inside more often than out,…
J. Musser
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How to prevent Sempervivum tectorum (Common Houseleek) from growing in length and not width?

I have torn a part of this plant twice at my hometown, brought it to where I live now and then planted it. On both occasions, the plant started growing fine at first, but at some point, it started extending its stem and growing in order to reach the…
axel22
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Can I use a clear glass as a container for houseplants?

I have a quite large clear glass vase, that I would like to transform into a plant pot. What are the problems that may occur? Are there any houseplants that I can grow inside the house, which won't have a problem with the clear glass?
Panagiotis
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Is this caterpillar-like insect a good guy or a bad guy?

I found this guy that came out of a drainage hole of the pot when I watered it. Small, fast moving. I took the pic by mobile. It is small so had trouble focusing on it, and it was moving fast, too. Should I be worried about this insect, or not?
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Can I use "distilled" water to water plants?

My apartment is very humid, and I regularly use a dehumidifier. Is it OK to use the resulting water to water my indoor plants? Since it's basically distilled water it does lack minerals. I usually use tap water that I leave for a day or so to remove…
Sorin
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Should I remove the small leaves growing out of the bottom of my pepper plants?

My peppers plants are doing well (I hope...), but while looking closely at them today (I was looking at the flowers (or fruit?) poking through at the base of the leaf stems), and I've now really noticed that near the base of each of the plants are…
DMA57361
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How can I keep a jade plant (Crassula ovata) from growing, and keep it healthy?

I have a lovely jade plant (Crassula Ovata) growing in the bathroom, but it keeps outgrowing pots and needing to be repotted. I have tried moving it further from the sun and watering it less to try and slow its growth, as I read somewhere that…
Rory Alsop
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Is this plant some kind of Poppy?

I'll start by saying I'm by no means a gardener and I usually kill anything that's green and lives in a pot, however I'd like to say this one is doing well, judging by its height. It no doubt needs to be repotted very soon, I can see blotches…
Jasarien
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Why do two kalanchoes on one windowsill exhibit different growth habits?

I have two Kalanchoes on my south-facing kitchen windowsill (about 3' / 1m wide), both cuttings from the same parent plant (which succumbed to mealy bugs). Both are in the same size pot (no more than 1.5' apart), were planted at the same time using…
Niall C.
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Chuck the plant - am I ill?

My name's Chuck, and I'm a plant. Bamboo tells me I'm a Sansevieria trifasciata laurentii, also known as "Mother in Law's Tongue" or "Snake Plant" (see other question here). I live indoor with my human flatmate. I think I may have some health…
Mena
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