The best surprise is when they've developed a new leaf or flower, which is so exciting (especially if you've been checking every day and nothing's happened and then you go away and bam!)
But I also know that heart-sinking feeling when some have just keeled over due to the sudden absence of my affections. At least I know they love me! But it's not an ideal situation.
Image: Pinterest
If you're going to be away for only a week to 10 days, it's probably wiser not to get someone else to water your plants (unless they know what they're doing). An overeager neighbour that's not in tune with your plants' routines or requirements can kill them quicker than if they were left alone. Most plants only need watering every 7 - 10 days anyway, and suddenly watering them too much can be disastrous.
1. Move plants from bright light positions into a cooler, shadier spot in a smaller room and group them together. This doesn't mean locking them up in a dark cupboard, but just shifting them away from hot windows is gong to reduce their water requirements. Smaller rooms will also help to keep humidity levels higher, reducing evaporation.
For humidity loving plants you can even keep them in the empty bathtub or shower (this helps to create a mini greenhouse effect). Just make sure to keep a window slightly open to get some air in.
image: Pinterest
2. For plants very sensitive to humidity you can place some pebbles in the bath, or even in a bucket, with a bit of water in the bottom (but not covering the tops of the pebbles). Place your plant on top of the pebbles. It will enjoy a nice humid microclimate from the wet stones.
If you want to get really fancy you can create your own wick system, using cotton or nylon rope. Place one end through the drainage hole of your grow pot, making sure it's embedded in the soil. You can even pull it through and out a second drainage hole. Leave the free ends of the rope dangling in the water. The plant's roots will suck up the water as it needs. Of course, if you have your own automatic plant irrigator then use that too.
3. Give them all a deep water before you go away, making sure all the water runoff drains away so they're not sitting in it, which will lead to root rot.
4. Mulch the soil with bark chips or wet newspaper to keep in moisture. Remember plants in smaller pots dry out quicker than those in bigger pots, so give the small ones more attention.
5. When it comes to outdoor garden plants it's not that simple unless you have an automated irrigation system. If not you'll need someone to water your garden during the hot summer days. Outdoor pot plants like Dipladenia or Hibiscus can be brought indoors where they'll get less direct sunlight and therefore won't need as much water.
image credit: julieblanner.com
You can also fill an old wine bottle with water, turn it upside down and place the neck of the bottle into the soil. Water will be released slowly through the neck into the soil over a couple of days. If you want it to last longer, place the cork in the bottle and using a nail or cork screw, make a smaller hole in the cork.
Author: Carolyn Ashmore, Atrium Plants founder
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Propagating is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to increase your plant collection, and rooted cuttings make a lovely personal gift from one plant lover to the next. It might take a little trial and error, but it’s rewarding when it works! You. Got. This.
Plants can be propagated in either water or directly into potting soil. The medium which works best depends on the type of plant. Most Aroid plants (Philodendrons, Pothos, Monsteras) can be propagated in water because their ancestors lived in swamps, so being able to adapt to flooding conditions was crucial to survival.
Succulent plants including String of Bananas and Snake Plants are easily propagated directly in soil, as they originate from drier desert regions. However, the soil needs to be kept moist for the cuttings to take root. Most houseplants do better when propagated in water first.
Understanding what nodes are is essential to pruning and propagating. A node is a tiny bump or juncture on the stem where new growth comes from. Mostly it’s where new leaves grow, but on trailing plants & Aroids, roots will also grow from nodes. Thus you want to include 1 - 2 healthy nodes on a cutting to increase your chances.
Stems should also be cut just above a node with a sharp, clean pair of scissors. Cutting above a node stimulates growth from that node. This is a good way to make a plant bushier as the new growth will start lower down on the stem and grow outward, making it fuller in appearance.
Remove any leaves too close to the node, especially ones that might end up submerged under water as they will just go mouldy.
Just like humans, plants have hormones too that are responsible for tantrums, chest hair and sprouting roots and leaves. Rooting hormones can increase the chances of success and speed up the process, but aren’t usually necessary.
There are three home-made rooting hormones that we’ve tried at Atrium headquarters and found successful. All of them have anti-bacterial properties and contain the rooting stimulant, salicylic acid
Some plants do better when the freshly cut stem is left for a few days to dry out and form a callus - a hard, dry “crust” at the base of the cutting (like a scab).
Cuttings of plants with thin or soft stems, especially those with thin leaves like the Pothos or Pilea, will wilt quickly when the cut end is left exposed to the air and therefore these plants are not suitable for callusing and should be placed directly in water. However, cuttings of plants with thick or woody stems, like Lavender, Rosemary and most succulents, don’t lose water nearly as quickly as softer-stemmed plants and tend to rot if you don’t wait for the cutting to form a callus. Callusing usually takes between 4 – 14 days.
Place your plant cutting(s) in your glass vessel and put it in a spot that receives bright to moderate indirect light. Do not place in strong, direct light or low light.
Arguably, the most difficult step: be patient! Check root growth from the node on a weekly basis. Add fresh, filtered and room temperature water when needed to avoid a green algae soup.
If you’d like to transplant your cuttings from the glass vessel into a planter with potting mix, we recommend waiting until the roots are at least 3cm long or longer. This should take 4-6 weeks. For plants with sensitive, fragile roots a seedling mix is better to start potting.
]]>Soil provides the medium for plant growth, stores essential nutrients and provides a habitat for insects and beneficial organisms. Apart from earthworms there’s a whole other world going on in just one teaspoon of soil, which contains 100 million to 1 billion individual bacteria alone, according to scientists.
Soil helps fight climate change by absorbing carbon and pollutants, and also filters dust, chemicals and other contaminants from rain and surface water as it drains through. This is why aquifers are one of the purest sources of water on earth.
When it comes to human health, almost all of the antibiotics we take to help fight infection were obtained by soil microbes.
Oh, and best of all – soil contains a serotonin booster!! Mycobacterium vaccae is a bacteria found in soil that helps improve breathing, reduces allergies and asthma, and increases serotonin levels.
Potting Mix
The best potting soil isn’t made of soil. Good potting mixes are lighter and fluffier than topsoil and garden soil. They have special ingredients including peat, vermiculite or perlite (those little white things you see in the soil), organic matter and bark.
All of these components will be discussed below.
The main difference between potting mix and garden soil is that potting mix is much lighter to provide adequate pore space for air, water and healthy root growth.
Month after month of watering, without the benefit of earthworms and weather to aerate the soil, usually results in an unhealthy, compacted root zone. To ensure that your plants' roots have the oxygen they need for healthy growth, your potting soil should contain plenty of perlite, coco peat and bark chips. This will allow water to drain freely, and ensure that the soil is at least 10 to 20 percent air.
Never use garden soil for pot plants!
Most well-balanced potting mixes like Bark Unlimited Indoor & Outdoor potting soil will be perfectly suited to most plants. Except a few fussy ones that need that little something extra.
If you’re a fan of peaty single malts, you’ll feel right at home with peat moss, also known as coco peat - a lightweight dead fibrous material that forms when mosses and other living material decompose in peat bogs. The main benefit of peat is it holds several times its weight in moisture, and releases the moisture to the plants roots as needed. It also holds onto nutrients so that they aren’t rinsed out of the soil when you water the plant.
Many growers tend to have a heavy hand when it comes to peat because it reduces watering requirements and increases plant performance and shelf-life. It works well as an additive for moisture loving plants like ferns, Calatheas, Marantas and Banana Plants
However, beware of overwatering peat based potting soils. Peat should never be used alone. It should only be used as an additive to normal potting soil and with added perlite or pumice. Why? Too much peat can lead to waterlogged roots and a dense potting medium. There should never be more than 1/3 peat in the potting mix.
Yes, if you've been wondering what those little white things are in your plant's soil its not styrofoam. If you’re using peat, you should use perlite. Perlite has a porous texture similar to popcorn with tiny air pockets. The air pockets help to channel away excess water from roots to prevent them from getting waterlogged, while its porosity enables roots to 'suck back the water' if they need. Perlite helps to better aerate the soil, reducing the chances of compaction and root rot.
Bark chips are one of the primary components of orchid mix. Orchids are epiphtyes, growing on trees without soil, and just like Staghorn Ferns and other air plants, their roots cannot cope with a regular potting soil. Using bark chips creates an environment similar to what they’re used to in the wild. Most orchid mixes also contain perlite to keep the roots well aerated.
Succulents like well-draining rockier soils, which is why succulent mix has perlite and fine gravel added. Sand can become compacted over time, so small gravel is better. Succulent mix is a good addition to regular potting soil where you need the mix to drain well or you're prone to overwatering.
Due to the delicate roots of seedlings & herbs they benefit from an extremely lightweight soil with extra peat & perlite, to enable the tiny roots to access water and establish themselves. However, seedling mix doesn’t contain much organic matter or nutrients, so as the plants mature they should be transplanted into regular potting soil.
Manure is organic material made up of the residues of plants which were digested by cattle and then composted. It is high in nitrogen and phosphorous making it a good soil additive for leafy green plants. Plants that enjoy a richly composted soil like Philodendrons will appreciate a handful of manure mixed into their potting soil.
We primarily stock a range of soils from Bark Unlimited, an industry leader in 100% organic, weed free, export grade potting soil.
So what are you waiting for? Dig your hands into some happiness microbes and get re-potting!
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Your plant will be perfectly happy & ready to win the Flaunt Your Leaf beauty pageant, when suddenly it starts looking all decrepit and you don’t know what you’ve done wrong!
Some plants are just meant to die. It sounds harsh, but there’s a point where you have to let go. This is where the learning happens. In the plant world you never stop learning and discovering. That’s the joy!
Plants thrive in conditions that resemble the environment from which they originate.
For example, Snake Plants originate from dry bushveld savannah across Africa. If yours died and was in a steamy moist bathroom, or sitting under a dripping tap – well there’s your answer.
Similarly, ferns which mostly grow on cool forest floors where there’s lots of moisture and rich organic matter, won’t enjoy being planted in sandy soil, in bright sunlight and dry air (keep this for the snake plant).
You get the drift…
Sometimes we deliberately break the rules, because we really want that specific Lipstick Plant in that specific dark and dingy corner, even though we know Lipstick Plants want bright light. Trust me, it doesn't usually end well.
But what if your plant is in the right environment but there’s something else wrong?
Most importantly! Overwatering refers to watering frequency, not how much water is given to the plant at a time. All plants, when watered, should be given enough water to reach the roots and drain out the bottom drainage holes. A tablespoon, or cup of water is not enough. Water deeply, but less often.
Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between an overwatered plant and an underwatered plant because the symptoms look the same. Overwatering actually reduces the plant’s ability to absorb water when the soil becomes so dense & wet that the roots rot & start suffocating, meaning they can’t take up moisture or nutrients (Read more about watering here).
Usually, large, spreading brown or black blotches on the leaf, or completely yellow leaves, are a sign of too much water. Whereas plants with too little water will have droopy leaves. The best way to check is to touch the soil and dig down a little bit. How does the soil feel? Like sandpaper or a wet mop?
Overwatered Fiddle Leaf
Overwatered Money Tree, completely yellow leaves at the bottom.
Underwatered Fiddle Leaf. Thirsty plants have droopy leaves.
Firstly, check what category your plant falls in on the plant care section on its product page.
In the first category (likes to dry out between watering), the top surface of the soil should only feel moist immediately after watering. Otherwise it should feel dry to the touch. In fact the soil should be dry when you dip your finger in it about 3-4cm down. Only when its dry down there, should you water again.
In the second category (likes to remain moist), the surface of the soil should remain moist, but you still don’t want the soil to be damp. If you had to take a handful of the soil and squeeze it in your hand, you shouldn’t be able to squeeze water out of it like a sponge. It’s safer to let just the tippy top layer of soil go dry before watering again. If the surface is still wet, don’t water.
If you’re not sure, rather err on the side of underwatering. It’s much easier to recover a plant from underwatering and usually the droopy leaves perk up in no time.
If you get to the point where the soil is really dry like a desert and can’t absorb water, you may need to dunk the entire pot in a bath of water for a few minutes to rehydrate it.
Leave it somewhere airy to dry. If the plant continues to deteriorate you may have to re-pot into fresh soil that’s not waterlogged. Check the roots and cut off any that are black and mouldy.
If you notice little brown or yellow spots on the leaf, well those are plant freckles. Plants get them too when they spend too much time in the sun! Too much sun can also discolour leaves, almost bleaching or bronzing them, making them brittle.
Bronzing
Freckles
On the other hand, if your plant is not producing new leaves, dropping lots of leaves and is looking weak, thin or sickly, it’s probably getting too little light & warmth.
Brown crispy leaf edges or tips means too little humidity. Here’s how you can raise humidity levels. If your plant is a Fern, Calathea or Anthurium, high humidity is essential.
Crispy Bamboo Palm Tips
Brown edges of Homalomena
Your plant may be getting tired and unable to produce new growth because it’s been in the same soil & pot for too long. Over time, the plant will absorb all the nutrients available in the potting soil, until the nutrients are depleted. Fertiliser is only a short-term solution. If your plant has been in the same soil/pot for 18 months or more, it’s time.
Re-potting doesn’t necessarily mean going a pot size up, unless the roots are growing out the bottom of the container. It just means removing your plant from the soil it’s in, emptying the old soil out of the grow pot, shaking some excess soil off the plant root ball, and planting it back with fresh soil. Sometimes just a top up of fresh potting mix also helps.
Note: Re-potting should only be done in Spring to early Autumn. Don’t do this in winter when the plant is dormant.
Check for pests on your plant. Over time these nasty buggers can cause severe damage.
The main ones to look out for are:
Stippling from spider mites
Aphids
Mealy bugs
Most indoor plant pests can be controlled by physically removing them with a cloth or cotton wool, or spraying them off with a jet of water. A mixture of 1tsp mint oil to 1litre of water can be used as a preventative spray, or even a dilution of mild soapy water – just don’t use sunlight liquid it will kill your plant.
You can also use an organic insecticide containing neem oil, like Biogrow Bioneem (soon to be stocked on our site).
However, a healthy happy plant in the right conditions should not be susceptible to pests in the first place. Consider pests a symptom not a cause. There’s probably something else at play.
If you're struggling to figure out what's going on with your plant, we offer FREE post-purchase access to personalised plant advice. Just pop us an email & pics with your questions to info@atriumplants.co.za
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You've probably already noticed autumn flowers popping up in the garden and cosmos in the park, and I've even spotted my first Aloe flower, and Protea!
1. Prune damaged leaves
While heavy pruning and shaping should be done in Spring, if you notice leaves that are rotten, yellowing, holey or just nasty, you can trim these off close to the stem to reduce the amount of energy your plant needs to put into these leaves. Plant energy is going to be lower as the days get shorter and the sun weaker, it's best for plants not to overexert themselves on dead, wasted leaves.
If you have any vining plants like the Monstera adansonii or Raphidophora tetrasperma, check if they need staking, to help support your plant's stem as it grows upwards, preventing it from leaning towards the light source as the sun gets weaker.
Most houseplants originate from warm jungle climates. Temperature is one of the most important factors to keep indoor plants happy in cool weather. Ideally, indoor plants shouldn't be exposed to anything below 15°C. Calatheas and Alocasias are especially sensitive to cold and can even go dormant, dropping all their leaves if too cold. Ficus also need to be kept warm or they will suffer leaf drop.
Check if any plants are near an open window or door and exposed to draughts. Close windows and doors at night. Or you may have to move your plant somewhere warmer. If plants are on a cool tiled floor, you can also put them on a warm blankie.
Mulch (a layer of un-composted organic material like bark chips, leaves or straw on top of the soil) has a myriad of benefits including
A sprinkling of bark chips now will help your plants retain warmth in the colder months.
TIP: When mulching, be careful not to suffocate the stem by heaping the material around it. Leave a slight gap around the stem.
Autumn means dry air, less rain and hot days - the perfect conditions for spider mites.
Stippling from spider mites
The best way to treat spider mites is early detection, then spray and wipe leaves, top and bottom, with an organic neem based insecticide, like Bioneem. Ludwig's also has a specially formulated Canola oil based spray for spider mites.
Spraying plants with a soapy solution of a small amount of dish or hand soap mixed in water helps to prevent mites. Increasing moisture in the air and misting plants with water will help combat the dry conditions that the mites love.
You can give your plants a final feed before winter. Also check the status of the soil. Does the soil seem constantly dry and losing its rich dark colour? Has the plant been in the same soil & pot for over 8 months? While you should postpone re-potting for spring, you can top up your plant with a layer of fresh potting soil, to keep your baby happy and nourished.
Check your watering schedule as your plants will need less frequent watering as the weather cools. Check water temperature, adding a bit of warm water if the tap water is seriously cold. Don't leave plants outside if spraying with a hose.
While your plant will need less watering, it will need more humidity as the air gets drier. If your lips are feeling dry, imagine how your plant's leaves are feeling. Increasing humidity is essential for some plants like Calatheas and ferns to prevent brown leaves. Read our humidity tips here
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You may think your plants have an easy life, sitting there looking pretty, pouting their leaves, but they’re hard at work photosynthesising, purifying our nasty germs and pollutants, giving us fruit to eat, producing nectar for bees and magically sprouting flowers too.
It’s exhausting work! And over time it depletes their reserves. All we need to do is give a little back in return.
Fertilising is highly effective, but in small doses. Think how terrible you’d feel after packing in six doughnuts. Just like heart-burn, fertiliser burn is painful for plants and can result in yellow spotting on the leaves and leaf drop.
Recently potted plants and low-light plants do not require as much fertiliser (one application per season). And of course, neither will dead ones.
To prevent burning your plants, always use organic fertiliser. And it’s just better for the environment. Chemical fertilisers contain by-products of petroleum, which studies show, kill off a significant percentage of beneficial microorganisms in the soil.
Organic fertilisers are made from composted chicken manure, seaweed, kelp, bonemeal, bat droppings – all stinky stuff, so expect it to stink! But that’s how you know it’s natural and it works. Think about how the foulest tasting medicines are the ones that actually make you feel better. Same concept.
Nitrogen (N) = Important for the growth of new leaves, branches and stems. Great for plants with rich greenery.
Phosphorous (P) = Helps build strong roots and overall health. Phosphorous supports healthy leaf and flower development, protects the plant from diseases and ensures it survives through dry spells.
Potassium (K) = A super juice for fruit and flowers. Potassium is not only essential for flowering and fruiting, but is vital in hardening plants against abrupt changes in environmental conditions. If it gets too hot or too cold suddenly, potassium helps the plant defend itself.
If you’ve wandered the store shelves looking at fertiliser bags stamped with three numbers like 5:10:8, 3:2:3 or something similar, this is the ratio of N:P:K. Different ratios are better for different plant types. Fertilisers with higher ratios are more concentrated than those with lower ratios.
So a 5:10:8 formulation on a sack of fertiliser means it contains 5% nitrogen, 10% phosphorous and 8% potassium.
For flowering plants like our Lotus, Goldfish Plant and Hibiscus, a fertiliser with a high potassium ratio like 5:1:5 or 3:1:6 will encourage blooming.
Many fertilisers also contain micro elements, which include Calcium, Magnesium, Boron, Iron, Zinc, Sulphur, Nickel, Manganese, Copper and Molybdenum. Each micronutrient helps cellular and enzymatic development and are just as important as macronutrients, plants just need less of them.
Lack of Nitrogen: Plants starving for nitrogen are slow growing, produce shrivelled tiny leaves and have stems that are likely to snap easily.
Low phosphorous: Plant roots need phosphorous to fight pests. Plants that keep on getting infestations will start to look sickly.
Potassium deficiency: This is indicated by brown plant leaves, or leaves that curl in at the edge, and weakened stems.
These must be diluted with water according to the instructions on the back of the product. NOTE: For potted plants it’s best to halve the recommended ratio. As potted plants are in a confined space there is more chance of burning.
Pros: Cost effective, diluting means your fertiliser goes further.
Cons: It runs out the drainage holes very quickly: a) leaving you with a stinky puddle b) All those nutrients are just flushing through the plant and not getting absorbed.
Pros: Organic pellets release nutrients over time, making them incredibly effective. Every time you water your plant more nutrients are released. This helps prevent burning, which can happen if they're released all at once, and means you can fertilise less often. Note: wait for the pellets to be completely broken down and then some before adding more
Cons: The pong can last a couple of days, but it’s mess free.
The latest super plant smoothie ingredient is volcanic rock dust! Volcanic dust is a powdered form of mineralised rock or volcanic ash. The mineral base of earth’s soil consists of decayed rock through glacial and volcanic activity. That’s why people farm on the slopes of dormant volcanoes because volcanic ash makes the soil exceptionally fertile.
Pros: 100% natural and no smell. Rock dust supplies soil with all the nutrients that are essential for plant and animal growth, not just NPK elements.
Cons:
Rock dust is brilliant at adding trace minerals but it’s not fertiliser, as it does not directly contain the required amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus and is best used in conjunction with organic fertiliser.
1. Only fertilise in spring and summer while the plant is growing. Plants that grow faster, like Pileas, should be fertilised more often than plants that grow slowly, like a cactus.
2. Dilute your fertiliser. It’s always best to under-fertilise than over-fertilise.
3. Plants that give us fruits or flowers will require more fertiliser in their lifetimes. When we pick off fruits or flowers, we are taking away those nutrients and should restore them.
4. Fertilise before you water, which releases the nutrients. Don’t fertilise a very dry plant.
5. Sit back and watch your urban paradise grow!
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Re-potting a plant doesn’t necessarily mean changing the planter it’s in, but replacing and refreshing the soil, which is essential for houseplant survival.
Most plants need re-potting every 12 – 18 months, while slow growers can go for up to two years quite happily.
Find a spot that you don’t mind getting dirty. Outside works well, or lay a black dustbin liner flat on your kitchen table to catch the soil.
Gently squeeze the plastic grow pot at the bottom to loosen the plant, and pull the plant together with the root ball out.
Shake off excess soil. Try to keep the root ball as in tact as possible, just teasing out the end roots. Avoid tearing and separating the roots apart, it was like a trend in the eighties or something (you probably saw your mother doing it and thought that's how it's done), but it's not necessary. It only stresses the plant. The roots will find their way into the new soil on their own.
Indoor plants do not like regular compost or garden soil. Read all about different types of soil & potting media here!
CHECK YOUR PLANT’S CARE REQUIREMENTS. Some plants like Ferns, Calatheas, Orchids and Epiphytes also need a little extra help. It's a good idea to add peat moss, bark chips and perlite to make your indoor potting soil drain better.
Check out our Hemp Super Soil, which has all the right stuff mixed in already.
*What does friable mean?
Soil that easily runs through your fingers. It should feel light and when you wrap your fist around it, it shouldn’t make a ball.
If you are using a decorative planter with a drainage hole you may plant directly into the pot. Otherwise plant in a plastic grow pot, and place that in your decorative planter. Remember to place a layer of pumice stones, gravel or pebbles at the bottom of the planter underneath your grow pot, for drainage.
Place your plant in its new grow pot and start filling with potting medium of choice.
Never bury your plant! The base of the plant where the roots join the stem should sit flush with the soil.
Gently press down with your hands to secure roots.
Water well.
Soil contains Mycobacterium vaccae - a probiotic compound found in most garden soil and potting soil. Studies have shown that this micro-organism improves breathing, reduces allergies and asthma, and increases serotonin levels.
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But what did they really mean?
'Succulent’ is a broad term for a group of plant families including Cacti, Agaves, Euphorbias, Sedums, Echeverias and Aloes. All of them have succulent type properties. In other words they contain sap because they evolved in arid conditions to retain water in thick fleshy leaves or stems.
‘Succulent’ comes from the Latin word sucus, meaning sap or juice.
Each family has different properties. For example, with cacti the fleshy sap is stored in the stems not the leaves. Cacti also have sharp spines or needles to keep away grazing animals that would gorge on the sap and suck the plant dry.
Agaves form rosettes with small spikes along the edges of the leaves, and are native to Mexico. The best known Agave is the Blue Agave from which Tequila is made, and grows primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila.
Aloes are native to Africa, Madagascar, and the Arabian Peninsula, and the family contains over 500 species of flowering succulent plants. Click here to read more about caring for the De Wet Aloes
Here’s where you may be surprised – although succulents have adapted to desert conditions, modern hybrids that have grown up in nurseries may prefer part shade or semi-shade during the day, especially as they are acclimatising to their new environment.
Many of the more delicate varieties of Echeverias (rock roses) with their exotic colours can burn if left in all-day sun outdoors and the leaves will start to discolour and shrivel, particularly in our harsh South African climate. Typically, nurseries grow succulents under a light shade net which blocks the harshest rays, but still lets in plenty of light and heat. If you want to plant your succulent in full sun, it may take a few weeks to adjust, during which it will need slightly more water than normal. Cacti, Aloes, Euphorbias and Agaves will adjust faster.
If growing indoors however, your succulent will enjoy getting a full day’s worth of light filtered through the window. Make sure the plant is near an east or north facing window. If your succulents start growing sideways, it’s not getting enough light and will start to lean towards the sun. It’s also a good idea to rotate them every now and then so they get even light distribution and grow upright. Adequate light is also important for bringing out the best and most vivid colours in your succulent.They need more water than you think.
So here’s the deal – a succulent that has grown and adapted to its arid environment (like the Aloe Ferox and Spekboom in the karoo, or the Joshua Tree in Arizona) will be able to withstand longer periods of drought because they’ve had it tough, they’re desert-smart. Smaller potted succulents from nurseries have been babied, weaned, tucked into bed and sung nursery rhymes to, and they just won’t appreciate being thrown out there to fend for themselves.
Succulents like to have their roots soaked with water but then dry out quickly. Then, watered again after the soil has been dry for a few days.
They will need watering about every week in winter and twice a week in summer.
If you’re unsure, rather underwater.
Cacti can go longer without water than Echeverias, Sedums and Agaves.
Also try to water directly onto the soil. Water on the leaves, although making a pretty picture, can lead to fungal diseases.
Make sure water drains out the bottom of the pot as your succulents do not want to get soggy roots.
Here's a little secret, just like all plants, eventually the lower leaves of succulents are going to shrivel up and die. This is normal and does not necessarily mean it’s drying out. You should only be concerned about dying leaves if the newest or uppermost leaves on your succulent are shriveling.
If it’s just the ones near the bottom of the stem (closest to the soil), you don’t have anything to worry about! Just pluck the shriveled leaves away so the plant can focus its energy on creating new ones from the centre of the rosette.
Never use normal garden soil or potting soil for your succulents. They need a special succulent mix with sand that drains exceptionally well. You may also want to re-pot them into terracotta pots as these are porous, allowing for air and water to move through the walls, preventing soil disease and root rot.
Succulents don’t need much fertiliser, but you can give them light feedings during the spring and summer growing season. Be careful not to over fertilise—this can cause your succulent to grow too quickly, loose its colours and become weak. Use a slow-release organic fertiliser.
Wow this is a fun topic! Succulents are some of the easiest plants to propagate. We’re going to explain this all in detail in a subsequent blog. Stay tuned.
You can use a hygrometer to measure humidity levels.
Plant leaves are covered in stomata, tiny pores through which the plant breathes during transpiration. Water changes to vapour and is released into the atmosphere, while the plant takes in carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. During this process the plant loses water through its pores and needs to quickly replace lost H20 before the leaves crisp up. Sometimes it can’t always replace this lost moisture fast enough through the roots.
Transpiration is the process by which moisture is carried through plants from roots to small pores on the underside of leaves.
Generally: The thinner the leaf, the greater its need for humidity (think Aglaeonema, Maidenhair fern). Thick, leathery or waxy leaves, or those covered with hair, are usually relatively immune to dry air (Rubber Plant, Draceana)
Watch out for: Symptoms of dry air include curled leaves and dry leaf tips.
One of the easiest ways to raise the humidity around your plant is to mist its leaves with a spray bottle filled with water. Some plant gurus say this does not help your plant (and is more beneficial as therapy for humans). But at Atrium Plants headquarters we've tried and tested this method and found it to be successful.
For it to work, you must mist the leaves enough so that the water actually drips off them and they are completely wet. Misting like you’re spritzing yourself with L’Eau Issey Miyake Pure Nectar won’t help. You gotta spray, like hair spray when you want your hairdo to stay put during a whole night of dancing kinda spray!
By wetting the leaves well once a day (preferably in the morning to prevent fungal disease), it gives the stomata a chance to absorb moisture.
Besides keeping your plants healthy, humidifiers have loads of benefits for us humans including: reducing asthma, keeping skin and hair vibrant and moist, easing sinus congestion, purifying the air of pollutants and reducing cases of flu.
A 2013 study in a medical journal showed that increasing humidity levels to 43% or above significantly reduced the ability of airborne viruses to cause flu infections. In fact, in a low humidity environment, more than 70% of viruses transmitted diseases through coughing.
By placing plants on a tray of water with pebbles, gravel or stones you raise the humidity around the plant’s immediate environment, creating a more humid micro-climate. Fill the tray with water, without letting the water cover the tops of the pebbles. Place your plant on the pebbles.
The reason the water must not cover the tops of the stones is because you don't want your plant sitting in water, which can cause root rot. It's better for it to be slightly elevated above the water. The H20, however, will create humidity. The down side of this method is that it doesn’t always look super stylish.
If you’re placing plants in a row you can use a trendy tray, or cluster plants together behind a couch where it will obscure the view of the pebble trays. Or you can make the pebbles part of the display using stunning decorative stones.
Our LECA stones are a great way to increase humidity levels. Place them at the bottom of your decorative pot, underneath the grow pot. The pumice is highly absorbent, which not only prevents water from pooling in the pot, the absorbed water is retained by the pumice, increasing humidity around the plant. This method also looks much neater, as you can’t see the stones hidden at the bottom of the decorative pot.
By placing peat moss dunked in water, in between the little gap between the grow pot and the decorative planter, you can increase humidity even further. It’s also an ‘invisible’ method.
Probably the best way to raise humidity levels is to group plants together. When a plant releases moisture through breathing, its neighbour absorbs it – a bit like kissing catches. What’s more, plant groupings look great! And this is a practical way to ensure plants are ok during holidays or time away.
]]>Plants need sunlight for photosynthesis, which through metabolic reactions, creates sugar (food & energy) for plants. Luckily most houseplants come from the understories of jungles and forests, and are used to living in low light conditions.
But, the darkest shade outdoors is still brighter than the brightest light indoors.
Even in shade outdoors, light is bounding in all directions — 360 degrees around the plant. Indoors, however, light usually only comes from one source, like a window, reducing the angles for light to bounce off.
Means your plant will do best near a large north or east facing window, where the morning light streams in through glass that does not have curtains or blinds. If you’re keeping aloes, succulents, flowering plants or palms, this is their favourite spot.
Means the plant is a couple of metres from a sunny window, or there may be a tree in front of the window, or it’s covered by blinds. The plant is still getting light, but it’s filtered. Ferns love this! Actually it’s the sweet spot for most houseplants that have evolved to live without direct sun rays.
This is when your plant is on the opposite side of the room to the window, or near a south-facing window. A few plants are able to tolerate poor light, but they are more likely to thrive in medium light. Shop our collection of low-light plants for the survivors.
It is possible to use artificial lighting that imitates sunlight, which contains a full spectrum of colours. The two colours within this spectrum that are most important for plant growth are blue and red. Blue light regulates plant growth, while red light stimulates flowering. The lights in most homes and offices contain primarily green and yellow light, which are no use to plants. Specific grow plant lights are commercially available, but our recommendation is to go ea natural!
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The dreaded root rot problem. Most plants like a porous soil, allowing room for water and air pockets. Soil acts like a sponge, and too much water makes the sponge dense, squashes the air pockets and suffocates the roots. This is not usually a problem when the soil drains well, it occurs when the grow pot ends up sitting in a pool of water that collects at the bottom of your decorative planter.
The best thing you can do for your plants after watering them, is make sure they don’t sit in water.
TIP: Use our Pumice Stones as an added drainage layer to prevent root rot.
The poke test: (Sorry ladies, prepare to get some dirt under your fingernails).
Sometimes if you’ve left your plant dry for too long you’ll notice the water immediately rushes out the drainage holes. This is a sign that the soil is too dry to absorb any water.
In this case you may need to submerge your entire grow pot in a bath of water until you see bubbles escaping from the top of the soil. When the bubbles stop it means the soil has rejuvenated and is absorbing the water. If it’s not practical to dunk the entire plant in water, water several times over, waiting 15 minutes in between. You’ll start to notice the soil getting darker, and stays moist for longer.
Plant cells act like balloons, when they are filled with water they expand and the plant stands tall and upright. Too little water and the cells deflate, giving the plant that wilted look. Transpiration is the process where water in the plant evaporates into the air through stomata, or pores on the leaves. This process ‘pulls’ the water up from the roots. If there’s not enough water, the roots pull the water back from the leaves, resulting in drooping leaves.
Once you’ve got the basics, the rest is easy. If you’re feeling stuck about watering, let us know – we’ll be glad to help!