Friday, January 02, 2009
Tips for keeping plants alive indoors
John Arbogast
Landscape consultant John Arbogast answers your questions every Thursday. Send questions about your lawn, garden, plants, or insects to:
Dear John
5102 Greenfield St. SW
Roanoke, Va. 24018
Or send an e-mail. Answers will be given only in this column. Please don't send pictures or samples.
Recent columns
Q: A friend lives in a 40-some-year-old large house in a beautiful wooded areain the mid-Atlantic states. I told her that she needs some house plants in scattered places in the house, but she said that she cannot seem to keep plants alive indoors. I want to give this friend a nice house plant, but I don’t know what kind to look for or order for a person with shaded windows and a brown thumb. What plant could you suggest?
A: The indoor plant that can survive in low light and has earned the reputation of being able to survive for such individuals is known as Cast-Iron Plant, scientific name of Aspidistra elatior.
The slow growing, large-leafed potted plant earned its fame as a parlor plant during Victorian times in America when most houses were not bright and airy nor well insulated with efficient central heating systems.
Dr. T. Ombrello of the Biology Department at Union County College in Cranford, N.J., describes the plant as plain-looking whose dark green leaves grow right out of the potting soil to a height of about 2 feet and 3 to 4 inches wide. He said that Aspidistra’s stems remain just below the soil surface and thrive even in a small pot of poor soil.
I imagine that the plants were popular in Victorian-era parlors because of their tolerance for dust as well as heat from a roaring fire in the fire place or stove -- or the cold temperature when the fire had died, not to mention wet soil, drought, neglect or dimly lighted rooms with their tall but narrow windows.
But don’t let your friend think that a Cast-Iron Plant is like a silk plant and can be forgotten or only dusted occasionally. The plant likes high humidity, thrives on cool temperatures, prefers a standard potting soil that is kept moist with and monthly fertilization during spring and summer.
Plant breeders have developed a few varieties of that have more than all dark green leaves. "Variegata" has white stripes that run the lengths of the leaves. "Minor" is a dwarf version with white spots on the leaves.
Q: You and others have written about saving money by planting a spring and summer vegetable garden growing things that the family likes to eat fresh. I used to garden, but now I’m afraid of deer or other wildlife eating or damaging the garden produce and thus benefiting from all the hard work that growing vegetables at home takes. What is your opinion of this threat and what can we wanna-be gardeners do about it?
A: Go for it. Grow what your family likes to eat fresh. You will save on your food budget if you have a sunny spot and are willing to do the work.
Deter wildlife, especially deer, by stopping bird feeding in your yard. Encourage neighbors to do the same. Your goal is to break the habit of deer and other wildlife from coming around your place looking for something to eat.
Build some kind of barrier around your garded. Deer supposedly don’t see well, so fencing should have strands of wire 6 feet high and slanted outward from the garden. The angle makes deer think that the fence is too wide for them to jump.
For small gardens, form heavy, square wire into grid boxes or cages that can fit over growing vegetable plants.
