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If you are going on holiday this summer, and you are worried about your plants, here are a few tips to keep them green and healthy till you return.
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Come summer, garden enthusiasts are a worried lot.
They know their plants need more attention.
One easy way of protecting potted plants from the heat of summer is by keeping them close together under thickly foliated trees.
Covering the pots with a thick layer of chopped straw will protect the soil from drying up and helps retain the moisture for a longer period.
This will also protect the roots. Eventually, the straw turns into good mulch, adding nutrients to the soil. Well-cleaned coconut fibre also prevents evaporation of water. One thorough watering will help the plants stay healthy for about a week or two. Do not keep the pots on heat radiating surfaces such as granite, cement or tiles. The radiation from below could scorch them. Also, water the ground surrounding the pots. Keeping mud pots or basins full of water near the plants also increases moisture (humidity) around them. Covering plants with shade netting is another way of protecting plants in summer, and they should not be kept under direct sunlight.
Indoor plants not only add colour and beauty to your living area, but also keep the air fresh and clean. Common plants such as philodendron, dieffenbachia and aglonema are air purifiers. They not only provide aesthetic appeal, but also absorb poisonous gases and chemicals.
Indoor plants need plenty of humidity and indirect sunlight to keep them in good health. If you are going to be away from home for only a few days, don't worry about the lack of water for the plants. A thorough watering prior to departure is enough. As a precaution, potted plants may be grouped together in a cool room and left in basins or trays full of water.
For a longer period (vacation), try to improve self-watering methods. For example, take a length of (thick) cotton wick, bury one end in the soil and drop the other into a bucket full of water kept at a higher level. The entire wick remains constantly moist, providing moisture to the plants.
A different method is to cover all plants with plastic bags immediately after the potting mixture has been thoroughly watered and allowed to drain.
The bags will keep the moisture in for many days; support each bag with three or four thin stakes pushed into the soil so that the bag does not touch the foliage.
Tie the bag around the rim of the pot or just let it hang loosely. Store these pots away from sunlight.
Dust is another enemy of plants. Once they are shifted to their original places, it is advisable to mist spray the leaves and flowers.
CHITRA RADHAKRISHNAN
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