Hello this week we are learning about in class planting and how to help them grow and how long it takes for them to start growing.
10 considerations for growing plants indoors
Light
Light is by far one of the most important elements for a plant. Those green leaves are giant solar panels, which through phototaxis, or movement in response to light, position themselves strategically to often capture as much sun as they need. Before choosing a plant that you really want; consider the light conditions of your apartment, house or room first. Then narrow down your choices.
Dave, a friend of mine who has recently started to populate his room and office with plants, asked me to come over and see his new collection. He had one English ivy (Hedera helix)—a sun-loving plant—trailing above his window, so that none of the leaves were actually in the window. I asked him to think of the leaves as highly efficient solar panels, and if he were placing solar panels in his room, would he place them in the windows or against the wall above the windows? He caught my drift. I proceeded to tell him that leaves of ivy that aren't directly in light will often just drop their leaves and put effort into end buds, which have more potential and opportunity to grab and eat light. That often results in plant stems that look like they're suffering from the plant equivalent of the mange.
Even if a plant is deemed "low-light tolerant", like a Calathea or Sansevieria, they still need light to survive. I make it a point to folks that the word "tolerant" isn't a synonym for "love". If I said you were "tolerant of Jill at the office," what would that imply? Such is the same for the majority of low-light tolerant plants. They cannot operate in the dark, and will need some ambient light. Some plants will actually be perfectly fine with artificial light, like incandescent bulbs, fluorescent lights, and LED lights. In fact, more lighting companies are creating plant-friendly (and human-friendly) lights for the home and office. Some plants that do rather well under these conditions include Chinese evergreens (Aglaonema sp.), Dracaenas, Philodendrons, Sansevierias, African violets (Saintpaulia sp.) and Nephthytis. So even if you live in a cave, good lights can actually be good candidates for certain plants.
Water
Water is another vital component in plant survival; even desert-loving plants, like cacti and many succulents, eventually need to be watered; but we often don't stop and think why a plant needs water to survive. Water serves many important physiological purposes in a plant's life, including growth and metabolism. Just as rivers are a mode of transportation, so is water in a plant. Plants are able to convert many of nature's inorganic elements into nutrients, which in turn, are converted to organic compounds, which we often eat to nourish ourselves. This is done through the vehicle of water and changes in the osmotic pressure of cells.
Transpiration, or the process by which water is transferred from the surface of a plant through evaporation via stomata (a plant's "pores"), is not only an important part of our water cycle and climate stability, but is critical for photosynthesis in the plant, as it allows for the diffusion of carbon dioxide gas from the air. Additionally, when a plant transpires, it cools the plant. In some cases, plants like Prayer plants (Marantaceae) will often fold up at night to prevent water loss, or sometimes even exhibit leaf curl during the day to protect themselves from too bright of light, which can increase transpiration in leaves.
You can generally follow some rules of thumb when it comes to watering your plant, but that often changes given a number of conditions, like plant dormancy, seasonality, and light and humidity. If a plant prefers humid conditions, like let's say a Maidenhair fern (Adiantum sp.), but you experience winter dryness in your house, then you may need to water or mist your plant more. Additionally, cacti may require more watering in the summer months, whereas in the winter months—from November to March—they may not require water at all.
I often share with friends that if they are forgetful at watering, then they'll need a plant that doesn't mind drying out. Or if they want a specific plant that requires more watering, to alternatively set up a system where the plant can water itself for some time, like through plant spikes, plant nannies, or self-watering containers.
