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Houseplants (not sure how to take care of them)
Posted by:
flex4life
()
Date: December 02, 2007 06:11AM I got my houseplants about 10 months ago from Home depot and they gave me a mineral formula and a blue fertiliser, I don't want to feed them these chemicals.
What is a much more wholisitc way to feed and take care of my plants? help plz... [www.youtube.com] Re: Houseplants (not sure how to take care of them)
Posted by:
aquadecoco
()
Date: December 02, 2007 05:49PM The best fertilizer is the compost (soil) you make at home from yard and kitchen scraps. The time needed to compost varies with what you put in it, the temperature of the compost pile, etc, but needs at least a few months to turn into soil.
You can usually buy organic compost in a large bag, but it's often available only 'in season'. You dig some compost into the soil around the plant or lay compost on top of the soil, then as it's watered, it will absorb nutrients from the nutrient-rich compost. For more immediate results, people often make 'compost tea' from compost...it's just compost soaked in water, with the water drained off. It will be full of the compost nutrients and is used (diluted, if necessary) to water the plants. Re: Houseplants (not sure how to take care of them)
Posted by:
Kit
()
Date: December 02, 2007 06:19PM I have used the methods aquadecoco mentions and they work!
I also tried something else that works. At a plant nursery I purchased a 2lb box of Dr. Earth brand kelp meal for 5.99. I resisted buying it for a while because I thought the name Dr. Earth was a trendy sales gimick. Anyway, the box lasts a long time, I sprinkle a teaspoon or so around plants before watering. My plants, especially the african violet, seem to like it. It has only a faint ocean smell in the box & doesnt make my house smell when used the way things like fish emulsion can. In general it's recommended by most authorities to fertilize more in spring/summer & less in winter. Healthy house plants are a joy. Kit Re: Houseplants (not sure how to take care of them)
Posted by:
flex4life
()
Date: December 03, 2007 07:25PM Thanks acuadecoco and kit! It always takes me a while to learn new things but I am good at making a good habit once I understand it all.
Thanks again. [www.youtube.com] Re: Houseplants (not sure how to take care of them)
Posted by:
aquadecoco
()
Date: December 04, 2007 07:18PM Oh, I just read that you can use some molasses in water to feed them as you water them.... I'll try that, sounds easy and it came from a guy who grows a lot of high-quality herbs. He also uses cayenne powder to discourage pests - puts it in the water I think. I used cayenne in homemade spray outdoors and it worked so well (on roses and flowering bushes) that I only used it a couple times before not needing it anymore.
People also dilute the leftovers from their teapot and pour that into the plant soil, but doing only that might cause imbalance in the soil. Re: Houseplants (not sure how to take care of them)
Posted by:
new2green
()
Date: December 20, 2007 07:27PM I blend green smoothies everyday (all raw organic fruits and veggies), so when I wash the vitamix jar, the rinse water is a great "plant food" for all my indoor plants. Re: Houseplants (not sure how to take care of them)
Posted by:
Anonymous User
()
Date: January 21, 2008 01:20AM They will also benefit from being watered with hydrogen peroxide every so often. You need to purchase food grade peroxide and then dilute it with distilled water until it is safe for plants. You can add 1/2 T. of 35% grade H2O2 to 1 quart of water. My plants loved it. Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.
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