andscaping your homes interior Helps develop your green thumb. It also enhances your decorating theme. Like outdoor plants, houseplants have specific requirements with regard to light, water, fertilizer, temperature and humidity. Some plants are grown for their foliage only; others, for their flowers and foliage. As long as you meet their requirements, you can decorate your home with a wide range of plants, from cacti to bonzai, to tropicals such as bromalaids and African Violets.

      Plants and people go together, and researchers have discovered that plants can help clean the air we breath indoors. You'll breathe easier if you have a 10" to 12" plant for every 100 square feet of living space. Larger-leafed varieties seem to do the best air-cleaning job. Some examples: Chinese evergreen, dracaena varieties (Janet Craig, Gold Dust, Massangeana), philodendron (Big Leaf, Heart Leaf), pothos (green, golden), rubber tree, common sansevieria, schefflera and spider plant. A few basic to consider when deciding where to place your plants: Keep warmth-loving plants away from cold windows and paths of air conditioning vents. Keep cool-climate varieties out of strong sunlight and warm air currents. If you need to increase humidity, use a room humidifier or keep plants in a tray filled with wet gravel or sand.

      As your plants grow, shape them by pinching or pruning. Depending on variety, you may eventually need to repot them. Pinching simply means removing the growing tip by pinching with your thumb and forefinger. This forces the plant to branch out and become fuller. Keep the plant's energy focused by pruning damaged stems, and by removing flowers when they fade. Keep your plants' leaves clean by washing them occasionally with a drop of liquid soap in lukewarm water.

FERTILIZING & WATERING

      Nutrition in the form of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium is essential for plant growth and overall health. The first number on the fertilizer package is the percent of nitrogen. Use a high-nitrogen fertilizer for plants grown for foliage. The middle number represents phosphorous, which helps make buds, flowers and strong roots. For flowering plants use a fertilizer higher in phosphorous that nitrogen. The third number designates potassium, necessary for overall health.

      Water is also essential, but too much can kill a plant. This is because plants need air as well as water. When you fill all spaces with water, the plant drowns. Here are some commonly seen houseplant watering guidelines, and their definitions.

• Keep evenly moist. Soil should be wet thoroughly, not soggy. Water when soil surface feels dry.
• Water when dry. Put your finger down in the soil, to 1 inch. If the soil is dry, it's time to water.
• Allow to dry. Water only when soil is dry between 1 inch and 2 inches deep.
• Allow to dry completely. Cacti, succulents and some other houseplants in this category may only need water once a week, even in summer.

      Use room temperature water. Save time by diluting houseplant fertilizer in gallon plastic jugs and storing them for future use. This enables you to take care of watering and fertilizing at the same time. Always follow label directions.

      If you have hard water or use a water softener, you may want to change your water source. A rusty white buildup on the soil surface indicates that hard water is causing salts to accumulate. If you use a water softener, either find a faucet that dispenses regular water or collect rainwater. Consult your local Home & Garden Showplace expert in how to leach salts from soil.

PROBLEMS & PESTS

      If your plant develops a problem and you're uncertain about the treatment, consult your local Home & Garden Showplace expert. Treat only one symptom at a time. Keep in mind that some problems correct themselves. Simply by moving a plant to a new location or repotting it may also solve the problem. A few examples of common problems:

• If you're doing everything you can but the plant shows little growth, needs lots of water and it's roots are growing out of the drain hole, the plant may need to be potted in a larger container.
• Some leaves drop as normal. Plants may shed leaves when moved to a new location.
• Poor potting soils can harm plants. Always use a quality potting mix.

REPOTTING HOUSEPLANTS

      It's best to do this chore in fall. Plants that have spent the summer outdoors may have outgrown their containers and should be repotted before coming indoors. Check them for insects, and isolate and treat them if they're infested.

      To repot, use a container that is only one size larger than the present pot. If the plant is growing in a 6" pot, move it into an 8". Most potting plants don't grow well when their roots have too much room. If you choose a clay pot, soak it in water overnight. Clay pots dry out faster than plastic pots because clay is porous.

      Houseplant health hinges in soil. Choose a sterile potting mix that suits the type of plant you're growing. Some don't contain soil and are referred to as "soilless". These mixtures contain ingredients that many fertilizers don't provide. They're also well drained, light and airy. Never use garden soil or topsoil; they pack too tightly and prevent air and water from reaching the roots.

      If the plant's roots look matted when you remove it from the pot, make three or four cuts through the root ball from top to bottom. The roots will then be able to spread out, and the plant will begin putting out new growth. Put enough potting soil into the new pot so that you can place the plant at the same height it was in the former pot. Fill in around the sides of the root ball, working the soil down with your finges. Then water thoroughly until water runs out of the drainage holes. Keep the soil moist while the roots are getting established.

      Because clay pots are porous, they require more frequent watering. Always use plastic saucers or cork coasters to protect indoor surfaces.

Picture catalogue of Tropicals

Picture catalogue of Houseplants