Indoor plants help create a pleasant home environment. Small plants add color and scenery to windows or tables, while larger ones soften and blend with groups of furniture. As a part of the “indoor landscape,” plants create a cool, spacious feeling, even in the warmest weather. A planter with flower is always looking good for your table. If you have been puzzled as to why some indoor plants thrive while others refuse to flourish, realize that most of the foliage plants known as house plants are native to tropical areas. This is why, for instance, most indoor plants prefer a humid atmosphere and indirect light. Of course, there are exceptions. Here are some elements those you have to concern:

-Light

Plants vary considerably in their light requirements. For example, plants such as the croton need direct sunlight, while philodendrons will grow under lower light intensities. If plants are not receiving enough light, their leaves turn yellow and die.

-Temperature and Ventilation

Most indoor plants grow well between 60 and 75 F. They may become spindly if kept warmer. Always keep plants away from hot or cold drafts, warm appliances, and heat registers. Flowering plants will retain blossoms longer if lower temperatures are provided. Temperatures above 75 F hasten the death of flowers and make plants spindly as well as less resistant to disease and insect attack. Some plants will thrive in hot and dry conditions.

-Humidity

Most plants require a higher humidity than that of the average home. Any means of increasing humidity will be beneficial to your plants. Today many heating systems are provided with humidifiers, which should be kept full of water. Sprinkling or syringing plants with water is not effective as the water evaporates rapidly.

-Watering

Improper watering is the cause of most house plant problems. Both under- and over-watering can cause leaves to yellow and fall. Check plant soil daily to see if they need water (soil dry 1/4 inch down and tapped pot sounds hollow). If needed, add water until moisture drips out of the drainage hole of the pot. Wait a few minutes and water the plant again until moisture drips out of the drainage hole. Be sure to discard drainage water. Do not allow the bottom portion of the pot to stand in water.

-Fertilizing

Water your house plants with a dilute fertilizer solution, especially during the summer. Prepare a solution by mixing one teaspoon of soluble fertilizer in 1 gallon of water. Such fertilizer analyses as 20-20-20, 5-10-5, 4-12-4, or 7-7-7 may be used. Apply once a month during the growing season. Often a grower will purchase a commercially prepared soluble fertilizer. He should then use it according to the directions on the container.

-Soil Preparation

Adequate water drainage is essential for plants growing in containers. Ensure good drainage by mixing soil with liberal amounts of sand or perlite. These materials help aerify the soil, improve root growth, and allow water to easily penetrate the mixture. A good soil mix includes two parts peat moss, one part sand, and one part perlite; or one part silt or clay loam garden soil, one part organic matter (peat moss), and one part coarse sand or perlite. Commercial potting soils can also be used. These usually require the addition of one part sand or perlite to improve drainage and plant growth. In the spring when new growth starts, turn each of your plants upside down, tape the edge of the pot, and remove the plant. If the roots are in a solid mass, they need to be repotted. Shift the plant to a pot (with a drainage hole) 1 or 2 inches larger in diameter. Choosing Indoor Planter is a wise option as well as choosing Window Box Planter.