To be honest … should I even confess this? …. I don’t actually like indoor plants! That might sound a bit harsh but with the average Australian spending less than 3% of their time outdoors, it’s a terrible shame on us when we live in one of the most beautiful countries that just beckons for the outdoor lifestyle. Why give us a reason to spend more time indoors when gardening is a great excuse to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors?
Well, that said … I will also say that there is definitely a place for indoor plants for some of us. If we live in an area that is too cold to grow plants over winter, then it’s wonderful to have some of the garden inside with us to remind us that spring is coming. Indoor plants transform a cold house into a cosy home and can even improve the air quality inside (except if you have sticky teenagers living with you – then there’s no hope, not even an indoor forest would work!).
Growing some herbs on your kitchen window sill is also a fabulous idea for those of us who enjoy cooking and experimenting with flavours. Herbs won’t thrive indefinitely indoors, unfortunately, so I suggest that you rotate your pots. Plant out two pots of each of your herbs and have one inside and one outside so it can rest and recover from excessive “pruning”. Swap them over every month so they get a chance to grow.
Some herbs are only short lived, like coriander, so you might have to keep sowing more seeds into new pots every month and then compost the old plant when it looks a bit sad or starts to bolt to seed, and swap it for a new fresh pot.
Most ornamental indoor plants are actually tropical plants growing naturally in a rainforest, varying from cool temperate rainforest to equatorial rainforest depending on where you live. These rainforest plants grow on the forest floor or live as epiphytes, wrapping their roots around a tree branch or trunk for support. They are protected from direct sun by the forest canopy of tall trees, enjoy high humidity conditions and feed off either the humus rich soil below, or as epiphytes, they will trap falling leaves that eventually rot down and provide nutrients for their entangled root system higher up on the trees.
We simulate these conditions indoors because temperatures are more evenly controlled and there’s usually no direct sunlight indoors. So it’s important to avoid temperature extremes and keep your plants away from windows that let in direct sunlight and scorch these tender leaves. High humidity is created by sitting the plant in a saucer of pebbles that collects excess moisture when the plant is watered. Frequent misting with a spray bottle also helps to create humidity around the plant.
Plants are grown in nutrient rich soil so make sure you get a potting mix that suits indoor plants. The nutrients will be balanced to give your plants all that they need. Pot plants consume more nutrients than plants grown in the ground because these nutrients are leached every time the plant is watered, so a good liquid fertiliser regime is beneficial. A half-strength liquid feed every two weeks will keep the plant growing well from spring to autumn, but growth will slow down in the colder months. Don’t forget to dust the plants too. Dust is usually washed away with tropical rains in nature, but when grown indoors the dust can clog the stomata (the tiny pores on the leaf surface where moisture evaporates).
Indoor plants should be repotted every year. Put them on to a larger pot and fill the gaps with new potting mix or compost. Spring is a good time to do this as the plant comes out of a dormant winter time and starts to put on new growth.
Happy gardening,
The Veggie Lady
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