plant. Certain plants thrive only under certain conditions. Broers, the tropicals expert, says the choice of plant can make a big difference.
"Some students come in and pick out a plant based on looks, but there are some plants that are going to do better than others," she says.
Broers recommends picking a plant based on its light and care needs. For hardy, low-light plants that don't need a lot of care, check out the list below.
Cast Iron Plant
Its name says it all. The cast iron plant will survive almost anything. It doesn't require much water, and it doesn't need much light. Basically, it does best if you leave it in a corner and forget that it exists. For students who have no experience with plants, this could be a good starting point. It's not the prettiest, however, so if looks matter to you, you might want to pick something more interesting.
Philodendron
For students who want a little more excitement, the philodendron is a good choice.The philodendron is a vine-like plant with heart-shaped leaves.The vines grow quickly, so you'll be able to give extra clippings to your friends. The philodendron also doesn't need much water or light. It tells you when it needs water by sagging or wilting, so you'll have a built-in watering alarm.
Spider plant
The pothos is in the same family as the philodendron, but it's a bit different. Its leaves are not heart-shaped like the philodendron, but rather more slender. Its leaves are also variegated, with stripes of yellow or white. The pothos also grows quickly and is easy to share with friends.
Sansevieria
The spider plant, also known as the airplane plant, is another plant that you'll be able to share with your friends. Out of the main plant, the spider plant grows spindles that hang down like lazy arms. New plants start growing at the end of the spindles, and soon enough you'll have plants for all of your friends. It prefers indirect light.
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The tall, stiff leaves of the sansevieria resemble the biting tongue of some mothersin-law,giving the plant its nickname,motherin-law's tongue.The tall leaves are usually dark green with yellow stripes.
Dracaena
Dracaena come in many forms, such as the dragon tree, the corn plant and the Janet Craig. Ribbon dracaena is sold as lucky bamboo, although it is not truly bamboo. Dracaena are especially helpful in cleaning the air, and they tolerate inconsistent watering and light.
feature
The wandering jew is another vine-like plant that thrives with little light. The red and purple shade of the leaves makes it one the more interesting varieties. It prefers indirect light.
Wandering Jew
When and where
When watering plants, it's important to remember that too much water is not a good thing. lannotti, the master gardener, says the best way to determine if your plant needs water is to push your finger into the soil. If the soil is damp about 1 inch deep, your plant is fine. Otherwise, it probably needs water.
Plants will also need food to survive, just like humans. lannotti says the simplest way to feed your plants is to use plant spikes,
lannotti recommends watering plants over the sink, if possible.This will keep the water from ruining any furniture and also let excess water drain out. If the plant is too big to water over the sink, keep an impermeable saucer, bowl or even a plastic placemat below your plant to keep the water from hurting your furniture or floor.To avoid rotting the roots, water only when the soil feels dry and never let the plant sit in standing water."If you water them every couple of weeks you'll have less damage to your plants and less damage to your furniture," lannotti says.
"They take the industrial edge off and make the space actually feel like home. It's kind of like putting art on the wall, except you have to take care of it."
—Marie Iannotti, master gardener
which are small sticks of fertilizer that can be pushed into the soil."You do need to feed them because they're not going to get the nutrients from anywhere else," lanotti says."Plant spikes are probably the easiest way to do it because you don't have to worry about them."
Photos by: Marla Keown
04.03.2008
VOL. 5 ISS. 26
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