Spring "Greening"
Spring is finally here and generally for me it means an extra excuse to buy more plants.
Spring marks the “Patio Gardening” frenzy , tomatoes, cucumbers, hot peppers and sweet peppers are taking over my patio…but it also marks the living room and bedroom greening time for me.
I am still working on my “Urban Jungle” project and I am far, far, far from my goal of 500 plants, but it certainly is fun to work toward that goal.
Every time I visit the nursery for the shop I double on the plants which means I can actually learn first hand how to care for the plants we carry at the studio.
Here are my new additions:
1- Ficus Braided Tree
We purchased a few of these recently for a corporate event and I just fell in love with them. I love the deep toned green leaves, I like the daintiness of its branches and of course its height which lends itself perfectly for corners.
Botanical Name: Ficus benjamina
Common Name: Weeping fig, Benjamin fig, ficus tree
Plant Type: Houseplant, perennial
Mature Size: Indoor, 3- to 6-feet-tall trees or bushes
Sun Exposure: Filtered bright sun
Soil Type: Rich, fast draining
Soil pH: Slightly acidic to neutral
Bloom Time: Indoor, blooms not likely
Flower Color: Red
Hardiness Zones: 10, 11
Native Area: India and Southeast Asia
Care Tips:
How to Grow Weeping Figs
Weeping figs are tropical trees native to Southeast Asia but can be grown successfully as houseplants in colder climates in regular room-temperature conditions. Indoors and out, weeping figs have 5-inch long glossy green leaves on droopy branches. Outdoors the weeping fig grows up to 60 feet tall, but indoors the tree can grow in a container and be pruned to control size or trained as a bonsai.
Light
The weeping fig needs a bright room, even with a little direct sun in the morning. In its native habitat, it is often grown in semi-shady conditions, but indoors it needs good light to thrive. This plant dislikes being moved and may drop leaves if it is. It is important you find a good, bright spot for it and keep it there.
Soil
Any good, fast-draining potting soil will likely do. Weeping figs do not require soil that is especially high in nutrients or organic matter. If re-potting, use a soil-based potting soil that contains perlite, sand, and vermiculite for improved drainage.
Water
Keep the plant steadily moist, but do not allow it to sit in water or it will drop leaves and suffer from root rot. In its native environment, plants typically drop leaves at the beginning of the dry season, which makes them exquisitely sensitive to changes in moisture. Make sure your watering schedule is consistent.
Temperature and Humidity
The trees do best with nighttime temperatures between 65 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit and daytime temperatures between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Consider setting your thermostat to regulate temperature fluctuations in your home. In the summertime, do not use heavy air conditioning, since weeping figs will suffer if the indoor temperature drops below 70 degrees.
As tropical natives, weeping figs prefer high humidity. If they become too dry, indoor trees may begin to lose their leaves. Consider using a humidifier to regulate humidity levels in your home. Keep the soil moist around the base of your tree, and mist the tree’s leaves occasionally to prevent them from drying out.
Although it is a little more challenging, it is possible to overwinter weeping figs in temperate areas without massive leaf-dropping, but it will require careful attention to watering and temperature.
Fertilizer
These plants are heavy feeders and need plenty of fertilizer throughout the growing season. If your plant is dropping leaves despite having ideal lighting, temperature, humidity, and fertilizer levels, try supplementing with a little magnesium and manganese. If that does not work, check for common pests including aphids, mealy bugs, scale, and whitefly.
2- Variegated Spider Plant
These caught my eyes right away at the nursery. I was looking for a plant that would work both in hanging containers as well as regular table top planters and these seemed perfect.
My living room has, unfortunately, an electrical heating grid embedded in the ceiling so as much as I would like to have hanging plants that seems not to be an option currently but I wanted to still a nice and full cascading plant next to my desk and this worked out perfectly. its variegated light leaves add a touch of bright to my work space.
Curly Spider Plant Care Tips:
Give your spider plant plenty of light for good leaf color (but not too much direct sunlight).
Keep it slightly pot bound so that they flower and produce healthy, hearty, spider plant babies.
Fertilize sparingly as excess nutrients can retard its ability to produce more” plantlets/spiderettes”.
Re-pot your spider plants in the spring when the plant is quite root-bound.
Keep evenly moist. Water your spider plants when the soil is dry (about an inch down into the pot).
Display your curly spider plants in hanging baskets or container gardens for the best effect.
Propagate more spider plants from your spider plant baby “spiderettes”!
Curly spider plants will grow to about 1 foot tall with runners/shoots cascading down about 3 feet or more.
A nice bonus is that spider plants purify the air in your home!
3- I wanted to add a little color to the room so for my third room plant addition I chose a combination of white and pink splash plants to add to this cute vase we carry at the shop creating the perfect small size dish to add to my entertainment center.
Splash Plant care tips:
Plant is well draining soil.
Give them plenty of light.
Water regularly.
Fertilize monthly.
They like high humidity and temperatures around 75 Degrees.
Polka dot plant gets leggy quickly. In order to prevent this from happening, pinch the plant back on a weekly basis. Use your fingers to snip off the top two leaves on the end of each stem. Regular pruning will encourage the polka dot plant to become bushier.
4- Ficus Elastica ( Rubber Tree)
Because every house has a dark corner that needs a little pick me up I decided on a Ficus Elastica.
My far right corner is a bit dark and very empty so I wanted to spruce up the area below the bar counter with a live plant that could tolerate if not strive under these not ideal conditions.
This is actually my second rubber tree, the first one I bought was red and since two years later I have not killed it I opted for a second :)
Ficus Elastica Care Tips:
In its native environment, it’s normal for a rubber plant to grow to over 100′ tall. Don’t worry though — as a houseplant, rubber plants usually get to around 8-10′. With careful pruning, you can shape your rubber tree to be exactly as tall as you want.
Its sap is used to produce rubber, hence the name. The plants live for hundreds of years, but take 7 years to be harvested for the first time. After those 7 years, it will produce sap for rubber for about 30 years or so.
While it’s still used for rubber production today, indoor gardeners grow it for two reasons:
It’s a beautiful and hardy houseplant.
It’s been proven to remove formaldehyde from the air.
Rubber trees are finicky when it comes to change, so be sure to pick a spot to place it and don’t move it. This is especially true when it comes to fluctuations in temperature or air flow.
Rubber trees do not require much light, but flourish in bright, indirect light. Many people put their rubber trees near a window where the light is filtered through a pair of sheer curtains.
If the plant gets less light while leaves are growing, the leaves will actually be larger! Fun fact.
While your rubber tree is in its growing season, you keep the soil moist. Water it deep. During the dormant season, keep the soil drier…but not too dry. It is possible to underwater it.
Be sure to clean the leaves of your Ficus Elastica so it can breathe easier, but don’t use any kind of leaf shine on it. Be sure to mist them as well for pest prevention.
The container for your rubber tree should be large enough to grow a 4-foot tall tree. Make sure there are drainage holes in the bottom, otherwise you risk root rot.
Place a layer of small 1-inch rocks in the bottom to aid in drainage. Add equal parts of quality peat moss, sand, and garden loam. This will avoid the wet, soggy conditions that rubber trees despise. The soil will drain quickly enough for the rubber tree to feel right at home.
Fertilize your rubber tree during the spring and early summer, but not when it is dormant in the winter. Half-strength houseplant fertilizer will do just fine.
