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Do plants wilt at the sight of you? With these tips, anyone can keep a houseplant alive -- even you!

To complete this How-To you will need:

A plant
Knowledge of its native environment
Water
Fertilizer
A soothing voice or a radio

Step 1: Pick a plant that's tough to kill. Hardy varieties include spider, rubber, and snake plants, and pothos, aloe vera, and peace lilies.

Step 2: Choose a good location. Plants do best in the light and temperature of their native environment. For instance, tropical plants like their surroundings bright and humid, while cacti need sunlight but very little water.

Tip: Put houseplants that thrive on humidity in the bathroom -- the dampest room in the house.

Step 3: Find out your plant's foot-candle requirement, which is how many candles it would take to light the plant from one foot away. A plant that needs 250 or fewer candles is a low-light plant; one that needs more than 1,000 requires very bright light. If your plant didn't come with this information, search for it online.

Step 4: Poke the soil with your finger before watering. If it's moist, leave it alone. Overwatering is the no. 1 killer of houseplants.

Step 5: Fertilize a few times between the spring and fall. Low-light plants only require fertilization once or twice a year. Slow-growing plants need less fertilizer, while faster growing varieties need more. Choose a fertilizer that contains nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Water the soil before fertilizing to prevent fertilizer burn.

Tip: Watering your plants with the water in which you boiled vegetables or water from your fish tank gives them nutrients that help them grow.

Step 6: Talk or sing to your plants. Some research has indicated this can help them thrive, as does playing certain kinds of music. Indian sitar music works best, followed by classical music. Stay away from heavy metal: Plants exposed to loud rock music died after a few weeks in one famous experiment.

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Duration : 0:2:18

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Technorati Tags: alive, care, garden, gardening, home, HomeFamily, House, houseplants, Indoor, keeping, taking

Bamboo plants are either running bamboo, which spreads quickly unless contained, or clumping bamboo, which grows very tall, but does not spread. Choose a bamboo grass plant suitable for the yard with advice from a sustainable gardener in this free video on gardening.

Expert: Yolanda Vanveen
Contact: www.vanveenbulbs.com
Bio: Yolanda Vanveen is sustainable gardener who lives in Kalama, Wash.
Filmmaker: Daron Stetner

Duration : 0:2:44

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Technorati Tags: flowering plants, flowers, fruits, gardening, gardens, growing plants, harvesting, herbs, plant care, Plants, Vegetables

There are part-time indoor gardeners; these are the ones that live in an area with cold winters - too cold for their outdoor plants to survive in. By transplanting or bringing the plants indoors, they can survive the colder months and add greenery inside the home. There are some considerations and preparations that should be made before you decide to become a part-time indoor gardener.

The most important point to think about before bringing a plant indoors is whether or not it will survive being an inside plant. If the plant has high or very high light requirements and your house does not get a lot of light in the winter time - it may not be a good solution. As a back-up you can invest in an artificial light source to supplement the natural light the plant will get.

How will you get the plant indoors? If the plant is already in a pot that will fit inside it is easy enough to move it indoors. But if the plant is in the ground you need to find a pot large enough to contain the root system and one that will not be too difficult to move. Keeping in mind that when a large plant is transplanted (re-potted or put in a pot for the first time) it may go into shock. Although with careful attention, you can nurse your plant through this.

Most likely you have been taking care of your plants outdoors and they do not have any pests or bugs on them. But it smart to double-check. By bringing an infested plant indoors you are putting all of your other indoor plants at risk of becoming infected too. Either forego bringing the plant inside or treat the pest problem before the cold weather arrives. You may enjoy having your plant inside all winter that you decide to keep it there come springtime.

Technorati Tags: gardening, House, Indoor, plant, Plants

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It is inevitable that insects or another infestation will make its way to your plants at one point or another.  If you are dealing with pests in your indoor garden you may want to find a natural way to eliminate them especially if you have young children or pets in your home.  There are ways to do this and most of them require ingredients that you can get at the grocery store.

When you find insects or another disease that is making your plant sick.  Isolate the plant immediately to prevent the problem spreading to the other plants inside your house.  Depending on the type of problem the solution will be different.

If your plants are being eaten by spider mites, you can eliminate the problem by making a solution of buttermilk and water.  Put the solution into a spray bottle, put the plant in the bathtub and give a thorough once over.  A mix of 50-50 is recommended, if this is too thick to use with the spray bottle, add more water for a thinner consistency.

You may be able to control aphids with a thorough washing of the plant leaves with water.  Another recommendation is to kill a couple of the aphids and leave them in the bottom of the pot.  They then emit an odour that lets the other aphids know that danger is near and they abandon the house plant.  If this method is used, do it outside so they can find another home that is not inside yours.

The natural and organic methods available for the wide variety of problems your plant can encounter are too numerous to list.  These are the two most common pests, but with some research there is a natural solution to many more different insects or diseases that can affect a plant’s health.

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If you love an outdoor plant but it is too big to bring indoors you have the option of taking a cutting from that plant. Once you have taken a cutting, you can start a new plant that is smaller and more appropriate for an indoor garden. Depending on the type of plant you are taking a cutting from there is a few methods you might want to try.

Taking a cutting from a plant is also known as propagation. If you have a hardwood plant that you want to propagate the process is slow but easy to do as the cuttings are quite hardy. Take the cutting (about 5 inches worth) when the tree is dormant (in the middle of winter) and place the cutting cut-side up in a pail of sand. Fill the pail with water and wait until spring. Then submersed side will have little nodules that will turn into roots once planted.

When you are taking a cutting from a soft-wood plant, it will require more care and attention. Taking cuttings from soft-wood yields quicker results and you do the actually cutting when the plant is in the active growing phase. You are cutting off the new growth back to a nodal (from the point it stopped growing the year previous). This method benefits from the use of a root producing medium found at nursery stores. It is important to place the cutting (cut-side down) into the root medium immediately. If the cutting dries out it will lessen the changes of a successful cutting.

Next, pick a pot or container suitable to the type of plant you are growing and plant it once the roots have developed. At this point, you can follow the regular care instructions for the type of plant you have just propagated.

Technorati Tags: gardening, House, Indoor, plant, Plants

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Indoor plants are not just ornaments inside your home. They can serve as fighters of indoor air pollution. Studies have shown that houseplants that are kept inside homes are able to reduce pollution components, specifically volatile organic compounds like toluene, benzene, and xylene. These compounds could be removed primarily by various soil microorganisms that could be found in indoor plants pots.

Of course, it is a common knowledge that indoor plants help lower carbon dioxide and turn it into oxygen. More importantly, indoor plants have been proven to diminish airborne microbes and to raise indoor humidity.

You probably have heard about alternative ways of planting and growing indoor plants. You may want to consider any of the following methods if you really want to grow indoor plants in your home.

Hydro culture - This method employs other media like expanded clay. In this alternative way, the indoor plant is grown in a nutrient and water solution instead of in a conventional soil mixture. The technique has several benefits. First, the indoor plant produces no foul or unlikely odor. Second, the solution is reusable. And lastly, the media is much more hygienic. You could be sure soil-bound pests and insects are eliminated. The water supply of the plant is also made less variable. However, not all indoor plants could be grown using this alternative technique.

Sub-irrigation - This technique offers another viable alternative when growing indoor plants. The plant is watered strategically from the pots bottom. Of course, you could infer that water needed for nourishment of the plant is transferred up into the pot media through capillary. The advantages of using this alternative method include lower chances of overwatering, controlled amounts of water, elimination of the need to drain the plants, and less compaction of the plant media used. This alternative method is currently gaining popularity worldwide.

Indoor bonsai- There are indoor plants that are cultivated specifically for your homes indoor environment. Indoor bonsai are among them. Bonsai are traditionally shaped from certain temperate climate trees. They are grown in special and small containers that are kept indoors. These indoor potted plants weaken and die when kept in an artificial home environment for a long time. There are tropical and sub-tropical species of trees that could survive as bonsai indoors. Most of these indoor plants are cultivated as ornaments that exude aesthetic appeal.

Technorati Tags: growing methods, indoor plants

Houseplants and herb gardens are well-known as common plants that are grown indoors. But they are not the only plants that can be grown indoors. By using the right containers and having the ability to mimic the ideal growing conditions you can also have an indoor vegetable garden. The benefits of having one go beyond the beautification of your home or the relaxation you get from gardening, but you can also pick your own vegetables right in your kitchen.

Carrots, tomatoes, and radishes are three of the easiest vegetable to grow indoors. Each grows differently and will need separate containers but with some research this is not a problem. A south-facing window is the best source of natural sunlight for your vegetables to grow in. If you do not have the right exposure, you can invest in an artificial bulb to provide supplemental light.

As with any container you choose to grow plants in, making sure there is enough drainage is key. If your plants sit in too much water they are not going to survive. If the pots you choose do not have holes in the bottom be sure to put a layer of gravel or wood chips to allow the water to run out of the soil. The flip side of this is not to ensure the water does not run out too quickly either.

When choosing the types of vegetables to plant, follow the same guidelines as you would for outdoors. On the seed packets it will give recommendations on when to plant, the amount of light and water that is needed and the spacing requirements. Tailor your water schedule according to the condition of the soil, make sure it doesn't get too dry or stay too wet either.

By the end of the summer or early fall you should be able to harvest the vegetables grown inside your own home.

Technorati Tags: gardening, House, Indoor, plant, Plants

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Plants need care whether they are cultivated indoors or outdoors. Those that grow outdoors have all their needs supplied by nature. Indoor plants, transplanted in an unnatural atmosphere for d‚cor or utility, need care.

Light

Light is very important for indoor plants because light helps in energy production for growth and sustenance. For those living in temperate countries, place plants in areas facing south because they still need sunlight in winter.

For plants that do not need direct sunlight, having them face east is best. If your indoor plants do not receive enough sunlight, they will not grow (or bloom) as expected.

If you keep large-leafed plants in normally dark inner hallways, have 150-watt incandescent bulbs 4 feet away from each other lighted the whole day. (Put it off after sunset.)

Water

Watering your indoor plants depends on their variety, which in turn depend largely on the surrounding humidity and the pot it is planted on. In watering, it is not good to drown the pot.

You can cut down on your watering if your soil mixtures have plenty of humus to retain moisture. Place a porous clay pot in a non-porous container with at least an inch between them to help resist the effect of a dry, overheated house.

Temperature

Every plant thrives best under temperatures from where they originate from. Tropical plants need higher temperatures. Temperate zone and desert plants can survive 90 to 100 degrees for short times without harm. Actually, low temperatures are the bane of most plants.
 
At night when temperatures go down, tropical plants can withstand a minimum of 65 degrees and those from temperate zones can endure 45 degrees. Cacti can bear any temperature above freezing.

Humidity

Low humidity is bad for plants, especially those from the tropics. Evaporation is fast if the air is hot and dry, causing drying off of leaves.

This will cause the plants to wilt even if there is sufficient moisture in the soil. Eventually, they will die. Periodic spraying of water on the leaves can help keep humidity levels high.

Maintaining the right humidity for different kinds of plants is a problem. One solution is to separate the plants into groups according to their humidity requirements. Keep each group in their suitable windows.

Food

Not all plants have the same food requirements. Leafy plants need more nitrogen than flowering plants. One can mix slow-release fertilizers and compost. Orchids and cacti have special feeds, however. Plants should be given plant food during their most active growth period.

Today, it is hard to have perfect conditions for growing indoor plants. But with some perspicacity, one can still enjoy growing indoor plants inside the house no matter what the weather outside is.

Technorati Tags: indoor plants, plant care

The homeowner who wants to start a home garden that is light on the maintenance needed may decide to buy cacti. This is a good plan because they need less water than most plants and are quite hardy. Although there are still care instructions that need to be followed to increase the life and longevity of a cactus.

Cactus plants are used to the heat and being dry, for this reason putting them in a windowsill with full sunlight is optimal. Depending on the cactus and the amount of heat it is getting you may not have to water it for weeks at a time (once a month is the recommended watering schedule). Cacti like coarse soil, it is recommended to use a soil that is meant specifically for a cactus instead of a generic mix. When a fertilizer is needed you should also purchase a fertilizer that is just for cacti.

When watering a cactus, you want to be careful not to over water it. A good tip to prevent this from happening is to place the cactus pot in a shallow dish full of water. The plant will soak up all of the water it needs through the drainage hole in a period of 1-2 hours. Complete this task and don't worry about it again for another month unless the plant is starting to get a shriveled look.

When handling your cactus, be careful they can hurt. If the pot is not large enough to hold onto without your hands getting to close to the prickly part of the pant use a folded newspaper and place it around the plant. This will protect both your hands and the plant when moving it. If you do get a piece of a cactus in your finger, remove gently with a pair of tweezers or a piece of strong tape.

Technorati Tags: gardening, House, Indoor, plant, Plants

Expand the description and view the text of the steps for this how-to video.

Check out Howcast for other do-it-yourself videos from kendraelliott and more videos in the Houseplants and Container Gardening category.

You can contribute too! Create your own DIY guide at http://www.howcast.com/videos/new or produce your own Howcast spots with the Howcast Filmmakers Program at http://www.howcast.com/filmmakers/apply.

You don't need a green thumb to have houseplants that flourish; you just need to know which ones will thrive in your home.

To complete this How-To you will need:

Informed purchases
Hardy varieties

Step 1: Consider your schedule

Consider your schedule. If you are out of town a lot, choose plants that can go a couple of weeks without watering, like jade or rubber plants, mini-geraniums, golden pathos, or any kind of philodendron.

Step 2: Think about lighting

Think about where you want to put plants, and then pick ones that will thrive in the light those rooms provide. Your local nursery can tell you whether a plant needs high, medium or low light.

Tip: Windows facing east, west, southeast, and southwest provide a lot of light; north-facing windows provide low light; and south-facing windows provide medium light in summer and a lot of light in winter.

Step 3: Evaluate your space

Evaluate your space. If it's limited, look for plants that can live in small pots, like Chinese evergreens, African violets, ageratums, and lantanas.

Step 4: Combat pollution

If you live in a congested city, consider plants that remove pollutants from the air, like English ivy, peace lilies, spider plants, and aloe vera.

Step 5: Take humidity into consideration

Take humidity into consideration. If you live in a dry climate, avoid houseplants that require high air-moisture levels unless you plan to put them in a room that's often humid, like the bathroom.

Tip: Tropical plants like Pink Sunburst cannas, caladiums, and lantanas need humidity; succulents and cacti are desert plants that thrive in dry air.

Step 6: Go with hardy plants

Increase your chances of bringing home plants that will thrive by choosing varieties known to be hardy, like ZZ palms, wave petunias, dragon trees, ivy, and crotons. If you manage to kill those, switch to silk plants!

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Duration : 0:1:58

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Technorati Tags: Choosing, gardening, Growing, home, HomeFamily, House, houseplants, Indoor, Inside, picking, Plants