• Tuesday, June 02nd, 2009
someone left me a bunch of indoor plants to care for and some are exotics and small trees. i don't want to kill them and need to identify them. thank you for your help.
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Category: Plants
http://www.houseofplants.co.uk/foliagepl…
There is a book that separates plants off into flower colours for identification or planning and Flora Britannica is UKencyclopaedic. Otherwise you need several house plant books to get most of them or specialist books for specialist plants like air plants or meat eaters. You can always place orders with charity and 2nd hand shops and visit to see what they have.
Try to look up on net any plant you plan for – or get free – to ensure it does not threaten to poison the dog, attract fleas, etc. and to see if there is a complimentary plant to put with it for one reason or another. Allow ten per cent more height than maximum it says plant grows to in book and similar percentage bigger container at each stage of growth with higher rim to allow for tipping to get it in and outdoors in better weather, etc. if that is what you plan.
Make sure containers are frost proof or insert in bigger pot lined with newspaper for outdoors. This protects roots too. Consider timer controlled irrigation and temperature control systems for larger investments and to save imposing on folk when away. If a traditional gardener (nothing wrong with that) do visit a big garden centre and see what they sell these days by way of water retaining gels, food sticks, heat mats and such. Hydroponics shops, whilst existing for cannabis growers initially, may have something to offer you too.
Consider getting indoor plants off the ground by 18" to avoid pests in greenhouses and such. Works for outdoor veg. beds too.