Why Is It Hard to Keep Flowering Plants Alive Indoors?
Today's editor will explain the reasons why it is hard to keep flowering plants alive indoors, regarding the introduction of green plants. If there are any mistakes, please feel free to correct them!
For新手 gardeners, it seems there is a curse. Every time they buy a plant, it starts to drop a lot of leaves after a few days at home, and then there's no turning back. So why is it so easy to kill plants when keeping them indoors? Let's share some opinions.
Why Is It Hard to Keep Flowering Plants Alive Indoors?
The picture above shows a flowering plant that a gardening enthusiast bought, the Anku Azalea seedling. Anku Azalea is a very easy-to-grow potted plant. The enthusiast grows their Anku Azalea in a double-color plastic pot, left outside, and it grows and flowers without any care for a month. However, why does the plant still drop leaves when the enthusiast treats it like a treasure every day?
1. -- Overattention --
There is a big problem here, which is that we treat it too much like a treasure. As the saying goes, "Diligent in raising fish, lazy in raising flowers." We cannot be too diligent in raising flowers; we should be appropriately lazy.
Especially for potted plants indoors, the indoor environment is poorly ventilated, and the potting soil dries slowly. If overattended, one might feel the urge to water frequently, and if the soil has not dried before watering, it easily causes root rot, resulting in the plant dropping a lot of leaves or even rotting leaves.
In raising potted plants indoors, the first challenge is to overcome our own tendency to overattend, not to water excessively, and not to apply various fertilizers and pesticides at the slightest sign of abnormality. Otherwise, the plants will become worse and worse, and even very easy-to-grow chrysanthemums will be reduced to a few branches.
Of course, being lazy does not mean neglecting management but rather focusing on some key points that need attention, such as whether the potting soil is breathable and whether the plant prefers sunlight or scattered light.
2. -- The Plant's Sunlight Preference --
Every plant has different requirements for sunlight. Based on the plant's sunlight preference, it should be placed in a suitable position. Most新手 gardening enthusiasts, when they receive new seedlings, choose to place them in indoor locations without direct sunlight.
If the plant is shade-tolerant and does not like direct sunlight, there is usually no problem. But if it is a potted plant that requires ample sunlight and is kept in a dark place for a long time, it can cause significant damage to the seedlings.
Especially after being shipped in a box for several days, the potted plant is already severely lacking in sunlight. If it continues to be placed in a shady indoor position after arrival, the plant will not receive enough sunlight for an extended period, and without sufficient photosynthesis, the leaves cannot produce nutrients, leaving the plant in a constant state of hunger. This type of hunger is completely different from the nutrient deficiency caused by not applying fertilizer.
Sun-loving plants, if they do not see sunlight for a long time, are prone to partial leaf rot and massive leaf drop. Therefore, when acquiring new seedlings, it is essential to first pay attention to the plant's sunlight preference, and even when acclimating new seedlings, sun-loving plants should still get some sunlight.
3. -- Potting Soil's Breathability --
No matter whether potted plants are grown in the living room or on the balcony indoors, the breathability of the potting soil is an issue that must be addressed. If the potting soil is not breathable and the indoor ventilation is poor, the soil will not dry for a long time, and for some moisture-intolerant plants, it can easily cause root rot.
Attentive gardening enthusiasts may notice that some moisture-loving and shade-tolerant plants, such as Monstera, Spathiphyllum, and Epipremnum aureum, do not easily have problems when grown indoors because these plants are inherently moisture-tolerant.
Plants like the Happy Tree and the Money Tree are more prone to leaf drop and root rot because they are not moisture-tolerant. If the potting soil does not dry, the roots will rot, and the plant may wither.
For indoor potted plants, the soil should be looser and more breathable than outdoor soil, with relatively more coarse particles added. It is also better not to use deep pots, as the soil at the bottom of deep pots does not dry easily. The topsoil may be cracked, while the bottom soil is still moist.
For新手 gardening enthusiasts, they can use a general nutrient-rich soil mixed with 1/3 to 1/2 of coarse soil according to the plant's moisture preference.
4. -- Environmental Ventilation and Humidity --
Why Is It Hard to Keep Flowering Plants Alive Indoors?
There are two significant issues when raising potted plants indoors: ventilation and humidity.
Poor ventilation is a problem with indoor living rooms and enclosed balconies. However, once the plants adapt, it's fine. New seedlings, though, often have problems because of the significant change in their growing environment and soil differences.
New seedlings may not be specifically adapted to the indoor environment, often containing less coarse material and too much water in the soil. Poor ventilation causes the soil to stay moist for a long time, leading to root rot and yellowing or falling leaves in the plant.
For new seedlings, it is recommended to control watering, spray more water on the leaves, and control soil watering to let the seedlings gradually adapt to the indoor environment. Water along the pot edge when the soil is dry. Do not water thoroughly and then place it in an indoor balcony, as this can easily cause root rot.
In many areas, the indoor environment is very dry, which is difficult for some moisture-loving potted plants to adapt to. Initially, it is also important to increase air humidity to avoid issues like leaf scorch. As the plant gradually adapts, it can also grow normally with lower air humidity.
The above is the specific content of why it is hard to keep flowering plants alive indoors and why indoor potted plants die so easily, focusing on these four root causes for reference and operation.