Don’t miss spring at West Dean Gardens

“During lockdown, people have had more time to appreciate their homes and for those who might not have a garden, houseplants have become hugely popular,” says Kelly Dyer, glasshouse gardener at West Dean Gardens. “We encourage people to buy or source their houseplants responsibly. Do you know where they were propagated or how far

have they travelled? Are the plants rare or endangered and could they have been pillaged from their natural environment?”

Read on for Kelly’s advice on growing happy and healthy houseplants…

• Get to know your plants. Each one has a story to tell. Where does it come from, where is it native? What is its botanical name and what does this tell you about it – often the genus and species provide invaluable clues to the structure or origin of the plant? What does your houseplant look like in its natural environment? If you discover this, you will know what conditions will make your plant happiest. Does it like hot and humid or cool and shady? Then you will know where in your house to best position your plant.
• Try to keep your room temperature consistent and think about where you place your pots. Try to avoid draughty areas like doorways and putting them above heat sources like radiators.
• Keep an eye on your plants. Deadhead spent flowers, remove dead or fallen leaves, prune dead or dying stems. In my experience, hygiene is key to happy and healthy plants.
• If you notice pests like white fly, aphid or scale, spray the foliage with a mix of washing up liquid and water. This will wash off pests and also create a viscous layer to prevent sapsucking pests from penetrating the plant tissue.
• In summer, water early in the morning in order to prevent any scorch caused by sunlight refracting through water droplets on foliage and flowers.
• If you have pot plants on your windowsills, keep the foliage away from the glass, again, to prevent scorch. That said, keep your windows clean to allow in maximum light for photosynthesis.
• Dust the leaves of larger/glossy leaved plants, removing a barrier to effective photosynthesis.
• Top dress your pots with grit/gravel/pebbles to prevent Sciarid flies or Fungus gnats laying their eggs on the soil surface of your pots. Once you’ve got them, it is nightmare to get rid of them!
• Establish a watering and feeding regime. Remember your houseplants are in pots, so unlike plants in the ground which can grow down and along into the soil when in need of nutrients, the roots of your houseplants are restricted by the size pot they are in and rely on you for a top up. If you can, provide as much water as possible from below via a tray.
• Have a day in the year where you repot your houseplants into fresh compost and/or a larger pot if required. This is best done if/when the plant is dormant.

If you love growing houseplants, you can also create gifts for your family and loved ones. You can share your passion for houseplants – for free. You can take cuttings from plants like pelargoniums and fuchsias, pot up offsets (baby plants) from your succulents and divide plants like aspidistras or polystichum ferns.