Houseplants- Care and Maintenance
The best houseplants are those that thrive well in the conditions of your indoor environment. That environment is significantly different than that of your outdoor garden plants. Despite being significantly different, the most popular of houseplants are those whose needs match a cooler, drier and and darker (far less light) conditions of your home or office.
Due to conditions in the home, many indoor plants grow very slowly or even go dormant during the long months from late fall t o early winter. And there, needs are much different than your outdoor plants. In general, those needs are far less demanding as a slow growing plant requires less of most everything that you would normally provide your outdoor plants.
There is a saying in the gardening world that you can "kill your plant with kindness". This saying is even more true indoors as the plants need less, rather than more.
Temperature:
Indoor plants generally prefer a controlled temperature range. The ideal range is usually 65 to 75 degree in the daytime and 60 to 65 degrees at night. This range may vary by type of plant, but is the most common range. Many indoor plants do not like to be placed in a drafty area. In addition, while you may think you are helping your plants by placing them in a sunny window, they can experience wide temperature extremes as the sun heats them in the day and the cold comes through the window at night.
Not convinced? Place a thermometer next to your plant on a frigid evening. Check the temperature just before you go to bed.
Light:
In general, houseplants need less sunlight than outdoor plants. This is largely because the selection of indoor plant varieties is geared toward plants which thrive in shady or indirect sunlight.
But, this does not mean that your plant does not need sunlight, or will not benefit from sunlight during some portion of the day. And some varieties will require more sunlight than others. A lot of us will chase the sunlight as it moves from window to window on a sunny winter's day. Read up about the type of plant you you have. And, if your plant shows signs of light deficiency, join the rest of us and chase that sunlight!
You can also buy artificial gro-lights. These will help those plants that require more sunlight than you can provide. And, you can use the gro-lights when you sow your garden seedlings in the spring.
Tip: Rotate the container every few days so all sides of the plant get a chance to "see the light!"
http://www.gardenersnet.com/hplants/hp2.htm
Types of Houseplants
The variety of houseplants is varied and broad. There are flowering types or non-flowering types. You can grow Cactus, small shrubs and flower bulbs. You can even grow a variety herbs. Most of these however, require more sunlight, which is often at a premium indoors and in winter months.
We commonly think of only a quite limited number of houseplants. In actuality their are hundreds if not thousands of varieties.
The most common houseplants include:
African Violets
Aloe Vera Plants
Amaryllis
Begonia
Bonsai
Cactus
Coleus
Forced Bulbs
Geraniums
Impatiens A great shade lover with glossy leaves and showy flowers.
Ivy
Paper Whites
Paradise Palms or Parlor Palms There are many other types.
Philodendrons
Pineapple Are you up to the challenge!?
Poinsettia
Rubber Plants
and Spider Plants