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Pot plants care

If you receive indoor plants as a gift, here's what you need to do: place them in a place with good indirect light and check if the soil is moist. If it's not, it is best to water it with a water sprayer. The pot ground of the plants in the flower shop is very loose so that the pots are easy to transport. Therefore, if you pour water directly into the pot, it is very possible that it will pass right through it. Spray the leaves from time to time, if you've got flowering plants, spray them only when they don't have flowering buds. Do not change the ground when you receive them, they are quite shocked by the change of environment, they don't need any other change. If they adapt and last in the new house, you can change the ground after 2-3 months.

If you have potted plants, do not forget that in the spring, at the end of March, it is advisable to move them on terraces or balconies. But before that, it's a good idea to pay a little attention to the soil and the plant. If the pot is small, replace it with one that is no more than 3 cm in diameter. If the pot is much larger than before, the plant will use its energy to occupy all the space with roots, to the detriment of leafing and / or flowering. If the soil does not need to be changed, loosen it slightly with a blunt knife or spatula and start adding fertilizer according to the manufacturer's instructions. Also in spring it is time to prune the plants. We clean the dry or broken branches, we cut the overgrown branches and we arrange the crown if necessary. We find places according to each person's light needs and we pay attention to the watering rhythm. Careful! it varies depending on temperatures and the type of plants.


 When autumn comes, the same routine is indicated. At the end of September we can change the pots and the soil if we didn't have time to change them in the spring. We cut twigs again, dry leaves. We also need to change the watering regime. The days are getting shorter and shorter, so the plant's metabolism slows down, so you don't need as much water and fertilizer. If they are watered too much, their roots mold and die very quickly.

 Below, some information about indoor plants that you may have in the house or you may know:

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Sansevieria

And I start with the Snake plant or Sansevieria - my favorite. The one with long leaves (dark green or combined green), is just a variety, but there are also dwarf (shorter, rounded leaves) or tubular (the leaves are round in section). I have them all. It's coming from Africa, Madagascar, South Asia. It doesn't need too much light or water and It doesn't like the clay ground that holds water at all. It is one of those plants recommended by NASA for purifying the air in homes, especially in bedrooms. From time to time you will find that it has "eaten" all the ground in the pots because it multiplies very quickly through the rhizomes. Remove it from the pot, clean and cut the rhizomes, replant and restart.

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Repelent plants

There are some plants that repel mosquitoes. Among them are marigolds, jasmine tobacco, geraniums, chrysanthemums. Their presence in your gardens and near your terraces ensures the absence of these annoying insects. But you may not know this: all aromatic herbs also seem to have a repellent effect. So confidently buy pots of basil, dill, lavender, mint, thyme and rosemary and place them at your windows and on the balconies. Sprinkle their leaves with water from time to time, they like that. And also from time to time, ruffle their leaves, just as you ruffle small children on the hair. They like that too, that's why they release the wonderful scents you know in the air.

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Bonsai

I don't think I've ever spoke to you about bonsai. Bonsai is, in fact, an art, a practice that involves contemplation, patience, discipline, aesthetic sense and respect for nature. However, this art of Chinese origin, became known to Japanese Buddhist monks who visited China in the 6th century. They brought the art of growing potted trees to their homeland and introduced it to Zen Buddhist monasteries, becoming a closely associated esoteric practice. with Zen gardens. The maximum of expertise in the bonsai technique was reached in the 14th century. Starting with the 18th century, this technique became popular among the upper strata of Japanese society. The international spread that this art has now began only in the interwar period with the intensification of economic and cultural relations between East and West.

I must also tell you some things about the techniques and aesthetic criteria this entails. First of all, if you are starting to grow bonsai, you must keep in mind one essential thing. You will grow a tree in a pot. This means that you will manage the growth of a tree, with its vigor and needs, in a controlled environment. That is why there are care techniques and tools specific to this art. Watering should be regular and according to the needs of the type of bonsai (weather it prefers more moisture or less), transplanting is done depending on the vigor and age of the tree, soil and fertilizer are specific to a bonsai, and modeling, pruning and grafting is done with tools specially developed for this purpose. So if you decide to grow a bonsai, you must consider a series of rules and rigors to follow and a number of resources to invest in specific materials and information. I tell you all this not to discourage you but precisely to anticipate the joy, responsibility and respect for yourself and for the life that will grow in time the growth of a bonsai. It is not an easy job, but it is something completely special for the European spirit.

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Hibiscus

the Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus Rosa Sinensis) is an ornamental shrub that comes from the tropics but it also has relatives in temperate areas (Hibiscus Syriacus). The tropical variety is quite fond of the original living conditions. He likes constant temperature, between 23-30 degrees and lots of light. For flowering it also needs a few hours of direct light a day. Also for flowering it needs weekly fertilizing during the growth period. It prefers loamy soils and not very deep pots, so as not to waste energy on growing roots. From time to time it must be trimed, to stimulate the growth of a beautiful foliage. Make sure you cut not more than a third of the length of the branches, so that they remain viable. When it's about to bloom, do not move it, because it can easily lose the buds. And when it blooms, enjoy the splendor of the flowers, they do not last more than a day or two.

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Orchids

The orchids are part of a large family, Orhidaceae, one of the most numerous, in fact. We find them all over the world, including in our country - about 54 species. When you need to water them, it is best to immerse them in water or spray the soil with a sprayer. Water them only after the soil has dried or when no traces of condensation can be seen in the transparent pot. They do not like moisture at the roots. The water should be boiled and cooled or distilled. They like southern or eastern exposure but not in direct sunlight, as they wither. They like fertile soil so weekly fertilisation is recommended. Moisture in the air is essential for them, so no air conditioning, no open windows next to them. They do better when they stay with other plants together because it creates a humid microclimate. If not, spray the plant daily.

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Thistles

We need to know some things about these plants. These are not just filthy weeds that you have a hard time getting rid of. Thistles have developed spines as a protective adaptation against herbivores. Which means it's about to be the most delusional time of the year, as well. Which also means that their flowers will not be disturbed from the normal flowering cycle. Which means that their pollen is a very safe and widespread food source for all kinds of pollinators from bees and bumblebees to hummingbirds in other parts of the world. Thistles are one of the most common sources of pollen, which is food for insects.

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Poppies

They are fairly short-lived plants - annual, biennial. They are generally tall plants, over 1 meter, and the wingspan of flowers can reach up to 15 cm, but until they bloom, the buds look exactly like small bunches of crepe paper. But let's also talk about colors. Whatever colors you want, poppies have: white, pink, yellow, orange, peach, lilac, red and even blue. That is why they are very popular in gardens. Another reason they are popular for is opium. This substance is extracted only from the seeds of Papaver somniferum, being used for thousands of years already for medicinal purposes, in the treatment of countless diseases and pains, but also for recreational purposes, also for thousands of years.

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Lime tree

Lime trees are truly magical trees. Beyond the extraordinary medicinal properties, they watch over the cleanliness of the place where they live for hundreds of thousands of years. These long-lived giants and protectors filter 4-5000m3 of air daily, keeping about 9 kg of CO2 and releasing about 7 kg of O2. Their leaves contain a substance that reflects sunlight, reducing the greenhouse effect, also the hair follicles retain daily large amounts of dust from the atmosphere that with the rain drain to the ground. They have another gift, when the pollution exceeds a certain degree, their leaves begin to burn, thus announcing that we must stop. For this reason, he and a few other trees are called "sentinel trees" and are protected by law.

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Campanula or the Bellflower

These are plants that go everywhere. In the garden or in planters on terraces, in pots indoor or as cut flowers in vases. The bushes, bigger, smaller, anyway you prefer them, are very user friendly, as long as you keep the delicate flowers in partial shade so they won't get sunburn and water with moderation, otherwise they rot. And if they are treated nicely, they respond with a myriad of white, pink, lilac or purple flowers that last a long time.

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Catnip

Catnip or Nepeta cataria is an aromatic plant from the Lamiaceae family, related to mint and sage. It contains a volatile oil whose active substance is Nepetalactone. This is responsible for changing the mood of cats. Some have bursts of energy, others go into a lethargyc state for about 10-15 minutes. About three quarters of cats, from cats to lions and tigers have this reaction to it. It is not addictive and after a dose, their body becomes resistant to the substance for about 2 hours. Plant it in large pots, even if you have a garden, because catnip can become invasive if left free in the garden soil. It likes the sun, resists drought, attracts cats and butterflies and also has a Nepeta cataria citriodoria variety, which smells slightly of citrus.

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Aloe Vera

To my mini collection of succulents I added a small Aloe Vera. It is a plant native to the SE of the Arabian Peninsula, but is now widespread in most areas with tropical and subtropical climates. It doesn't need much care. Do not leave it outside during the winter, it does not withstand temperatures below 5 degrees. Do not keep it in the sun directly, the leaves burn. Because it is a succulent plant, it does not need much water. Succulents store water and nutrients in the leaves. Just because you water her more, you won't change her habit, you'll just kill her. For the same reason it needs easily drainable soil for cacti and succulents. It grows better in ceramic pots because they let go of excess moisture through the pores. Water about once every 7-10 days, in winter even less often. If it has good living conditions, it can grow up to 1 m. As we know, it is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry, externally, for its calming, anti-inflammatory and moisturizing effects, but also internally, with a laxative and detoxifying effect. But the results are not yet confirmed by relevant studies. For now, I keep it for decorative purposes. If I start making creams out of it, I'll keep you posted on the findings