June Houseplant Tips

Divide an overgrown Boston fern into quarters; plant two quarters into each of two separate hanging baskets filled with potting soil. The ferns will look great in four weeks and you double your money in only thirty minutes.

Spruce up your front porch, patio, or balcony with a funky container garden! Recycle shoes, wagons or wooden crates – just be sure the soil they contain drains well.

Fertilize outdoor houseplants regularly. Constant watering in the summer washes nutrients from the soil.

House plants can be kept in good condition for several weeks while you’re on vacation by using clear, plastic bags as miniature greenhouses. Soak the soil thoroughly, allow to drain, then place the plant into a plastic bag and close. Two sticks in the soil support the plastic tent and prevent it from resting on leaves. Don’t leave plants in a hot window.

Do not mulch outdoor amaryllis bulbs after blooming. In fact, make sure the neck of each bulb is showing one inch above the surrounding soil.

Plants for hanging baskets in shady locations include trailing tuberous begonia, fern, impatiens or fibrous rooted begonias in combination with trailing plants, such as variegated English ivy or variegated creeping fig..

Fertilize indoor plants you’ve moved out to the patio. They will really fill out with more leaves in just a few weeks.

Do a daily check of hanging baskets exposed to sun; water if needed. Try to shelter hanging containers from hot all-day sunshine or wind.

Clay pot planters often develop crusty white patches on the exterior surface. This doesn’t hurt the plant. Just scour off the “efflorescence” with a scrub brush.

Leach unused fertilizer from potted plant soil once each summer. Water large containers until the soil is soaked, then allow water to run slowly from your hose into the pot for twenty minutes. For small pots, water until liquid drains freely, wait a few minutes, then repeat.