| |
Foliar feeds can give your flagging plants an instant lift. Small climbers may be trained easily over a wire hoop. Snip off the shoot tips to increase the bushiness of your plants.
 Feeding Plants
Nutrients in potting mix wash out after a while, so plants need to be fed during their growing season. Add liquid fertilizer to the water, or use a slow-release fertilizer. For extra flowers and fruit, use tomato fertilizer; nitrogen fertilizers are best for foliage plants. Do not feed in fall or winter when plants are dormant.
Houseplant Training
In a conservatory, large, vigorous climbers can be trained up horizontal wires fixed to the wall, while smaller climbers may be grown up canes or wire loops. Train plants with aerial roots up moss poles—spray them regularly with water to increase humidity.
 Pruning Plants
Pruning helps to create an evenly shaped plant, stimulates bushy growth, and restricts the size of large climbers and shrubs. Prune in spring, cutting back the stems to a bud that points outward. Older, straggly plants will benefit from hard pruning to encourage new, bushy growth. You can also promote denser growth on young plants, and prevent them from getting straggly, by snipping off the tips of young stems.
Caring for Plants
|
