Location is Everything
Every good real estate agent will tell you how important location is and every good gardener will tell you the same. The location of your plant is as important as the location of your house and micro climates are found everywhere.
Micro Climates
For today's lesson, I present to you two plants that are in my garden. They are a common house plant in many parts of the country so they are a good choice to study. The one in the picture on the right is healthy and happy. You can see another in the background of that picture and its close up is on the left. They are both the same kind of plant. They were both cut down in the spring to bare stalks so that that both would grow at the same rate. How come the second plant is not doing well?
They are less than three feet apart and one is just a little farther north. You can almost say they are planted in the same location. They got the same amount of water and food, so what was different? It took me a couple days to observe that though they were so close one got more sun. The other was shaded only 20 minutes more by the large tree next door and that made all the difference.
So, What Does That Mean to You, an Indoor Gardener?
Just think, if just 3 feet outdoors can create a completely different micro climate then how little space is need to change it indoors. The 36 inch window will have a shadier side; the tub of artificial light is brighter in the center than the ends. Then there will be the outside factors. The tree outside the window, the direction of the sun, the neighbor's fence, a lot can effect you best laid plans.
So take a second look at the location you have chosen. There can be many reasons for a plant not to do well. Start with the things you can control. Is it getting enough water? Is there any sign of infestation by bugs? Has it outgrown its location? Then take a good look at the actual location. What quality of light is being offered? How is the heat? Is it too close or too far from the source? Could a breeze be causing damage? Could it be the lack of breeze?
It doesn't take a college degree to grow houseplants. It only takes a little observation. So keep your eyes open and keep trying. Write me if you have any problems.
Reach me through this website or email me at houseplantsos@gmail.com
Sincerely,
k.k.jones
