BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Gardening Help me in gardening!

My girlfriend is an avid gardener and I know nothing about gardening at all. I want to learn a bit so that I can be helpful. I want to start by having a few houseplants. What is an easy plant for me to start with?

Hi Dave. Philodendrons are pretty hardy. They are non-flowering but are a vine. You should go by your local nursery or Home Depot or Lowes and check and see what they have and pick out something that you think you would like. Just make sure that it is hardy and not something that requires a lot of special handling.

Dave, I love your attitude!
One important thing to know about most houseplants like philodendron (a good one to start on) is that they can be over-watered, which is just as fatal as not giving them enough water. The trick is to water them when the soil is just getting dry, not when it is still wet. You feel the surface of the soil with a finger and if it feels damp, don't water it yet. Depending on the weather and the state of humidity in your house they may only need watering every 3-4 days on average.

I go from one extreme to the other - too much or too little water! :-)

Hi, Dave and welcome.

So you wanna garden eh? Good for you. This is one of the best ways to promote clean air in your house, apartment or office building. Although you've recieved great info, I'll add in my lil' two cents that can help too. So, grab a pen and pad and jot down these helpful tips.

Here are a few more plants to add to your list for good houseplants: cast iron, dracena, mother-in-laws-tongue, pothos (ivy) and spider plant. Okay, now the tips:

* Watering - use a pencil or your finger tip to judge whether the plants need watering. Never, put them on a set schedule. Use these methods for tell-tale signs;

* Water enough - once a month fertilization, can quickly build up salts in your soil, so be sure to water until it runs out of the drainage holes in the container (pot),otherwise, you risk having salt buildup which will choke a plant to death;

* Humidity - be sure to keep the humidity high during the winter months, when they seem to drop. Low humidity is not good for houseplants;

* Insufficient light - pay attention to the labels on the plants about sun exposure. It's very important. I've killed many plants by pushing the envelope on this matter;

* Tropical plants - keep them away from drafts that can come from the window or a door that is constantly opened during the fall/winter months;

* Fertilization - don't forget to fertilize - be sure to give it a half rate. So, if the fertilizer instruction says, 1 tbl. every week, give it 1/2 tbl. bi-weekly. Whatever the amounts instructed, just cut it in half and give more often. This can be done from spring to early fall - stop fertilizing once cooler temps move in;

* Insecticidal soap - be sure to keep a bottle handy for the pesky pests that can take a houseplant down in a months time (pests invasion is promoted by a plant that is too moist too often) memorize tip number one; and one to remember as well,

* Repotting - be sure to repot your plant after at least one growing season (one year) - plant it into a slightly larger container, not too big though, and add new soil. The best time to do this is in its dormancy period, the spring.

Hope this helps. Keep us informed throughout the year. Bye.

_ The easiest house plants, in my opinion, are Devil's Ivy. They have them every where, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, They are usually in a hanging basket, can be all green leaved or varigated. They are a low light plant, so there is no need to find a sunny location. Water them occasionally, if you forget and see that the leaves are starting to droop, stick it in the tub and soak it for about 15 mins. (Make sure it's done dripping before you hang it back up!) The vines grow extremely quickly and can be drapped anywhere making your home look so much nicer. And if you accidently break a piece off, just stick it in a glass of water and watch it reroot itself! Good Luck! ________________________ [url=http://www.tristateflood.com]mold removal [/url] [url=http://www.mccelec.com] Electrical contractor Atlanta[/url] [url=http://www.florock.net] Epoxy coating [/url]

[quote=DaveMorris]My girlfriend is an avid gardener and I know nothing about gardening at all. I want to learn a bit so that I can be helpful. I want to start by having a few houseplants. What is an easy plant for me to start with? [/quote] You can understand her, I am she will obey your, if she don't . It means she is not your girlfriend now.

I'm looking forward to getting the bulbs and plants I ordered from Brecks. There was an employee fundraiser and I ordered a few things. They are, hopefully, deer resistent. Once the ground dries out a bit, I'll get back to planting. I need to cover my strawberry plants with netting.

Another good house plant which I love, and I have yet to meet anyone who has killed one, is Snake Plant or Mother In-law's Tongue. It kind of grows in a very tall thick grass shape, but it doesn't look like a grass at all. It could look like an under the sea plant I suppose. It hardly ever needs repotting either. I hate houseplants that need repotted every 6 months.

Happy Gardening!

You are so right. They last forever and are very unforgiving. I have one that is going on 37 years old. My in-laws sent us a gift and we still have it. Periodically I put it in a larger pot but those occasions are few and far between. Once in awhile it blooms.