Indoor Tropical Plants
Tropical plants are most often grown as houseplants because they are highly decorative, help improve the indoor air quality and create a unique atmosphere. There are many types of tropical plants that can be grown indoors, while most of them do not require any special care to thrive. But there are a few things that should be kept in mind before you bring home a tropical plant.
As already mentioned earlier, tropical plants usually do not require any special care although it is highly important to be well informed about each species you have in case if it may have any special requirements. Just as important is to pay attention to the plant’s size when mature because you could face problems with lack of space with some tropical plants, especially if living in a smaller apartment. Another important factor to consider is their toxicity. Yes, indoor tropical plants can be poisonous. In fact, many are but only if eaten although some can also cause skin irritation in sensitive people. Why is this important? You may know that indoor tropical plants should not be eaten but younger children and pets may not. For that reason you should be well informed which indoor tropical plants are poisonous and which are not if having younger children or pets. If you decide to get a tropical plant that is poisonous anyway, make sure that it is out of reach to your children and pets.
You most likely already know that indoor tropical plants are grown in pots. Style, colour, design and shape are totally up to you and your personal preferences, however, make sure that the pot is large enough for your plant but not too large. If you just bought or received a tropical plant, you can probably leave it in the same pot for some time before repotting. When is the best time to repot depends on the plant you have but if you are not sure, ask a florist or someone who does because too large pot can cause more harm than good. When repotting your tropical plants, make sure to buy soil that is suitable for tropical plants because most of them grow best in nutrient-poor soil rather than nutrient-rich one. The type of soil that is used for non-tropical plants can be too heavy.
The regions from which the tropical plants come from tend to have high humidity levels but most tropical plants do not require frequent watering. How many times and how much water your plants need, of course, depends on the plants you have as well as from the time of the year. Although they are kept on warm temperatures all year long, they tend to be dormant during the winter months and need less water than during other seasons of the year.
In addition to proper pot, the right soil and frequent or infrequent watering, your indoor tropical plants should be also provided enough daylight. You can keep them on your windows sills but make sure that you lower the temperature on your radiator below the window sills because too much heat can damage your plants.