Alaska News

Jeff Lowenfels: Now is the time to get some houseplants

I sometimes wonder if I am making a big mistake assuming that everyone who lives in Alaska (save those with the very most difficult-to-heat, remote cabins), enjoys houseplants during the winter months. What I do know, however, is that everyone should.

I also know that most folks have some pretty sorry looking houseplants. It happens this way: You buy a bunch of houseplants to decorate after the move into new lodgings. Slowly, a rhythm sets in and those that require the most care fall by the wayside. Over the years what are left are the really hardy plants that require almost no care. Unfortunately, however, a plant that requires little care usually ends up neglected and, sooner or later, just limps along.

Am I right so far? I think I am, and this, then, is why there are so many "mother-in-law's tongue" plants (sansevieria), a plant that requires no care whatsoever. Or how about the so-called "airplane" plants (chlorophytum), "Spiderworts" -- aka tradescantia -- and cacti you see neglected in barber shop and dry cleaning establishment windows.

In our house we have a Norfolk Island pine that, I am embarrassed to note, only gets watered once every month, if that -- it and a schefflera that only drops a few leaves while it screams for water all summer long. Both were purchased sometime back in the late 1970s from an enterprising fellow who sold vanloads of plants from the side of Tudor Road. If you got to him the first day, the plants didn't get sunburned and, as I can attest, his plants live forever. I am not proud of these specimens and hereby promise to treat them better.

Ah, but I have a greenhouse. That is my excuse. I can cycle into the house orchids in bloom or an Easter lily I forced, not to mention amaryllises and African violets and blooming cacti. What is your excuse for not having purchased a decent houseplant since you moved into your present location? I am not letting you get away with listing those poinsettias you buy and toss every year, either. You need to do better than that.

Now is the time to go and get some houseplants. You have all winter to enjoy them before competition from the outdoor plants. In addition to the nurseries we need to support during the winter months, you can now find large houseplants at box stores and even our supermarkets. You don't have to wait for that van on Tudor.

There are plants that will clean the air, like aceca, raphis and bamboo palms as well as pathos plants, Boston ferns and spathiphyllum or "peace lily." They all are easy to maintain and will remove volatiles from the air.

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Great blooming houseplants include African violets, of course, and their relatives, streptocarpus, both of which will bloom all winter long. Then there are hibiscus, oxalis, anthuriums, the so-called holiday cacti, poinsettia relative, crown of thorns and gloxinia. Oh, and if you can find a jasmine, you will have the most delicious smelling flowers in the middle of winter. Also look for begonias, including angel wings and reigers.

And, don't just think about houseplants in the house. I notice that many offices no longer have plants like they did in the '70s. This is a shame, as the office usually has better lighting for plants than does your home and often more choices when it comes to kinds of light.

As for those old, neglected houseplants, it is time to either help them out or relieve them of their misery. I know you haven't repotted yours in years, if ever. Now is the time to do it. Good, compost-based soils and appropriate-sized new pots will do wonders for your old friends. However, make sure to go out and get some new plants to keep them company. It is time you did so.

Jeff’s Garden Calendar

Alaska Botanical Garden: Check out the new website. Join now.

Spider mites: They are appearing on houseplants all over Alaska. Neem oil or toss the plants. Do not neglect, as they will spread fast.

Ice and salt: Consider skipping the salts and using sand instead, as it is much safer for your lawn and perennials.

Jeff Lowenfels

Jeff Lowenfels has written a weekly gardening column for the ADN for more than 45 years. His columns won the 2022 gold medal at the Garden Communicators International conference. He is the author of a series of books on organic gardening available at Amazon and elsewhere. He co-hosts the "Teaming With Microbes" podcast.

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