Farmers Weekly Review

Houseplants can brighten the dreary winter days. Clockwise from Upper right: peperomia, pothos, polka dot plant, jade plant.

Just like the old saying says, what was old is new again. And I am not talking about the new year.

Houseplants are having their day in the sun again! (Pun intended.)

When we think of houseplants, we might conjure up thoughts of Granny Lucille’s African violet collection on the table in the living room. Or the “funeral plants,” as I call them, you know, the houseplant planter graciously given to the family for someone’s wake. But now what do you do with them?

In the last few years, houseplants are the “in” thing again, and it is not seniors making them popular again but the Gen Z and millennials. Thanks to this new interest, you can see houseplant displays popping up and expanding everywhere.

Not only have houseplants always been a way to bring the outside in, but research, actually done by NASA, shows that some of our common houseplants are great at cleaning indoor air. And if the soil of those plants isn’t covered with leaves or detritus, organisms in the soil help to clean contaminants out of the air too.

Who knew? The University of Florida Extension reports that contaminants like formaldehyde can be mitigated by houseplants. And if you don’t think you have formaldehyde in your house, if you have wood floorboards, pressed wood furniture you do. Also exhaust fumes, fabric treatments and heating and cooking fuels contribute to formaldehyde pollution.

The NASA study found that although all houseplants help to clean the air, these houseplants, in particular, were great air cleaners: philodendron, spider plant, peace lily.

But that is not what all houseplants do. Did you know that having plants around could make you feel better? Well, if you are a gardener, of course you do. But during my classes for my University of Illinois master’s degree, I myself worked on a project about plants and mental health. Did you know numerous research studies have been done that found that just mere exposure to houseplants in the home, at school or work, can help you concentrate better and lift your mood?

But what houseplants are right for you? So many times, I see orphan plants at the curb with the garbage, and I just know, their former owner just didn’t know what to do. Here are the questions to ask yourself to make sure you pick the right houseplants for you and your family (including your furry members):

First and foremost, houseplants are usually tropical plants, many of which can be toxic to our dogs and cats. Take the Easter Lily. Lilies are highly toxic to cats, and even exposure to their pollen can cause kidney failure, and eating just one leaf can kill them.

Common houseplants like philodendron, asparagus fern, corn plant and elephant ear are all poisonous to pets. Unfortunately, this information isn’t on the plant tag, so it is good to google the plant name and “poisonous to pet” before you buy. Some pet safe houseplants include African violets, spider plants, prayer plants and ponytail palm.

Second, just like outside, the saying “right site, right plant,” applies to houseplants. There are literally some houseplants that can tolerate such low-light requirements they can survive in artificial light only. Peace lily, Zee Zee plant, Snake plant (you know it by its old, not-politically correct, name, mothers-in-law-tongue) and pothos.

And just because you might think you have some nice sunny windows, I want you to put your finger by the window and, if you have older windows, you might feel a draft. Remember houseplants are tropical and won’t like that chilly windowsill location.

But there are some houseplants that aren’t very fussy at all. Philodendron, spider plant, ivy and snake plant will brighten up your home and ask for very little care in return. You just need a few basic tips.
Watering correctly is key. Remember just like with us, too much water (with our heads underwater) is the worst. More houseplants are killed by over care than under care. Ideally, like with all container plants, it is essential to have a drainage hole in the bottom of the pot.

But most of us don’t want a boring plastic houseplant pot. Part of the fun of houseplants are the creative, often beautiful pots these plants live in. But not all of those have a hole for drainage (and do you really want drainage leaking onto your furniture)?

The solution is to have a plastic pot that has great drainage holes inside a decorative container that doesn’t have holes. Just be sure to empty the extra water that drains out of the inside pot. There is no better way to get brown leaves on your houseplant than having the roots drowning in water.

Each houseplant has different watering requirements, check the tag for this information. Or call the Extension office 815 727 9296 if there is no tag or information. That is what I and my Master Gardeners are here for — year-round to answer your gardening questions.

And just like us, plants like a good shower now and then (except for furry-leafed plants like African violets). Once a month, it is a good practice to rinse off the leaves in the kitchen sink or shower.

As far as fertilization, winter is not the time to fertilize since we are in the “resting” phase of low light and lower temperatures. Fertilizing houseplants in the winter can actually harm some plants or cause them to have spindly weak growth. Save the fertilization for those longer daylight seasons.

Go out today and get a few new houseplants to brighten up your home and mood to keep you growing till spring.