Cactus can live in the most extreme conditions but the biggest threat they have to face is when they are given excess of water. While you are watering them you have to take care that the soil is saturated and all the excess water is removed from the soil.

Though cactus need very less care but here are few tips which you have to keep in your mind when you are Keeping Cactus Indoor:

1. Cactus is mostly suited to those people who have a busy lifestyle and they don’t have time to water them. As you all know that cactus has the quality that they store water so if you will not water them they will survive. On the other hand if you will give them excess of water they may die.
2. While Keeping Cactus Indoor makes sure that they get sunlight. The sunlight can either be direct or filtered. You can move it to different places so that it can get ample of sunlight. But when it is in its dormant stages make sure that cactus is kept in a cool place along with the sunlight.
3. In winter it has to be kept in a cooler place but it must get less sunlight. Due to this cactus will have flowers on it once it will be out of the dormant stage? Apart from this you can keep it in a clay pot as it will help the water evaporate quickly.
4. It is essential that you keep on re-potting the cactus, as their roots grow and if you will change the pot the roots will become stronger. And it is better that you keep on putting new soil in the old soil.
5. Like every plant cactus also need fertilizers. So when you will keep a cactus indoor you have to fertilize it with the essential fertilizers. The type of fertilizer varies from cactus type.

The obvious starting point is to have some herbs in the kitchen. You may like some green plants in the hallway and perhaps some flowers in the bedrooms. Of course, it is completely up to you. There are a few important things that you have to remember when growing plants indoors. Firstly you need to make sure that they get some sunlight. This means that they are best placed on a window sill or at least in a room which is quite light. They will also need regular watering. Plants vary in how much water they like, some like to be watered every day and others need to just have slightly damp soil. It is a good idea to find out about this before you start. If you think you are likely to forget to water them then it might be better to grow one which is happy when it gets dry. Also if you go away on holiday a lot because otherwise you will need to get someone to water them for you while you are gone.  If you are growing flowering plants then it is worth considering when you might like them to flower.

Perhaps you have regular visitors at certain times of the year or you want something to be looking good at Christmas. It is something to consider when choosing. Once you have your plants, then you will need to remember to feed as well as water them. You can buy fertiliser for indoor plants and this will need to be used to ensure that there are enough nutrients for the plants. As the plants begin to thrive, consider taking cuttings or planting the seeds so that you get more plants. They could make great gifts for friends and family.

Mushrooms mainly grow in those areas where the atmosphere is moist and the temperature is low. Similarly it will not thrive where sudden fluctuations of temperature take place every now and then. When the gardener decides to grow mushrooms at home, he must be aware of the basic knowledge of what temperature is ideal for its growing and also the moisture required for the best produce as well. You can grow the mushrooms in any free utility room in your house. This may include the basement, garage and underground cellars.

In order to grow mushrooms at home, you have the option of either buying the growing kit or growing the medium of mushrooms on their own. Generally, many gardeners produce the growing medium on their own. They can be grown from spawns and mushroom seeded compost. As your manual growing kit is ready its time to place the kit in those house areas where the room temperature is stable. Similarly, direct sunlight must not be provided to these mushrooms as it can burn them and can change their color into dark brown. It is advisable to provide indirect sunlight to your mushroom garden. Apart from this, the mushrooms must not have the problem of ventilation and the gardener must provide maximum air circulation in order to grow healthy mushrooms. The reason for which good air circulation must be provided is that the carbon dioxide would easily be passed from that particular area and this can be helpful in making your mushrooms grow steadily. Similarly, constant humidity is also required to grow the mushrooms and for that particular reason the gardeners must mist the mushroom block daily with water. This whole process may take about two weeks and the gardener must pull them out as they are ready to harvest.

So growing mushrooms at home is not tough and you can easily grow healthy mushrooms in some portion of your home.

In spite of using these modern equipments we find we are not free from diseases, dirt and dust which contaminate the air around us.

When compared to the vacuum cleaners, plants do not make noise like them.  Maintenance of a plant is very cheap but at the same time we will have to shed many dollars to maintain a vacuum cleaner.

The best way to control pollution at home is through these ten plants which can be bought.

1) Feston Rose Plant :

Feston rose plant

(Photo by parkseed)

A lovely and low maintenance indoor plant which can be considered is the Lantana camara or the Feston rose plant.  The uniqueness of this plant is that it produces numerous flowers which have a variety of colors.

This plant has a tendency to endure blazing heat or heavy winds.  It can survive even with less water and in salty conditions.  The leaves of these plants give out a very pleasing and strong fragrance, which leaves the house smelling fresh and also removes impurities from the air.

2) The Devil’s ivy:

Devil’s ivy

(Photo by jayjayc)

The other name for Devil’s ivy is the Golden Pathos and the scientific name is Epipiremnum Aureum.  The leaves of the plant are very striking, they are marbled and the colors of the leaves are gold, which is true to the name of the plant.  The Devil’s ivy is a very fine looking vine plant.

The plant flourishes and grows even if they are not taken care.  The common air pollutants like the benzene, carbon monoxide and formaldehyde is controlled by this plant, it is the best natural way to purify the air around and in the house.  The plant grows downward, so it is grows at its best when kept on a ridge.  This plant should be consumed internally, even by the pet dog.

3) Phalaenopsis:

Phalaenopsis

(Photo by mendelu)

This indoor plant has the most adorable flowers which are white and pink flowers.  The leaves are fleshy which can be seen at the bottom of the plant and they are less in number also.  The plant has a rhizome which almost looks like a stem.

This lovely plant should be kept inside the house under artificial light, because they cannot bear the light and the heat of the sun. The flowers add to the appearance of the place and the plant also purifies the air around the house.  The plant is small in size, but the flowers are quite big and wonderful.

4) The English Ivy:

English Ivy

(Photo by eco-friendly-promos)

The scientific name for this plant is Hedera Helix.  People who have pets at home are recommended to grow these plants because they have a capacity to remove pollutants like the fecal particles and formaldehyde aerosols.  The house can be kept free from harmful contaminants.

The leaves of the English Ivy differ in shape, size and color for each plant because there are many species and they require a large space to grow and lot of care has to taken while growing these plants.

These plants can be grown in the bright sun but they should not be exposed to direct sunlight.  The soil has to be quite dry or well drained to grow the English ivy and extra care has to be taken when growing them inside the house because they are poisonous.

5) The Parlor Ivy:

Parlor Ivy

(Photo by mgonline)

The other name for Parlor Ivy is heartleaf Philodendron and the scientific name is Philodendron Scandens.  They are very beautiful looking and also cleans the impure air inside the house.  The leaves of these plants are heart shaped and dark green in color, that why they are names as heartleaf Philodendron.  The leaves are so beautiful looking that they can captivate anyone looking at it.

These climbing plants are very easy to maintain and grow very easily.  They filter the chemicals which are dangerous and unsafe inside the house and keep the air around fresh and clean to breathe.

6) The African Violets:

One of the most beautiful and lovely indoor plant are the African Violets.  The scientific name for African violets is Saintpaulia.  The Africa Violets have lovely violet flowers which make the plant look very attractive and appealing to the eye.  This plant makes the house look pleasing and fresh also.

To grow this beautiful plant, a leaf cutting will do.  They are available in many colors, sizes and shapes.  They require only a certain amount of light and heat.  These plants tend to get infected by the scale like plant eating insects called the pathetic mealy bugs, so great care has to be taken.

7) The Christmas cactus:

Christmas cactus

(Photo by bombippy)

This plant blossoms during Christmas, and is considered a Christmas gift.  This plant doesn’t resemble the Christmas tree or a cactus.

The silky flowers blossom in different colors pink, violet, red, orange and purplish red.  The leaves are sharp and look pointed and lobed.  The Christmas cactus requires good light and water to survive.  It has a Y shape cutting which makes it look beautiful and attractive also.

The Yellow Goddess:

The yellow flower which is found in the plant makes the plant look so attractive that we feel that it is blessed by the Goddess of the color yellow.  The name is so significantly give to this plant.

The flower is shaped like a trumpet and the base of the flower is green in color, they look so striking that we feel like gazing at them.  The size of the flower varies from very small to large ones according to the different hybrid.

After planting this plant, within six to seven weeks we can find the growth which looks like a beautiful bulb shape.  This plant requires light but not the sunlight direct from the sun.  This plant looks very attractive in the house because it looks very small but the lovely yellow flowers grow quite large.

9) The Garlic vine:

The scientific name given to this plant is Mansoa alliacea.  The specialty of this plant is that the leaves and the flowers when crushed give out a smell of the garlic and the onion.  People who love onion and garlic can grow them.

This plant has got medicinal values.  The garlic also consists of medicinal values to cure many health issues.  The flowers, root and the leaves can be treated for many ailments like cold, sore throat, fever and breathing problems.

There is a myth among people that it is a good luck plant and sends away all the bad luck from the house.  The flowers are bell shaped and lavender colored.  The garlic vine is a plant which has good medicinal values and purifies the air around the house also.

10) The Peace Lily:

The peace lily

(Photo by movingtoanapartment)

The name given to this plant is very suitable because they have stunning white flowers.  The color white is always considered as the color of peace and harmony.  The scientific name of this plant is Spathiphyllum.  The beautiful flower surrounds the axis and is round in shape.

The plant grows very easily and they have flowers which grow from the bottom of the plant which makes the plant look more beautiful.  The flowers feel smooth and leathery.

This plant requires temperate or low light to grow well.  The soil has to be wet or dampish and direct sunlight can be avoided to save the plant from sunburns.  Another quality of this plant is that it removes the dangerous effects of toluene, xylene and benzene.  These are easily found in the nail polish removers, paints used at home, solvent solutions and adhesives which we frequently used harmful things.  These harmful pollutants are removed when we plant the Peace Lily at our houses to improve our health.

To retain the freshness and healthy environment, any of these ten plants can be bought and planted.

The broad spectrum in cultivation allows you a wide choice that appeals to your desire and purpose. You can use them to landscape your garden or decorate your living room, porch, lanai, office or just put one or a few on your center or side tables. Because of their wide variety of leaf shapes, colors, flowering and growth habits, the bromeliads are very versatile and are a favorite by both landscapers and interior designers. Singly or in group, they can beautify dull corners or accent a piece of furniture, highlight a simple office or soften the hard straight lines of shelves. In clusters with other plants, the bromeliads will simulate a tropical jungle landscape. Some can be grown in terrariums or dish gardens while others will grow well on driftwoods forming a miniature air garden in a rainforest.

Among the numerous genera of the bromeliads, the Tillandsia is the most intriguing and fascinating not only because of its growth habits but also because of how peculiar they look. Tillandsias are highly variable, they maybe bulbous, tufted, other curious forms. These are considered as adaptable air plants, dwelling on tree top environment like orchids where the wind moves freely. Tillandsias demand very little care if given a suitable environment and as soon as they become adapted to the new environment.

Tillandsias require good air circulation. Place them in areas where there is good strong light, air movement, and moist atmosphere.

Here are lists of tillandsias you can grow in your home or garden:

1. Tillandsia edithae, small dusty plant preferring low temperatures and bright light. The tip of the plant turns red at flowering and produces beautiful flowers.

2. Tillandsia cyanea or Pink Quill, an extraordinary plant, this one is the most desirable of the tillandsias because of its large blue-violet flowers and deep pink inflorescence. It retains its color for several months. The plant will adapt to a potting medium kept, moistened 1 or 2 times per week.

3. Tillandsia serographica, large silvery plant with leaves curving into a ball. The short inflorescence has pink bracts and light purple flowers, it prefers full sunlight.

4. Tillandsia bulbosa or Dancing Bulb, an especially curious small plant with bulbous base and outstretched green arms that are tinted red in bright light. This tillandsia is very easy to grow.

5. Tillandsia circinnata or Twisted Air Plant, a small compact octopus-like plant, which forms dense clusters in good light. Its short pink spike about as long as the plant, has lavender flowers.

6. Tillandsia punctulata or Fairy Queen, this species will grow roots in a porous potting medium. It prefers moderate light and cool temperature.Place some water in a cup-like leaf bases about once or twice daily.

If you live in an apartment you are probably envious of the people having the privilege to live in the country that have land to actually grow a garden on, and they really have no problems concerning light, temperature and humidity, because their plants are in the ideal growth area, out in the open. Although fortunately, you do have an alternate to that, but it requires some work. If you do live in an urban area, there are possibilities of growing your garden inorganically indoors. There are also alternates to maintain the right amount of light, soil, and temperature. Another thing you could choose is to grow your plants hydroponically, where you grow them without any soil. Well here are a few tips I have to offer for those thinking about indoor gardening.

The most important thing is adequate amount of light. Plants need light in order to create their own food naturally through photosynthesis, and they need the right amount of it. Too little would cause them to be malnourished, too much would cause scorching. So you have to maintain the right amount of light. You could do that by buying an incandescent lamp or florescent light, so you don’t have to find the largest window in your house to grow your garden by. This would give you the freedom of growing your garden anywhere in your house you see fit.

Next is the amount of space that you have in your apartment to grow your indoor garden. You would want to choose plants suitable for the amount of space you have, or it would just look ugly and over spaced, and you wouldn’t have a nice beautiful garden like you intended to. Choose an area that has very little traffic, and is not in the corner somewhere, so you could access it from all the sides.

What comes next is the temperature control. If your house is well insulated, or you have some form of temperature control available, you are in luck, because most plants need around 70 degrees to stay good and healthy. When the temperature gets too hot or cold beyond that, you would have a problem of your plants dying out. Make sure the area around your crops stays humid, or your plants will loose too much water through transpiration and will die.

This leads to the final part, having an adequate soil mixture, or growing your plants hydroponically. Hydroponic is where you hold your plants in some form of rock sand, and then feed them with a nutrient liquid mixture every now and then. If you choose soil, you have to make sure that your soil is properly mixed with the adequate nutrients, and so is good for plants to grow. Choosing hydroponic method, however, helps a lot with low space requirement, and a 50% reported increase in the plant growth.

Remember, before you make that leap to grow an indoor garden, make sure you have done your homework, and check out properly if you have all the above mentioned facilities.

Emphasizing on deep root growth is considered as good technique for maintaining the health and beauty of the tree or plant. Frequent watering (Everyday watering) provides roots the required amount of water and roots have no need to go deep for water or in other words roots don’t make any effort of growing downward. Due to frequent watering (Everyday watering) subsurface becomes saturated and due to this saturation no bacteria or oxygen can grow. This is almost deadly for existing roots. If you try to grow new roots over the saturated soil it won’t grow.

Over watering stops the development of deep root system of trees. Roots of more mature, larger and older trees will come to the surface looking for air. This will cause more problems to the roots and might cause trees to blow over in the wind. In other words this problem can be named as pour draining soil.

Another problem which can be caused by frequent watering (Everyday watering) is the weeds can grow much faster. Weeds are grown in the top layer of the soil. Sufficient amount of moisture is required for proper germinations of seeds. Weeds can’t get started if the top layer of soil dries. Although grass and trees can survive but in one condition if all the existing roots are not on the top of the surface.

Now considering the above mentioned problems in the mind the best way out is deep watering. With deep watering the roots will start to grow downwards and deeper. In this article I will tell you some benefits of deep watering.

Best time for deep watering is in fall and winter because in these seasons roots are still growing. Due to dryness of surface soil roots start growing downwards searching for water. Fall and winter are considered best seasons for deep watering because in these seasons weather is favorable. In these seasons drying winds causes wilt in the plants.

Some of the major benefits of deep watering are as follows:

• Deep watering encourages deep root growth and this deep root growth is a balancing act
• Deep root growth will assure that roots remain downwards and don’t have to come over the surface in search of air.
• Due to deep watering subsurface will not become saturated. Oxygen and bacteria will grow properly.
• Deep root growth will assure that tree will remain healthy and beautiful.

Above mentioned were some benefits of deep watering. These are very few there are many more. I am sure these benefits are enough for you to understand the positives of deep watering. It’s important for you to encourage deep root growth and this is only possible with deep watering.

The word bonsai is derived from the Japanese language and means an ideal tree made after one’s own whims. Bonsai has a perfect style of its own and has been drawing attraction of people since time immemorial.

There are many styles of bonsai art. The first and foremost one is the  hokidachi  that is achieved distinction through the style of ‘v’ cut. The chokkan style has a peculiarity of its own. The straight trunk is tapered from bottom to the top. The biggest branch is raised to a height as desired. The ‘moyogi’ style shows that the trunk is not straight but takes a tortuous shape and best suited with conifers.

Shakan ‘ is formal upright but the trunk leans on one side with the branches grown uniformly on the trunk. The apex tilts to the opposite side of the trunk highlighting a visual effect. ‘ kengai ‘ has a peculiarity of the inclination of the trunk at just 45 degree angle. The striking feature is that the major portion of the foliage stretches past beyond the pot in a frequent manner. ‘ han kengai ‘ follows ‘ kengai ‘ style very closely but the foliage remains above the pot line.

It is the ‘ bunjin ‘ style that is too popular to be adopted in the art form. There are so many Japanese art paintings that depict the particular style in a majestic way. The foliage growing at the top of the tree makes a spectacular shape. It carries an exception as it does not follow any specific rules. The ‘bunjin is the symbol of  ‘ Search for liberty ‘ and is highly adored in japan.

The ‘ vose- ue ‘ reminds us of a forest where trees stand in rows. The style is made in such a manner that it highlights the growing habits of trees. Different techniques are adopted to give it a look of a forest. It has a particular glamour of its own and draws immediate attention.

FEW WORDS TO REMEMBER

It must be remembered that indoor bonsai is grown for indoor environment. But if it is grown outdoor the style may vary and done with extreme caution. A neglect in processing may lead to fatal damage to a tree whether indoor or outdoor. If done well with elegant style a bonsai may be vibrant eth grandeur and natural charisma.

It must be taken care that the age old art form in the style of vegetation must not lose glamour. Every aspect of its upkeep should be monitored in a balanced way. It is quite evident that the beautiful GLOBE IS IN ACUTE DANGER OWING TO WARMING. In this crucial state any sort of venture whether it is new or old must be given top priority. Bonsai remaining the age old style should be taken into account. Only a passion for a time being is not any solution, there must be earnest love for trees that would evoke the spirit of caring for trees as own dear ones.

]]> http://home-and-gardening.info/2009/02/25/bonsai-style-the-perfect-overview/feed/ 0 http://home-and-gardening.info/2009/02/20/growing-a-bonsai-tree/ http://home-and-gardening.info/2009/02/20/growing-a-bonsai-tree/#comments Fri, 20 Feb 2009 23:00:52 +0000 kikonja http://home-and-gardening.info/?p=54

Bonsai art came in china about 1000 years back, but the Japanese modified it to the full extent. Now this style is very popular all over the globe. Bonsai is a Japanese word that means ‘tree on a pot ‘. In this process a tree is placed in a pot and dwarfed through pruning the roots and the branches, using wire around the trunk and branches. The tree is small but looks like a matured tree. It is indeed a wonderful piece of art.

It is the ritual to have the desired shape balancing above the ground growth and the root growth. When the tree is young the shaping is done. The process goes on with the maturity. A copper wire is used on the trunk and the branches to control the shape of the tree. The entire tree must have a proportionate size to have the leaves, flowers and fruits. Bonsai has different size, miniature, small, medium and average.

The miniature is just two inches in height. The small is two and six inches. The medium is six to twelve inches and the average grows up to two feet. Bonsai can be had from seeds or cuttings. Growing from seeds is the best process. It may be a magnificent piece of art. Cutting is of two types-hardwood and softwood. It is evident that the most of the bonsai trees are made from cutting. Growing bonsai is an important part as it takes a small containers and a small quantity of soil.

It must be taken into account that the roots are not over watered. Special bonsai soil yields good trees. The special soil dries easily in comparison to standard household soils. It must be remembered that as there is little soil water is needed in small quantity. Bonsai must be administered nitrogen, potash and phosphoric acid. If chemical iron is added it may be much fruitful to thrive. Bonsai enjoys humidity. Hence it may be placed in a shallow tray with water. If it is done water easily evaporates and the humidity remains intact. Pebbles may be added to the soil for fine drainage.

Sunlight is a vital ingredient except at the time of pruning and repotting. It is not an easy task to grow a bonsai tree. It is an uphill task, a perfect challenge. The man who is creative and have enough patience may be rewarded at the last hour. The only thing that can be stressed on is that a tree is small, but there is big toil behind it. Not only a bonsai art, every object of art has tears and wears behind it. There are so many people who like gardening, but not all of them have the ability to grow a bonsai. It is the basic instinct of an artist that can grow a tree after his own fashion and choice. Again, to be very cautious is the prime factor of a perfect bonsai creator. It is not to grow but to take constant vigil as if it is his dear one.