How to properly care for your houseplants

• Cymbidium orchid
• Strelitzia
• Ferns (asparagus, Boston, foxtail and maidenhair)
• Fiddle leaf fig
• Polka dot begonia
• Kalanchoe
• Swiss cheese plant
• Chinese money tree
• Areca, parlour and ponytail palms
• Bromeliad
• Alocasia silver dragon
• Peperomia
• Hoya

CARING FOR PLANTS

• While pot plants love to see the sun, they don’t want to be seen by the sun, so position your plant in a high-light area out of direct sunlight.
• Drainage is vital to ensure pot plants have a healthy root system. Make sure your planters have drainage holes and layer your potting material: start with a layer of crushed stone, then sand and then potting soil. For orchids, use potting bark.
• Water your plants regularly to their needs to avoid overwatering and rot. On that note, it’s best not to mist orchids as the droplets can cause spotting. Instead, take your orchid out of its decorative pot (it should still be in its growing pot) and hold the root system under a slow-running cold tap for 15 seconds once a week. Be sure to let all the water drain away before putting it back in its pot.
• Fertilise your house plants as needed. This should be done in spring or summer when plants need food most. For flowering house plants, use a fertiliser with equal parts nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
• Repot house plants as soon as they get too big for their container. Remember to use new potting soil when doing this.
• Just like the plants in your garden, indoor plants can benefit from pruning in the cooler months to keep them in tip-top shape. In addition, you can remove any dead or yellow leaves and faded flowers during the year to keep your plant fresh.
• Indoor plants do not have the advantage of rain washing dust off their leaves, so use a soft damp cloth to wipe them every now and then.

HOW TO CARE FOR YOUR FAUX PLANTS

Remove a grime build-up by spritzing a solution of half-water and half-white-wine vinegar onto the plant. Leave it to work for five minutes, then wipe it off with a damp cloth. Delicate silk flowers can be cleaned by placing the flowers in a pillowcase containing about one bag of salt and then lightly shaken. The salt will act as a scrub and gently exfoliate the surface of the petals and foliage. Once done, simply wipe any remaining salt from the flowers.

TEXT BY ESTEE KERSHOFF