The expert gardener's tips will take your houseplants to the next level.
At this time of year, all keen gardeners know that there is more than enough to be getting on with outside in your garden, but it's also an important season to make sure you are taking proper care of your houseplants and get your indoor jungle looking as luscious and green as possible, with plenty of blooms.
It's easy to think that houseplants are not as much work as your outdoor green space, but according to gardening expert and TV presenter Monty Don, you actually need to be pretty careful about how you approach their maintenance, and there's one "single most useful" thing in particular that you can do which will help keep them as healthy as possible.
Writing on his blog explaining the best jobs to tackle this April, Monty Don noted that it's an important time of year for houseplants, but explained that there is one major mistake that people commonly make with their indoor plants: watering them too much. However, the expert explained there are a couple of easy ways around this that will get your beloved plants back on track and help create a relaxing and peaceful atmosphere in your home.
"By and large the biggest mistake people make with their houseplants is to overwater them," Don explained. "In fact that can be qualified - or refined - by saying most are overwatered at the roots but under-watered in the air."
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The expert added: "Only water when the potting compost is totally dry and then it is better to soak them in a basin for 15 minutes, draining them completely before returning the pot to its position.
"However the single most useful thing is to get hold of a really good mist sprayer holding at least a litre of water and with a trigger action. Use this twice a day to give your plants a really good spray so the foliage is running with moisture."
Placement of your houseplant is also really important, and to find the perfect spot in your home for tropical plants is key to making sure they thrive, Don explains. "A coolish spot, out of direct sunlight is likely to be more congenial for all evergreen plants from tropical regions (but not desert cacti and succulents) than a south-facing window sill above a radiator."
For tropical plants, you need to think carefully about which room suits their needs best - as they often prefer or need a humid environment - and your newly recommended mister will add to the moisture in the air - you're better off popping plants like these in a room that's better designed to get wet, like the kitchen, toilet or bathroom, over your living room or bedroom which are filled with soft furnishings that could get damaged by humidity.
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