European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 14, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 16 the stars and stripes Friday. February 14.1986 House plants How to keep them Happy by Mary Neth consumer editor if your Home just does t look quite a Classy As you would like and your budget won t allow a big Home decorating outlay  Are an inexpensive effective Way to decorate. A few Well placed can add life to the plainest room. Don t limit them to the living room. Ferns for example flourish in a warm Damp climate taking away the Bare Antiseptic look of a bathroom. Climbing plants can add interest to a Dull stairway. Whenever you buy a Plant be sure to ask what it requires As to water sunlight soil and temperature. Make your Purchase from a reputable greenhouse. Those cheaply plants at the supermarket May or May not be healthy. At to general car More plants probably have been killed by Over solicitous new gardeners than by neglect. The common beginner s mistake is to water the Plant into oblivion. There can be no general Rule about watering but plants in porous earthenware pots will need More than those in plastic ones. There Are times of the year when plants will require More water than at others. Some plants such As the miniature Lemon tree should be watered from underneath. Set the Plant in a Container of water until the top of the soil is Damp. Most House plants flourish in a room temperature of 60 to 70 degrees. Plants that need a cooler environment can be kept in a bedroom or hallway. Find out before you cart them Home. The amount of Sun needed varies greatly. A Cactus can stand direct rays of Strong summer Sun. An african Violet on the other hand requires a Shady spot. The hours of sunlight needed also vary. There Are Long Day plants that require extra sunlight hours provided by artificial Light in order to Bloom. Short Day plants however Bloom Only when the nights Are Long. The Best known of these Are the chrysanthemum porn Settle and the Christmas Cactus Zyg Cactus. If you lengthen the hours of darkness to a 12-hour minimum for these plants they will Bloom at any time of the year. Duple the fact that Plant can be grown in bottles they normally do Best in a room with Good ventilation and fresh air. During the Day. They take Carbon monoxide out of the air and. Through photosynthesis give off oxygen. At night the process stops and the plants breath in oxygen. Some House plants Are very sensitive to Oil and Gas fumes. If you Are planning on putting a Plant in a room with an Oil or Gas Heater it is Best to choose a Plant with Large thick leaves. Cactus and succulents enjoy dry heat but most other plants need some moisture in the air. Many Don t survive the Winter because of the dry heat put out by some Central heating systems. To Correct this problem you can place the Plant in its pot on a crypt Anthus Velesea Marias stand in a shallow bowl filled with water. Many plants also like to be sprayed with water it freshens the leaves. Don t give the Spray Bath in direct sunlight or when it is cold and do be sure to use soft water. Since plants absorb Light through their leaves washing the leaves not Only improves their appearance but adds to their life. Besides air water and Light plants need different chemical substances the so called Plant food. The most important of these Are nitrogen phosphorus and Calcium. The Plant particularly needs nitrogen for its growth and Leaf development. Phosphorus aids the Root development and production of seeds and fruit. Calcium is needed for the blossoms and fruit and to Ward off disease. Normally the Plant takes these chemicals out of the Earth. House plants however soon use up the food from their soil and must be Given Plant food. There Are Many commercial Plant foods on the Market. You should rely on the advice of a Good greenhouse As to which contains the proper mixture that the Plant needs. Newly potted plants should not require food until the pot la full of tools. They should be fed Only when they Are in a growth period. Plants also can be fed by spraying a special food on the leaves. Generally plants Are started out in a Smalt pot. Then reported several times. When potting or reporting use a Container that has a drainage Hole in the Bottom. Watertight pots Are difficult to care for properly. Water tends to collect in the Bottom of the pot and injure the Plant roots. Before using clean the new pot Well line the Bottom with stones or pieces of broken pot and then add potting soil and of course a Plant. To simplify watering you can make a Subler Gatlon system from an Ordinary Flowerpot and a Wick. A Glass fiber Wick is Best it does not rot. However a piece of coarse rope or a tight Roll of Burlap can be used for a Wick. Place the Wick in the Hole of the Flowerpot. Press the top two inches of Wick against the Bottom of the pot pack Fine Sand Over it then fill the pot with soil. After the Plant is potted water it thoroughly from the top. Then place the pot on blocks or stones Over a Saucer filled with water. The lower end of the Wick must he in the water. The Wick will soak up water As needed by the Plant. It is Best to begin with plants fairly easy to grow not for example exotic orchids. Here Are descriptions of some fairly easy to grow varieties. But just look around. There Are so Many types of plants to choose from. Choose one that appeals to you that you la enjoy. No matter where you Are the latin names remain the same. Chen eve mgr a Agla Onema this Plant has dark Green leaves growing at the end of Canelake stems. It will flourish for years in the dark part of a room and requires a minimum of care. Aiple Attr Here is a truly Hardy fellow. It will endure better than most other House plants heat dust darkness and Lack of water. When it is Well cared for it produces a mass of Broad Glossy Green leaves and bears Flowers close to the ground. Droit Pladt Bromela these Are the most adaptable of All foliage plants. Their leaves hold water and the plants grow Well under dry indoor conditions in Light or Shade. When the plants Ere mature a brilliantly coloured Flower Spike lasts for several months. They should be grown in full Sun in a warm temperature in medium humidity. Dumb Cine Leffen Bachula this is one of the most spectacular of the House plants grown for its Large foliage. Keep them away from children however. The sap causes the Tongue to swell until it is difficult to speak. Likes indirect sunlight warm temperatures and Low humidity. Keep the soil on the dry Side. African a Toto Gesner lareae one of the most commonly grown House plants they produce single or double Flowers. Keep the soil moist. Grow in indirect sunlight and warm temperatures with High humidity moderate temperatures with medium humidity or Cool temperatures with Low humidity. Water from the Bottom. Ii the Leaf stems lie across the wet Clay rim of a Flower pot they May rot. To prevent Tho cover the rim with aluminium foil or paraffin. Wash them regularly with soapy water at room temperature. Allow to dry in a Shady place. A or i no trick to petting a Plant from Tift dra Lnag half pour in ton mtg of in tin Plant and fill with Forth. Put toil Down firmly and than add water