THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 2, 1995 TAG: 9503310118
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ROBERT STIFFLER
LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines
WHY DO PLANTS conk out? The Plant Institute of America conducted a survey a few years back and found an amazing casualty rate among plants purchased without care information on their labels.
About one-third of all plants died after they were purchased, and nearly 85 percent of the plants that died had no care information on their labels.
When you buy a plant, whether indoor or outdoor, insist on receiving information about its care. Many houseplants have such information on their labels, but a majority of outdoor plants are sold without growing instructions.
Some nurseries publish bulletins that give instructions. Make sure you have such information and read and understand it before planting.
A lot of plant deaths are not the fault of the gardener, but some are. For example, farm fertilizer (8-8-8 or 10-10-10) is too strong for house plants, and if you spread it around the base of one, it will inevitably kill the plant.
Nationally acclaimed gardeners and garden writers Doc and Katy Abraham report in Nursery Business that 80 percent of indoor plant buyers and 77 percent of outdoor plant buyers said they wanted care instructions with their plants.
Here are reasons they discovered for why newly purchased plants die:
Lack of preconditioning. Houseplants should be acclimated in a greenhouse before being sold to the public. Some are grown under hot, sunny moist conditions in Florida and Puerto Rico. When brought indoors, leaves yellow and drop. Eventually the plants may die.
Improper watering. Plants in plastic pots are often watered as frequently as those in clay pots, but plastic pots do not ``breathe.'' More than 50 percent of the water applied to a plant in a clay pot evaporates through the sides of the pot, which doesn't happen in plastic pots. Soil in a plastic pot should be kept moist but not soggy.
Improper feeding. Plants are forced to meet high consumer demand and are often fed 10 times the normal amount. This means a lot of ``hot salts'' are in the soil when a plant is sold. When soil gets dry, the salts can ``cook'' roots, preventing uptake of moisture. Many homeowners think that a sick plant needs a shot of fertilizer, which may be the worst treatment you could give it. Would you offer someone who is sick a thick steak and french fries?
Always obtain and read the growing requirements for the plant you intend to buy. Don't forget that many nurseries and garden centers offer a year's guarantee on outdoor plants. If you read and follow their requirements, you will be able to get a replacement plant, if necessary. Using ``good gardening sense'' may help you avoid replanting. by CNB