Houseplants – Caring for Tropical Plants

By gardener | Jul 23, 2009

Tropical plants are among the most popular indoor gardening choices. They’re often drought tolerant and easy to care for and there are many beautiful species.

Many tropical plant species evolved in sandy soil conditions, so be sure to provide yours with good drainage. Loamy soil with tiny embedded rocks make for a good choice. Every pot used for a tropical plant should have one or more holes in the bottom. If need be, cover the hole with a wire mesh to prevent a large outflux of earth, but make sure the mesh isn’t so small as to clog easily.

Watering tropical plants is easy, since they require very little. Many can go as long as two months in the Winter between waterings. Think of the climate in the tropics: hot, dry, followed by monsoons for a few weeks once a year. Sansevieria, for example, like it when the soil becomes dry in between waterings.

Most tropical plants do well with little or no fertilizer added to the soil. Though the exact mixture will vary with every species, a low nitrogen fertilizer will be great for most. Even tropical plants require several micro-nutrients, though. A micro-nutrient is a chemical that is essential for plant health, but is delivered in much smaller quantities.

Regular fertilizer is typically a mixture of Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K). Micro-nutrients are such elements as manganese, magnesium, calcium and copper. Nitrogen helps leaf and stem growth, phosphorus helps maintain healthy roots and potassium contributes to flowering and fruiting.

Fertilizer is prepared in relative amounts, such as 30-10-10, which indicates that there is 3 times as much nitrogen as phosphorus or potassium. Hibiscus does well with this mixture, for example. For other flowering plants 15-30-15 works best. You’ll need to find out which is the proper amount for your species.

Not surprisingly, tropicals like lots of sun. But take care not to overdo it. Smaller plants can readily get overheated when near a window, since glass allows certain wavelengths in, but prevents others escaping. The so-called ‘greenhouse’ effect. And not only can the leaves get too much energy, but the soil can overheat in the pot, leading to damaged roots.

There are several cold hardy tropicals, such as Peace Lily or Spider Plant. Consider one of these if your houseplant is going to spend a lot of time on the front porch or near a window that gets cold in the Winter.

Several varieties of ficus will tolerate cold reasonably well, such as Wintergreen or Monique. In cold weather they may drop leaves, though, so be prepared for some clean up.

Some will do well in low light, even though they still want warmth. Midnight is one example. The leaves are very dark and grow upright, so they’re perfect for those darker hallways. On the other hand, something like a Bougainvillea will need lots and lots of sun.

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