Your Key to Care 
of Exotic Plants 
The letters following description of plants 
indicate the environment and growing 
conditions which they prefer or tolerate. 
1 Temperature 
C=Cool: ABS 80 beeen] 14 
I=—Intermediate: 55-68°F. = 13-20°C. 
W Warm: 65-80°F = 19-26-C- 
2 Location 
P—Cool to intermediate greenhouse; ideal for 
glassed-in-porch, or garden during summer in 
the North; protected Patio in the South. 
A=Temperate to warm greenhouse; suitable for 
heated apartment or home decoration. 
T=Tropical humid-warm greenhouse or conserva- 
tory; would require moisture-holding glass 
enclosure, or terrarium to be happy in the 
living room. 
3 Sail 
H—Soil rich in humus or leafmold, peatmoss and 
some rough manure; add small amount of 
loam. 
L—Loam or rich garden soil with rotted manure, 
humus added. 
O—Osmunda fern fiber (can add sphagnum moss), 
with drainage of broken pots or charcoal. 
A Light 
B—Bright sun—(4000-8000 foot candles, for normal 
daylength) 
F—Filtered or diffused sunlight—(1000-3000 foot 
candles, for normal daylength) 
S—Shady or away from sun—(50-800 foot candles, 
for normal daylength) 
5 Moisture 
D=Dry side: let soil become dry between water- 
ings, then soak thoroughly. 
M=Moist: keep moist but don’t let soil become 
water soaked. If standing in a saucer, such 
plants like to be watered from the base, for 
even moisture. 
N=Wet: never allow to dry out, best to keep ina 
saucer filled with water or in jardiniere— 
though drainage water should be emptied 
every day or two as most plants resent being 
left standing continuously in water. 
1. 
2: 
Se 
4. 
The lower end of each range is more suitable for a night tem- 
perature for the same reason that we sleep best in a cool room. 
During the day, or period of maximum light, in combination with 
the upper range of the temperature scale, the leaf manufactures 
food for maintenance and growth; while at night, the stimulation 
of high temperature alone, increases respiration, or the reverse 
process and therefore loss of food produced during the day. 
Lower temperature will store it. Species classified A or P, can also 
get along at a temperature range lower than indicated. 
Varieties classified under A would naturally prefer the ideal 
growing conditions of the greenhouse, but are recommended for 
use as houseplants because this group seems to tolerate the trying 
conditions of the steam heated living room. Some plants are marked 
T because most homes, while warm enough, are usually too dry 
for those tropical species which require high humidity to thrive. 
Good potting soil for houseplants must be friable and light 
enough to permit excessive water to drain adequately. Organic 
matter as in leafmold, humus or peatmoss helps to retain even 
moisture necessary especially to fibrous-rooted plants; also tends 
to create a moderately acid condition in the soil which most 
tropical plants prefer (pH 5.5 to 6.5). Avoid over-rich soil as undue 
stimulation of the growth of houseplants is not desirable. Likewise 
over-feeding can be dangerous and it is best to add fertilizer just 
enough, especially on slow growing plants, to keep them from 
starving, under the limited light conditions prevailing indoors. 
A simple indicator of diffused sunlight is when one can barely 
see the shadow of one’s hand when passing it over the plant. The 
intelligent plant lover is learning to make provision to add supple- 
mentary light, addition of which will make a great difference in the 
survival and keeping quality of plants as it will do wonders in 
providing energy to leaves. Light can be as important as moisture 
and this is understandable when one considers the high intensity 
of sunlight in the tropics. A 3500°K white fluorescent tube lamp is 
a good balance light, desirable because it is cool. Of even greater 
energy, especially to flowering plants, are the incandescent or 
filament lamps, whether in an ordinary lampshade, or inconspicu- 
ously set into the ceiling of the room as spotlight. Work is being 
done to determine the optimum measure of light for various plants 
as expressed in foot candles. Most plants do not tolerate a con- 
tinued light period of 24 hours; maximum duration of light should 
not exceed 18 hours per day. 
Watering means soaking thoroughly; if necessary holding the pot 
in a bucket of tepid water until the airbubbles stop coming up. 
Pots should stand in saucers, or a shallow tray with pebbles, lime- 
stone grit or peatmoss, which can be kept moist, to prevent 
excessive drying out. 
Sufficient humidity in the air is badly lacking in most steamheated 
apartments, yet is most important. Humidifiers of course are most 
efficient. But cheaper methods to create humidity can be used 
with good results, such as a pan of water on the radiator. More 
effective still yet simple, is to hide a container of water under the 
radiator cover, with a wick of wool extending out and resting 
on the radiator. Or hot water can be poured once a week over 
the limestone grit in the plant trays themselves. All this will not 
only benefit plant life but make for healthier living as well. 
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