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Wagner Greenhouses

> Care Sheets > Houseplants

Houseplants

Help Your Houseplants Thrive   

Learn how to keep your houseplants in tip top shape below.

Basic Requirements

Lighting

Each plant has its own likes and dislikes. Lighting ranges from low to medium to high.

  • With low or shade lighting the plant should be placed well away from a window, but in enough light that would allow you to read a newspaper.
  • With medium lighting the plant should be placed near a sunless window or some distance away from a bright window.
  • High lighting can take different forms. Direct light includes a sunny window. Bright indirect light would be on a bright windowsill but not in direct sun.

Water

  • Roots need air as well as water. Keeping the soil saturated means death for your plants. Use a watering can with a long, thin spout inserted under the foliage.
  • Immersion is an alternative for plants that do not like water on their leaves or crowns. Immerse the pot in water to just below the level of the soil and leave to soak until the surface glistens. Allow them to drain and then return the pots to their growing spot.
  • The amount of water needed by the plants varies with the time of year, and the amount of light and the temperature that the plant is placed in.
Tips & Tricks

Humidity

  • Houseplants need less warm air and more moist air than you think. Papery leaves generally need more humidity in the air than thick, leathery ones. If you room is centrally heated, group dry-air plants together, double pot specimen plants and mist the foliage as frequently as recommended.

Fertilizer

  • in general houseplants need food during their active growing season spring and summer. In the winter they slow down and take a break.  The amount of nutrients needed by the plant depends on the size of the plant and the size of the pot.
  • The most popular method is to feed each time you water when the plant is growing or flowering, but to use half the strength of the fertilizer doze recommendation. It’s always a good idea to use the plant specific fertilizers like: African violet fertilizer, orchid food, foliage plants food, cactus food and others. They are specifically designed for the needs of those plants.

Repotting

  • The best time for repotting plants is in the spring so the roots will have plenty of time to become established before the onset of the resting season. Choose a pot that is only one size larger than the previous one.

Types of Houseplants include: Foliage, flowering and cactus. Foliage plants will keep their display year round; Flowering plants provide a temporary floral display, and cacti create a unique display.

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Houseplant Lighting   

Learn about common houseplant lighting for your plants.

For Shade

Well away from a window but enough light to allow you to read a newspaper. See plants that thrive in shady environments below:

Botanical NameCommon Name
AglaonemaChinese Evergreen
CalatheaPeacock plant, Rattle snake plant
FernFern
MarantaPrayer Plant
Philodendron cordatumTrailing philodendron like 'Brasil'
SansevieriaMother-in-law’s Tongue
ZamocaulusZZ Plant
DracaenaLucky Bamboo
ScindapsusPothos
For Semi-Shade or Office Lights

Near a sunless window or some distance away from a bright window. See plants that thrive in semi-shade or office environments below:

Botanical NameCommon Name
AglaonemaChinese Evergreen
CalatheaPeacock plant, Rattle snake plant
Cordyline glauca
Cissus rhumifoliaGrape, Oak Leaf Ivy
DracaenaCorn plant
Dionaea muscipulaVenus Fly Trap
FernsFern
StromantheGinger
HederaEnglish & Algerian Ivy
HemigraphisWaffle Plant
MarantaPrayer Plant
Philodendron cordatumTrailing philodendron like Brasil
PachiraMoney Plant
PalmNeanthe Bella Palm
Pachira aquaticaMoney Tree
ScindapsusPothos
ChlorophytumNonvariegated Spider
SansevieriaMother-in-Law’s Tongue
For Bright, Indirect Sun

On a windowsill or near a bright window without direct sun. See below the types of plants that thrive in this lighting:

Botanical NameCommon Name
AnthuriumFlamigo Flower
Aphelandra squarrosaZebra plant
ArdesiaCoral berry
AsparagusAsparagus Fern
AlocasiaKris Plant
Begonia Rex
Bromeliads
Calathea
Cissus rhumifoliaGrape, Oak Leaf Ivy
ChlorophytumVariegated Spider Plant
Cyclamen
Gynura aurantiacaPurple Passion
Ficus ElasticaRubber Plant
Ficus RepensCreeping Fig
DieffenbachiaDumb Cane
DracaenaCorn Plant
HemigraphisWaffle Plant
Most FernsBird’s Nest Fern
HederaEnglish & Algerian Ivy
MarantaPrayer Plant
NephthytisButterfly, Arrowhead
Orchid Phalienopsis
PeperomiaPeperomia
Philodendron- AnyAny
PileaAluminum Plant
Helxine soleiroliiBaby Tears
PlectranthusSwedish Ivy
PodocarpusBuddhist Pine
RadermacheraChina Doll
ScheffleraUmbrella Tree
SpathiphyllumPeace Lily
Rhoeo spathaceaMoses in the Cradle
StromantheGinger
ZygocactusChristmas Cactus
TradescantiaWandering Jew
Saxifraga stoloniferaStrawberry Begonia
Senecio radicansString of Bananas
Senecio rwleyanusString of Pearls
Succulents
ScindapsusPothos
Palms
SansevieriaMother-in-law's Tongue
For Some Direct Sunlight

On or very close to an east-or west-facing windowsill. May need protection from hot summer sun. See below for plants that thrive in some direct sunlight:

Botanical NameCommon Name
Aeschynanthus radicansLipstick Plant
ArboricolaDwarf Umbrella
DizygothecaFalse Aralia
Beaucarnea recurvataPonytail Palm
Bromeliads
Cordyline
Dracaena
EpisciaLace Plant
FicusLyrata(Fig), Alli, Benjamina
Palms
Hoya
LithopLiving Stone
Araucaria heterophyllaNorfolk Pine
NematanthusGoldfish Plant
OrchidsNot phalienopsis
NepenthesPitcher Plant
Philodendron with colored leaves
SansevieriaMother-in-law’s Tongue
Solanum pseudocapsicumJerusalem Cherry
Rhoeo SpathaceaMoses in the Cradle
Tradescantia variegates (Nanook)Wandering Jew variegated or Nanook plant
PolysciasMing, Dinnerplate Aralia
StrelitziaBird of Paradise
SetcreaseaPurple Heart
For A Sunny Window

On or very close to a south-facing windowsill. Light shading may be necessary in midsummer. Below are common plants that love a bright, sunny window all-day long:

Botanical NameCommon Name
Aloe Vera
SaintpauliaAfrican Violet
CactiCactus
Ceropegia woodiiString of Hearts, Rosary vine
Citrus
Cordyline
Hibiscus
Hoya variegata
Jade
Jasmine
CrotonJoseph’s Coat
Kalanchoe
Ficus benjiminaFig Tree
PedilanthusDevil’s Backbone
PleomeleSong of India
Sedum morganiunumBurro’s Tail
Succulents
Aeschynanthus radicansLipstick Plant
MusaBanana
StrelitziaBird of Paradise
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Help Your Houseplants Thrive

Houseplant Lighting

Minneapolis

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Minneapolis, MN

Garden Center 612-922-6901

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Hugo, MN

Garden Center 651-653-8863


Closed for the season. See you in April 2023.

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