Take Your Plants For a Shower
When Was The Last Time You Shared Your Shower?
Well, here is a few good reasons to do just that.
Sharing your shower will be fun, as long as you follow the following suggestions.
Read this article and let us know if this is something you do.
Erma Bombeck once said, “Never go to a doctor whose houseplants have died.”
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I’m sure the good doctor never intended to kill the plants. They probably perished from neglect. What he didn’t realize, is that a little preventive maintenance goes a long-g-g way for humans as well as plants.
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Why dirty houseplants lead a tough life
Plants growing outdoors are washed regularly by rain and feather dusted by the wind. But it’s up to us to clean indoor plants, especially the hard-working ones–houseplants that clean air. Dust, grease, oil, and other airborne particles settle on leaves, making them unattractive and dull-looking. Leaves that are dirty can’t absorb as much sunlight as clean ones.
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How to turn your houseplants into bathing beauties
Clean your indoor house plants every couple months or so. If you live in a dusty area, do it more often. ………….
Support the leaf on an upturned hand and gently wipe with the other. Try to clean the top and bottom of each leaf.
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Think of misting as a form of preventive maintenance. It helps discourage dust from settling and sticking to the leaves in the first place and it keeps the leaves from drying out. Remember to use tepid, not cold tap water!
Houseplants like to go outside and play
If the weather is warm enough and it’s not too windy, take your plant outside for a “walk.” (Mark your calendars: July 27 is “Take Your Plant for a Walk” Day). Mist it well with a spray bottle. The excess water can drip all it wants without harming floors or carpets.
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It’s shower time!
Sponging and misting help a lot, but there comes a point when more is better. If outdoor conditions won’t allow a misting, head for the bathroom shower. Showers give plants a top notch cleaning, much like going to the car wash is more effective than spraying your car with a hose.
Potting soil also gets a good cleansing. When you water plants with little sips, water doesn’t get down to the roots. Thorough waterings help encourages plants to “reach for it,” thus better, deeper root growth. Thorough soakings also flush out toxic salts deposited from chemical fertilizers and residues left from tap water. These deposits leave a white, chalky deposit on the surface of the soil and plant pots.
And, you’ll be happy to know that pests such as aphids and spider mites can’t swim.
How to give your plants a shower
- Put away the shampoo.
- Turn on the water. Adjust the pressure to a gentle spray, and the temperature to “baby bottle” lukewarm.
- Set your plant inside the shower, preferably on a plastic stool, milk crate or overturned bucket. ………
- Close shower door or curtain.
- Move water stream up and down, back and forth around leading edge of plant. (A Shower Massage works great here).
- Rotate plant 90 degrees and repeat Step 5 until the whole plant has been washed. This will take a few minutes. Be prepared to get wet, too.
- Turn off water and let the plant hang out in the moisture for an hour or so. Believe me, to a plant, this is a real treat.
Before moving a container with an attached bottom tray, tip it slightly to dump out any excess water that has collected in the tray. ……….
Speaking of moving plants, when you go to move them out of the shower, be very careful. “A pint’s a pound the world around” which means water is heavy stuff. And super-saturated soil can be quite heavy. Slide the container onto a towel or bathrobe to make it easier (on your back) to move.
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Source: Read more from Marion Owen’s article
Source Image: Pixabay
