Houseplants For Dummies

by Larry Hodgson, National Gardening Association

Overview

Looking to bring some outside greenery indoors? Maybe you already have an indoor garden and are looking to create a botanical jungle.  Whatever the case may be, houseplants are an ideal inexpensive way to beautify your dwelling. You’ll be rewarded with purer air and you’re sure to enjoy watching your plant sprout, climb, and even flower.

Of course, before you start working on crafting a greenhouse, you need to know what kinds of plants you can grown in your home and which plants are best suited to your taste and style. Houseplants For Dummies introduces dozens of different foliage plants, flowering plants, cacti, and exotic varieties. Your green thumb is sure to get even greener once you’ve read about:

• Houseplant basics
• Identifying indoor microclimates
• Indoor plant “biographies”
• Differentiating between direct, indirect, and low light
• Watering needs
• Rules of fertilizing
• Temperature and growing cycles

Houseplants For Dummies is packed with houseplant growing techniques, tips, tricks, and even goes the extra mile with a chapter devoted to the various ways you can display houseplants if you’re looking for some bragging rights! Whether you’re new to the world of houseplant basics or you’re a seasoned gardener, you’ll get the “inside dirt” on topics such as:

• Various potting soil mixes
• Preparing plants for indoor life
• Cleaning, pruning, and staking
• Propagating houseplants
• Dealing with pests and diseases
• Building your own controlled climate
• And much more

The material is arranged into six clear and helpful sections: houseplant basics, houseplant profiles, growing essentials, potted plant maintenance, houseplant settings, and valuable ideas – each section helping you create your own indoor forest. Even if you’re convinced you have a black thumb, Houseplants For Dummies will have you living among the green in no time!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780764551024
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	08/26/1998
Series:	For Dummies Books
Pages:	384
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

Larry Hodgson lectures widely, writes for many gardening magazines, and is the author or coauthor of over fifteen gardening books.
The National Gardening Association is America’s largest nonprofit gardening organization.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part I: The Root of the Matter: Houseplant Basics 5

Chapter 1: A Houseplant Primer (Or What Makes a Plant a Houseplant) 7

Chapter 2: Analyzing Your Growth Potential 13

Chapter 3: A Guide for the Smart Houseplant Shopper 23

Part II: Houseplant Profiles from A to Z 31

Chapter 4: (Usually) Green, Leafy, and Built for Beginners: Foliage Plants 33

Chapter 5: For the Budding Indoor Gardener: Flowering Houseplants 65

Chapter 6: In the Thick of Things: Cacti and Other Succulents 89

Chapter 7: A Touch of the Exotic: Specialty Plants 109

Part III: Growing Essentials 133

Chapter 8: Lighting Up Your Plant’s Life 135

Chapter 9: Water, Water Everywhere 153

Chapter 10: Something in the Air: Humidity and Circulation 173

Chapter 11: Do Not Feed the Plants: The Rules of Fertilizing 185

Chapter 12: The Heat Is On: Temperature and Growing Cycles 195

Chapter 13: The Real Dirt on Mixes and Potting 205

Part IV: Potted Plant Maintenance 221

Chapter 14: Preparing Plants for the Domestic Life 223

Chapter 15: Cleaning, Pruning, and Staking 233

Chapter 16: Multiplication and Division: Propagating Houseplants 247

Chapter 17: Conquering Houseplant Pests and Diseases 263

Part V: Houseplant Settings 281

Chapter 18: Grow Pots, Cachepots, and Terrariums 283

Chapter 19: Plant Displays for Every Room in the House 295

Chapter 20: The Greenhouse Effect: Building Your Own Controlled Climate 303

Part VI: The Part of Tens 313

Chapter 21: Ten Ways to Water Your Plants When You’re Not at Home 315

Chapter 22: Dispelling Ten Common Myths about Houseplants 321

Appendix A: Key to Plant Profile Descriptions 325

Appendix B: Sources for Houseplants and Indoor Gardening Supplies 329

Index 335

Editorial Reviews

"Perennials for Every Purpose is the next best thing to having a friendly expert whispering in your ear as you plan, plant, and perfect your perennial garden. This book is a treasure."

"The book is packed with lots of useful information for the beginning gardener, and it's a great refresher for the experienced gardener as well. Perennials for Every Purpose is certainly a welcome addition to my perennials library."

From the Publisher