The Guardian Weekend | 27 February 2021 The Guardian Weekend | 27 February 2021 41 41Left, from top: devil’s ivy;
Zamioculcas zamiifolia; cast iron
plant. Below: sciarid fl ies; soil
fungi. Top, from right: ponytail
palm; moth orchid; taking
a cutting of Aeonium
arboreum
which are bigger and brown
in colour. Fungus gnats lay
their eggs in houseplant
compost, and their larvae
(transparent, black-headed
worms 5-10mm long) feed
on fungus and algae in the
soil. They don’t do much
harm to mature plants but
can kill seedlings. Either
way, they are unsightly
and annoying.
The safest way to tackle
the problem is biological
control – hypoapsis mites (try
defenders.co.uk) or nematodes
(gardening-naturally.com) that will
kill off the larvae. These treatments
are safe for humans and pets: applied
twice a year, they will keep the
problem under control. In addition,
try Zoot Off Sciarid fl y granules as
a top dressing on your pots. This
discourages the fl ies from laying their
eggs (from greengardener.co.uk).
My succulent grew tall then fell
over – help!
Too little light and too much heat
in winter is to blame. This causes
succulents to stretch out (the
botanical term is etiolation ), and
they often get so tall that they droop.
material. They won’t directly
harm you or your plant, but
their presence probably
means your potting mix is
a little too water-retentive,
or you are watering too
frequently. Take the plant
out of its pot and look at the
roots: check for soft or dead
roots and cut these away. If the
potting mix needs replacing,
knock off all the old compost
and pot up in fresh houseplant
compost, adding some perlite or
grit to improve drainage. Gently
scrape the top surface of mould
away and discard, replacing with
fresh compost. Mulching the soil
surface with expanded clay pebbles
( leca ) or gravel may help to stop the
return of the fungal growth.My cat/toddler likes nibbling
my houseplant’s leaves. S hould
I be worried?
Possibly. There are many
houseplants that are toxic to some
degree, so if your pets or children are
likely to get hold of your plants and
put them in their mouths, it’s worth
making sure you know what you are
growing and keep anything harmful
out of their way.
Many aroids, such as devil’s ivy
( Epipremnum aureum ) and the S wiss
cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa),
are toxic to humans and pets, for
instance. Consult the ASPCA for a
useful database of toxic and non-
toxic plants (aspca.org).My fern is a crispy mess. Should
I throw it away and try again?
Don’t give up yet. Many ferns grow
from rhizomes – thick underground
stems – and will resprout even
if all the foliage dies back. The
secret with ferns is to provide a
steady supply of moisture around
the roots ; one way of doing this is
by using a self-watering pot (try
lechuza.co.uk). You can also try
double potting, where you sink
your fern in its plastic or terracotta
pot into another, waterproof pot
full of damp compost, gravel or
sphagnum moss. If your fern really
has died, try an asparagus fern next
time: a fern lookalike that gives
the fi ne foliage without need for
constant coddling Jane Perrone is host of houseplant
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scrape theTry to fi nd a sunnier spot for your
plant: a south-facing windowsill,
covered porch or balcony is ideal.
If your home is too dark for that,
you may need to invest in LED
growlights : Sansi sell bulbs that fi t
into regular light fi ttings.
To get the plant back to its original
shape, you can chop off a section of
stem, allow it to dry out for a couple
of days, then place in gritty compost
or a glass of water until rooted. The
plant left behind should resprout.How do I get my orchid to
bloom again?
If the fl owers have recently died
back, try cutting the fl ower spike
back to just above a node (feel for a
bumpy, scale-like bit along the stem)
with clean scissors, and it may
send out fresh buds. If the
fl ower spike is brown, cut
it back to the base of the
plant and wait. Moth
orchids ( Phalaenopsis )
usually fl ower once a
year, so keep watering
and feeding, and wait
for a new fl ower spike
to appear. There i s some
debate about whether a fall in
temperature at night of between 3C
and 5C helps kickstart fl owering ; this
won’t harm the plant so it’s worth
a try if it’s been more than a year
since the last fl owers ; turning your
heating down or off will help create
the required d rop in temperature.Do I need to worry about the white
fuzzy stuff growing on the surface
of my plant’s soil?
This common issue is caused by
saprophytic fungi , which live in
soils and feed on decomposing plantfungi
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arboreu
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umOPPOSITE: GETTY (5); ALAMY. THIS PAGE: GETTY (2); ALAMY; GAP PHOTOSPots in the post:
10 of the best houseplant
delivery services
Bunches Family-run, specialising
in fl owers and small, colourful
houseplants. Has recently branched
out into large indoor plants
(bunches.co.uk).
Bloombox Founded by a former
therapist, it sells plants with a
wellbeing focus, with regular
collections, from pet-friendly
to immune-boosting plants
(bloomboxclub.com).
The Little Botanical Stylish
plants in gorgeous ceramic
pots, as well as accessories
(thelittlebotanical.com).
Canopy Plants Wide range
with sustainable packaging (no
single-use plastics), and off ers
subscriptions (canopyplants.co.uk).
Leaf Envy This London store
delivers nationwide: collections
include air-purifying plants. Lots of
tips on plant care (leafenvy.co.uk).
Hortology Everything from small
succulents to large, offi ce-sized
palms – and off ers suggestions for
plants by room (hortology.co.uk).
Beards and Daisies A trend-led,
curated selection , with great
in-situ photography for inspiration
(beardsanddaisies.co.uk).
Patch Shop by type (unkillables,
shade-lovers) or room; also
sells outdoor plants and trees
(patchplants.com).
Flowerbx This fl ower specialist
also sells a curated range of plants ,
as well as a wide selection of
orchids (fl owerbx.com).
Papaya Born during the fi rst
lockdown, this site sells a variety
of plants in Insta-friendly pots
(papayaplants.co.uk).