I am looking for a big showy plant
for my living room that’s easy to
care for – any ideas?
A sunny room is perfect for a
mature specimen of the ponytail
palm ( Beaucarnea recurvata ) ,
pictured top right : although
the topknot of straplike foliage
on a woody stem does lend it a
palm-like appearance, it’s actually
a member of the asparagus family,
and is less sensitive to dry air and
the occasional drought than a
true palm. For a room with no
direct sunlight, the dragon
trees, such as Dracaena
fragrans and D. marginata ,
are wise investments that will cope
with the most erratic care regime.
The main thing that will kill both of
these plants is waterlogged roots, so
only water when the soil is dry.Help! My wilted plant doesn’t perk
up when I water it.
Houseplants can wilt when they
have too much water, as well as tooStay i ng
alive
little. So by watering again you may
be making the problem worse. Take
the plant out of the pot and push
your fi nger into the rootball. If the
soil is bone dry, put the plant into a
bucket of water and let it soak for an
hour or two, then drain thoroughly.
If it’s soaking wet, knock off the wet
compost, trim any mushy roots and
repot in fresh, only slightly moist
compost. Most houseplants recover
better from drought than from fl ood,
so never let them sit in water.I kill everything I touch. What plant
will survive, even in my hands?
The ZZ plant, Zamioculcas zamiifolia ,
is the houseplant I usually buy for
people who claim they cannot keep
plants alive. It’s a stoic but beautiful
foliage plant from e ast Africa that
can cope with a huge spectrum of
conditions. If you like a touch of the
gothic, the almost-black foliage of Z.
zamiifolia “Raven” will appeal.What plant can I put in my
windowless bathroom?
No plant will survive long term
with absolutely zero light. But if
you can leave the door open most
of the time so light can get in from
the neighbouring room, you could
try buying two or three identical
specimens of shade-tolerant plants
such as the peace lily ( Spathiphyllum
wallisii ), the cast iron plant
( Aspidistra elatior ) or even the ZZ
plant mentioned above. Give them
a spell in a brighter spot elsewhere
every few weeks.What can I do about the tiny black
fl ies fl oating around my plants?
Fungus gnats, also known as sciarid
fl ies, are diff erent from the fruit fl ies
that hover around your fruit bowl,no
onngu
flies,s,, are di
ththat hover arounI am looking for a big showy
for my living room that’s
care for – any ideas?
A sunny room is perfect for a
mature specimen of the pon
palm ( B eaucarnea recurva
pictured top right : althou
the topknot of straplike f
on a woody stem does lend
palm-like appearance, it’s actu
a member of the asparagus fam
and is less sensitive to dry air a
the occasional drought tha
true palm. For a room wm w
direct sunlight, ththe dra
trees, such as as DracaenD
fragrans andan D. margin
are wise investmstments that will
with the mosmost erratic care regi
The maain thing that will kill boin
these se plants is waterlogged ro
only water when the soil is dryonHelp! My wilted plant doesn’t
up when I water it.
Houseplants can wilt when th
have too much water, as well aI s you r home a
graveyard
of yellowed leaves,
collapsed cacti and
sulking orchids?
Houseplant guru
Jane Perrone
has all the answers