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I have houseplants that are over 25 years old. Yes, you can keep them that long and longer, if you give them the right environment to thrive in and show them some loving care. Not all of my houseplants have been lucky enough to live long lives. There have been some that have gone to that huge compost pile in my backyard, due mainly in part from neglect. Yes, neglect.
How does a Master Gardner let a plant die from neglect? It’s easy; one reason is too many plants and only two green thumbs. At one time I had over 20 houseplants in a four room house. That doesn’t seem like many plants, but it is when you are working a huge garden, work full time outside the home, and are a single parent of two small children.
A houseplant may look very healthy and then all of a sudden, one day, its leaves are drooping, they have lost their shine, are wilted, and are starting to turn yellow and brown. You look at it and ask yourself, “What happened? I gave it water and fertilizer, gave it the sun it required, and rotated it. Still, it’s dying. I didn’t neglect it in anyway. Did I?”
This has happened to me on several occasions. I have found that in these situations, you need to not look outside the box, but look within. Literally, look in the pot, and you will be surprised at what you will find.
More times this is where you will find the probable cause of your plants death. I once removed a dead plant from its pot only to find that it was so root bound that there was hardly any dirt left in the pot. The roots wound round the inside of the pot so many times that you couldn’t tell where they started and where they stopped. This plant actually strangled itself to death or more like I was the killer due to my neglect of the plant.
Keep plants roots healthy by repotting the plant at least once a year. More often if the plant has rapid root growth. Also, divide the plant when needed or put it in a larger pot to avoid overcrowding.
Another silent killer is an accumulation of soluble salts in the soil, which can cause poor plant health and even death. If you see a white or yellow crusty ring around the top of the soil or just laying on top the soil, this is an indication that there is too much soluble salt in the soil.
The best way to prevent the buildup of soluble salts is to have your plant in the correct type of pot and to water correctly. Make sure all pots have a drip hole in the bottom and that you water the plant until water seeps through to the drip plate below. Never let the pot sit in water, as the water with the salts that went through the drip hole will be absorbed back up into the soil. Most pots are made with drip plates to help prevent this.
However, I love clay pots which don’t come with already attached drip plates, so I will put some stones in the clay tray and then set the clay pot on top of the rocks. These rocks let the water seep into tray and also provides humidity for the plant.
Another unseen houseplant killer is the pillbugs or sowbugs. To me these look like tiny armadillos with their hard, curved shells. These guys come out at night, so you may not see them for some time and sleep under the soil during the day. They will eat decaying organic matter, roots and tender sections of the plant. To help control these guys, inspect the soil when repotting your plant, water properly, and if need be purchase approved insecticide for treating the soil.
Remember if you want to keep your houseplants for a long time, look inside the box for the hidden dangers.
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Author Bio Box: Agnes Farside
 http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/110407/agnes_farside.html
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