woman watering her potted plants.
Nourish your green friends so they can keep you healthy in return.
  1. Air
    Avoid placing your plant directly in front of the air-conditioner as it will dry out the leaves and cause distress. Have the windows open whenever possible.
  2. Water
    Potted plants should never be allowed to dry out, or become saturated. Aim to keep the soil evenly moist and water two or three times a week.
  3. Light
    Position plants near a window and rotate the pot monthly. In areas with direct hot sun, grow cacti and succulents (plants that are thicker, like aloe vera and cacti). Where light levels are low, grow ferns. In rooms with no light, you may need a grow light (available from nurseries).
  4. Food
    Sprinkle slow release plant food (like Horti Gro Plus from redmart) on the soil’s surface. These release nutrients over a few months. Alternatively feed with soluble plant food, which you can mix with water, and apply every two weeks.
  5. No Pest
    For aphids, treat with garlic spray, or a low toxicity pyrethrum. For scale insects (small parasites that attach themselves to the plant), use a low-toxicity oil product such as horticultural oils.

Text: Good Health, Bauer Syndication / Additional Reporting: Sylvia Ong
Photo: 123RF.com

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