Autumn is definitely my favorite time of the year. The vibrant colors, brisk temperatures, and harvesting the last of my vegetable garden are among my favorite personal indulgences. But I wonder, how to survive the long winter without my garden to tend and my fresh flowers to arrange. My answer: refocus my attention to my indoor plants which tend to become a little neglected during the summer.
My love of houseplants began years ago in the early seventies, when indoor plants were all the rage. My friends and I would share clippings and collectively beam at our successes and our green thumbs. Over the years, I have remained faithful to the indoor plant, even though for a short time silk plants seemed an easy solution in keeping green with no care.
In 1974 I was gifted an umbrella plant, which arrived in a gallon pot containing three small trees. Only one has survived. Through the years we have battled white flies, scale, gnats, and ants. I have repotted, pruned, leached, soaped its leaves, and fed my Schefflera. Every autumn, I take my tree outside and give it a good soaking and shower. I check to see if it’s time for repotting.
My tree now stands about four feet tall. It is very compact and full, as I prune it every few years. I think one of the main reasons for my success with my umbrella plant is that I only water it once a week, and it’s in a great location. It receives filtered sunlight most of the day, but no direct sun. I also don’t overfeed my tree. When it begins to lose some color, I add a little fertilizer, the kind you mix with water. I follow the directions to the “T” and don’t overdo it. My umbrella plant is approaching its fortieth birthday! This year, I am going to attempt to start a couple of trees from clippings.
I’ve had good luck with many houseplants over the years. Another one of my finds is my Ficus benjamina tree. I purchased it at a yard sale. It looked very pitiful, and the small amount I paid for it more than covered the cost of the large pot it was housed in. When I took it home, I rinsed it off, took it out of its pot (which was way too large for it), and repotted it in a smaller pot in new potting soil. My tree now stands over nine feet tall, and I’m proud to say that it looks fabulous! I water it once a week, and follow much the same care as my umbrella plant. Sometimes if my plant becomes stressed, it loses many of its leaves. If you find a good spot for your weeping fig, keep it there. They really don’t like being moved!
Happy indoor gardening!
