Most house plants are grown for their foliage and most, including the ever popular African Violet, prefer shade to bright sun, and some moisture at the roots and in the atmosphere to dry conditions. This is because most house plants come from the relative shade of the tropical rain forest. They are popular of course because they tolerate the relative shade of our homes. It is our job to create a home from home.
There are a couple of plants I want to mention today. The Maranta, and the Calathea (pronounced kal-a-thee-a). The Maranta and Calathea belong to the arrowroot family, the root being well known for the treatment of diarrhoea. I understand that the computer paper I print this on is probably coated with a preparation of arrowroot (to treat verbal diarrhoea perhaps!). The Maranta doesn’t grow higher than about a foot. The Calathea I shall talk about grows to about 2ft to 3ft. Both make magnificent plants in the home in moderate shade. Both can be divided easily when they get on the large size.
The Maranta to which I refer is known as the Prayer plant. Its Latin name is Maranta leuconeura var kerchoviana which is a bit of a mouthful. However if you provide it with some moisture, warmth and shade it will form a magnificent spreading plant bearing dark green leaves with prominent pink/reddish veins, and dark red undersides. At night when the temperature starts to fall or the plants get a bit too dry the leaves will fold together in an erect position as though in prayer.
Mildew can be a real nuisance on plants, and particularly on roses, chrysanthemums and begonias, and it seems to me as though it is worse when plants are dry at the root, or grown in an area where there is no breeze to dry out the foliage. I have seen it also attack roses which are apparently growing in good conditions where the disease is probably spread by mildew spores being carried on light air and falling on dew-covered leaves. You have to keep an eye open for it constantly. Pick off infected leaves and drop them into a plastic bag which can be burned later. A relatively inexpensive treatment for mildew is flower of sulphur, which most pharmacies have in stock, but you must be able to dust it on very thinly otherwise you’ll spoil the look of the plants. The chemical benomyl (sold as Benlate) or dinocap (sold as Karathane) will cure the problem, although dinocap may cause some temporary markings. In both cases use a few drops of dish washing liquid to act as a sticking agent; all of these treatments should be applied at the latter end of the day.
Finally, everyone knows that sandy soils dry out more quickly than heavier soil, so the more organic matter you can put into and onto sandy soils and especially around your plants the less quickly they dry out and the better your plants will be. The more organic matter you can put into and onto heavy soil the better drained and warmer it will become, the easier it will be to work and the better your plants will be. So in a nutshell dig it in deep and also lay it on as a mulch.
Until next week may your God go with you wherever you may be.
