The key to indoor plant care – The HortyGirl “SMART STICK” Method
Horty Girl Smart Stick included with every tag
The key to a long and healthy plant life is water management. Indoor plant care is very manageable with the most basic of information.
The HortyGirl ‘SMART STICK’ method is brilliant yet very simple and applies to all plants in all containers:
If in doubt as to whether your plant requires a watering, use our care tag stake to test for moisture. Just as you would use a toothpick to check to see if your muffins are done; insert our plant care tag stake into the base of the plant stems. Pull the stake out and either notice if any soil is clinging to the stake. If soil clings to the stake, this is an indication there is moisture in the root zone. Alternatively, feel the stake for moisture levels (dry, moist or wet). Depending on the care for your particular plant, you can make a watering decision from there.
Light levels are the most relative factor associated with watering routines. Plants do require varying water management in association with their unique characteristics but light levels are the most important factor.
As light levels increase and decrease; so should our watering routines. The changing seasons require a little extra attention as this is when we need to retrain ourselves with our watering routines. In general; plan to increase your watering in Spring then maintain this more frequent ‘summer routine’ until Fall when watering should be tapered off to a less frequent ‘winter routine’.
As a simple example for an average indoor plant; if you are watering once per week in Summer, your Winter watering will be reduced to once every 2 weeks.
Our indoor plant products in clear glass vases provide us with a ‘window’ of opportunity towards water management.
General Plant Care guidelines for glass vases with pebbles, sand, bark or decorative granules:
- Resist any temptation to fill the vase with water
- Water sparingly according to the label directions
- Little to no water should remain in the bottom of the vase following watering.
Tags: house plants, indoor plants, Plant Care and Maintenance, potted interior plants, Smart Stick Method, taking care of plants, watering plants
August 26th, 2010 at 9:03 am
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September 2nd, 2010 at 9:07 am
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January 13th, 2012 at 6:35 am
[...] For a foolproof method of watering your Lemon Cypress Wilma trees, use a bamboo skewer or Horty Girl Smart Stick. Place the stick into the soil and pull it out. Feel/notice if it feels dry, wet or moist – if the stick feels dry, its time to water it. These plants are acceptable for both indoor and outdoor climates. These trees can be a good planting bed option as they can grow rather slowly (dependent upon your climate). Lemon Cypress are rated as hardy down to freezing temperatures; although they are known be healthy living trees that have survived well below freezing (in ground). In the lower mainland of BC, Vancouver Island, Washington and Oregon; these trees would be hardy through most winters. For the interior of BC, the Prairies and Eastern Canada; these trees would not be considered hardy for outdoors year round. As a general rule, in colder climates, the trees could come indoors around Halloween and go back out around Easter. Always remember to transition plants from indoors to outdoors and vice verse. An unheated garage is a good transition space. Re-introduce plants to full sun gradually. [...]