By: Patrick Urbanski
Many collectors house plants can be daunting, but many can be grown alongside common houseplants or with a little extra help. Rare and trendy houseplants are not usually botanically rare (they can be sometimes), but rather they are not grown as widely in cultivation, or there is an outside factor that limits growers ability to grow them in large amounts to be sold.
Many collectors’ plants are variegated, meaning they have a pattern or random spots with the absence of chlorophyll on their leaves and stems. Social media and the internet has heavily influenced plant trade on developing trends, prices, and quality; and availability has also been a huge driving force in collectors houseplants. We provide a wide selection of collectors houseplants here at Shonnard’s Nursery, current inventory can be found on our website, or by calling the garden center at 541-929-3524. We also take Wishlist requests.
Water and Fertilizing
Plants like Monstera, philodendron, and pothos like to get close to drying out in-between each watering. Plants like ZZ plants, aglaonema, hoyas, and ficus like to completely dry out between watering. Alocasia, Anthurium, and ferns like to stay evenly moist. There are almost no plants that need to be watered every day! During winter months, indoor plants are watered less often than during the summer.
Fertilizer helps your house plants reach full potential. If you like mature big leaves, fertilizer is a must. I like using a slow release and then a liquid fertilizer in addition when watering. Here in Oregon, most plants will have slow growth and, in most cases, fertilizer usage should be reduced between September and March. There are exceptions for some fast-growing plants. We have a variety of options for fertilizer that are great for houseplants.
Light
High light plants like to be close to or in South, and Western facing windows. Intermediate or bright-indirect light plants like to be in North and east windows, or set back from South and west windows. Low light plants can be in North windows and tolerate darker spaces, but still need a source of light.
Grow lights can open up more growing spaces in your home and to more kinds of plants. They can also be used to supplement light and keep your plants growing in the winter here in Oregon. We sell a couple different options for grow lights in store.
Temperature and Humidity
While a variety of collectors houseplants can be grown inside your home with no added accessories; additional humidity, light, and warmth can benefit your plants greatly and help them reach their full potential. Some collectors plants are less tolerant of low humidity and can brown or have trouble pushing new growth like anthuriums, and lots of variegated plants.
There are different ways to provide humidity for plants but only some methods actually contribute to the health of your plant. Misting plants only provides a temporary rise in humidity and is not sustainable, but can be helpful in some instances. Some plants can even develop fungal issues or water damage spots from over misting or water staying on leaves for extended periods of time. Humidifiers, cloches, or other enclosed spaces (Like cabinets or greenhouses) can provide long-lasting meaningful humidity to more temperamental plants like many variegated plants, anthuriums, alocasias and more.
Here in Oregon, as temperatures fluctuate throughout the year, it can be beneficial to maintain your collectors plants at a stable temperature. Most plants do not like temperatures below 60 or above 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat mats and humidifiers can be helpful in maintaining these temperatures in or near cold windows and doorways. Lots of plants, especially alocasia, variegated plants, and ficus especially do not perform well in drafts. Air vent deflectors and strategic placing can help avoid damaging drafts.
Soils, Repotting, and Maintenance
Soil – Most of our collectors plants (Philodendrons, ZZ plants, Hoyas, Monsteras, pothos, and Ficus) like a chunky well-draining soil mixture. It is very easy to make with basic potting soil as a base, then perlite and orchid bark for additives. Anthuriums and ferns like to stay more moist. Ferns do best in basic potting soil and there’s lots of debate on the correct media for anthuriums, but my recommended mixture is 50/50 sphagnum moss and perlite mixed. For larger pots (above 6 inch), adding orchid bark for aeration is beneficial.
Repotting is best done in spring right before or at the start of new growth every 1-2 years so that these plants can grow into their new home in the upcoming growing season. Other reasons to repot include outgrowth, soiled media, and pests. Most aroids (monstera, philodendron, alocasia, pothos, and other plants like ficus, and hoyas) like a chunky, quick draining potting media for good root health. A mix of all 50% purpose potting soil, 25% orchid bark, and 25% perlite is what I recommend. Shonnard’s offers repotting services for all houseplants in the store, with dynamic pricing based on pot size. Anthuriums and ferns like an airy moisture holding mix. For ferns generally I use just all-purpose potting soil, and for anthuriums, I use a mix of 50% sphagnum moss and 50% perlite like mentioned previously.
If plants are drying out very quickly, have roots circling the pot, have roots coming out the bottom, or the soil seems to be hydrophobic, these are good indicators the plant should be repotted. Watching for pests, trimming dead or dying leaves, dusting/cleaning the leaves, and training climbing plants to a stake or moss pole are all parts of normal maintenance.
Pests and Treatment
Pests are a part of every gardener’s journey, indoor or outdoor. Common pests include spider mites, mealy bugs, aphids, scale, fungus gnats, and thrips. Healthy plants in ideal conditions are less likely to develop pest issues than stressed plants.
We have oil-based sprays for most pests and systemics can be helpful, especially during spring when growth is more active. Be aware that oil sprays may stain household surfaces; place plants in a bathtub or large plastic garbage bag for treatment (or even outside if temperatures allow). Fungus can also be an issue in high humidity environments, fungicide works best for treatment.
Taking a new plant home
Do not repot right away unless it is necessary; plants can go into shock and it’s best to give them some time to acclimate before disturbing the root system. If you suspect old soil, rotting roots, or other issues, repotting sooner may be beneficial.
Check for pests, you can always do a precautionary preventative treatment on new plants to be sure or keep newly purchased plants isolated from others for the first week. Don’t leave plants in cold or hot cars for extended periods of time as this can cause stress.
Watch our recorded class! Collectors houseplants have captured the eyes of many in recent years, and while they can seem daunting, we are here to help you learn tips and tricks on caring for these elusive plants in your home!