houseplants | Espoma Organic

7 Plants Cupid Struck with His Arrow

February 2, 2016/in Indoor Gardening

Roses are red. Violets are blue. All flowers are lovely, but let’s try something new!

Show your love with these seven indoor plants this year.

Tie a big, showy bow around the pot! Then seal the deal with a handwritten love note (complete with houseplant care instructions, of course).

Divine Gifts for Your Valentine: 7 Indoor Plants to Show Your Love

Opulent Orchids. Gift simple elegance to the one you love. Choose pink, purple or multi-colored and opt for a romantic colored pot, too. When repotting, use an organic orchid mix potting soil. Water with three ice cubes weekly, and fertilize monthly.

Amorous African Violets. Dainty yet bold, African violets are for sweethearts who are sugar, spice and everything nice. Plant in a pot using potting soil specifically for African violets. Water only when dry to the touch, and feed weekly.

Fiery Flamingo Flowers. Made for Valentine’s Day – complete with red, heart-shaped flowers! Water only when dry to the touch, and feed every 3-4 months.

Captivating Cyclamen. Choose sweet pink or daring red flowers coupled with dreamy, marbled leaves to make your valentine swoon. Water when dry, and fertilize monthly when flowering.

Mesmerizing Miniature Roses. Give pink or red roses for Valentine’s Day that last! During winter, keep soil slightly moist. Come spring and summer, feed every two weeks.

Kindhearted Kalanchoe. These ever-lasting pink or red blooms flourish all on their own, making them perfect for brown-thumb Valentines. Water when dry, and fertilize once a month when flowering.

“Be Mine” Bromeliad. Bold, bright and beautiful! Water the center of its bloom when the soil is dry.

With indoor plants this good looking, your sweetheart is going to be head-over-heels in love!

Deck the Halls with Holiday Houseplants

December 8, 2015/in Indoor Gardening

Hang the stockings by the chimney with care. Decorate the tree with glee. Then spread joy with holiday houseplants.

After all, the halls aren’t decked until the houseplants arrive! Houseplants can stand alone or complement other holiday decor. Plus, their lively blooms, colors and smells are the definition of holiday cheer!

Houseplants make sweet gifts to give — and even sweeter gifts for you to get yourself!

Below is everything you need to know about holiday houseplants.

Holly, Jolly Holiday Houseplants

Start with the perfect holiday houseplant! The rest is easy.

1. Festive Poinsettia. No other houseplant captures the Christmas spirit more than poinsettias.

2. Cheerful Christmas Cactus. Red and green all over, this flowering houseplant is super easy to care for and bursts with sweet, red blooms all season.

3. Amazing Amaryllis. Bold, stunning and elegant, amaryllis delight with vibrant red and snowy white blooms.

4. Nifty Norfolk Island Pine. These petite Christmas trees are simply darling! Plus, they can grow up to 12’ tall if properly cared for!

5. Charming Cyclamen. Cyclamen’s heart-shaped red or pink flowers instantly fill spaces with love.

Keep Your Holiday Houseplants Happy

Package It Up. Add your personal touch by potting your houseplant in a container matching your holiday decor. Have fun with it! Tie a bow around it, or paint the pot with chalkboard paint.
Season’s Soil. Add a bit of organic fertilizer, then fill the pot with organic potting soil.
Let It Shine. Read the plant tag to see how much sunlight and water your holiday houseplant needs.
Feast on Food. Enjoy more of those beautiful blooms. Feed with Indoor! every 3-4 weeks during periods of active growth, usually from March through September.

The best way to spread Christmas cheer is by placing a holiday houseplant here and here! Enjoy those blooming beauties all season.

Thyme to Plant an Indoor Herb Garden

December 1, 2015/in Blog, Indoor Gardening

Add a dash of delight to your daily routine while keeping winter blues at bay. Start an indoor herb garden today.

Each time you grab sprigs of fresh herbs, you’ll forget all about winter! At that moment, all you’ll think of are the fresh, invigorating flavors of summer.

Plus, starting an indoor herb garden is simple with these tips.

Grow Superb Herbs Indoors

Give savory and sweet herbs these five ingredients, and they’ll flourish inside! Use fresh, flavorful herbs in cocktails, teas and recipes all winter long.

Ray of Sunshine. Place indoor herbs in the sunniest spot possible. They love natural light and need at least 4 hours of sun every day. Keep herbs warm by avoiding chilly windows.

Heaps of Herbs. Not every herb thrives indoors. Plant these herbs that grow best inside: mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme, lemongrass, chives and bay.
Pile of Pots. Choose pots or upcycle containers with drainage holes on the bottom. Or place stones in the bottom of the pot before adding soil. For unique, DIY planter ideas, check out our Pinterest page.
Settle in Soil. Plant herbs in Organic Potting Soil. Pick an organic potting soil that contains earthworm castings and Myco-tone^®to ensure herbs grow strong roots.
Feed and Repeat. Indoor! is an organic plant food that helps you grow bigger and better herbs. Continue fertilizing herbs once each month.

With your just-plucked herbs, cook up dishes that harness herbs’ intensity. Try a few of our favorite recipes that include herbs here. Bon appétit!

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A Plant Today Keeps the Doctor Away

November 17, 2015/in Flowers

For most of us, the outdoor gardening season is winding down. Yet, we want to keep that green thumb moving!

Channel your gardening energy indoors. A green-filled oasis awaits you! Add a few indoor plants today!

Top 3 Reasons Why You Can Never Have Enough Houseplants

Plants add a pop of color and a burst of life to spaces. But, they do even more.

Pollution Solution. Indoor plants scrub the air clean by removing toxins, according to NASA research. Houseplants remove 87 percent of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are in everything from rugs and grocery bags to paint and vinyl.
Find Your Focus. Houseplants increase well-being by 47 percent, increase creativity by 45 percent and increase productivity by 38 percent, according to new research.
Combat Colds. Powerful indoor plants can reduce fatigue, coughs, sore throats and other cold-related illnesses by more than 30 percent, found the University of Agriculture in Norway.

Caring for Houseplants is Easy

Houseplants provide us with all those benefits and ask for very little in return. Here’s all they need!

Strong Soil. Organic potting soil packed with nutrients, enriched with Myco-tone^® and fortified with worm castings sets houseplants up for success. Whether you’re planting new or repotting old plants, use an organic soil.
Light It Right. Check your plant tag to see how much sun your plant needs.
Wow with Water. Water most houseplants when the top of the soil feels dry. Only water succulents and cacti when the soil is completely dry.
Fuel with Organic Fertilizer. . Fertilize houseplants with an organic fertilizer such as Indoor! during active periods of growth. This is usually during the spring and summer.

Those happy houseplants will make you smile every day! Check out Espoma’s “Houseplant” Pinterest board for more inspiration and ideas!

Celebrate National Indoor Plant Week

September 17, 2015/in Gardening, Indoor Gardening

Indoor plants are the superheroes of the plant world. They have the power to aid in concentration, increase productivity and even boost well-being.

To honor these green heroes, the third week of September is recognized as National Indoor Plant Week. So let’s celebrate!

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ranks indoor air pollution as one of the top threats to public health. We spend as much as 90 percent of our lives indoors — so it’s time to add some greenery.

Houseplants are surprisingly easy to take care of with these six tips.

1. Bring them indoors. Many people place their houseplants outside in the summer, but when temperatures start to drop below 50º at night, it’s time to bring them in! Check houseplants for pests before moving them. Help houseplants to adjust by bringing them in at night and returning them outdoors during the day. Over the course of two weeks, gradually increase the amount of time plants spend indoors.

2. New space. Repot houseplants if they’re in need of some additional space. Select a pot that is at least 2” larger than your current container and transfer. Use Espoma’s Organic Potting Mix to fill the rest of the container.

3. Pick the right spot. A houseplant lets you know the spot is right by maintaining healthy leaves. If there’s enough light for you to read by, there’s probably enough for a low-light houseplant. Avoid placing plants near heat or air conditioning ducts, on TVs, or between the curtains and a chilly window.

4. Give them a drink. If the soil is dry about an inch below the surface, add water. But don’t overwater! It’s the number one cause of houseplant death. Collect excess water in a tray or saucer and never allow plants to sit in water.

5. Stay Comfortable. Houseplants are happiest when temperatures are between 70 and 80ºF during the day and 10-15º cooler at night.

6. Feed houseplants. Fertilize houseplants with an organic fertilizer such as Indoor! during active periods of growth. This is usually during the spring and summer.

With these tips, your houseplants will be looking their best in no time! Tell us about your favorite houseplant in the comments!