Exotic Plants at Home: From Citrus to Orchids
Exotic plants bring not only beauty to your home, but they also clean the air, make a nice atmosphere, and give you joy from watching them grow and change.
From fat cacti to beautiful orchids and citrus trees that give fruit, every plant has its own personality and its own secrets, so many secrets like usage of free plant identification apps for Android will help you to grow healthy and pretty exotic plants, even if you are a new gardener.
Citrus Plants: How to Take Care of Lemons and Oranges
Light
A Perfect Spot: You should put your pot on the brightest windowsill that is facing south or southeast.
Summer: In the warm season, you can move them to a balcony or terrace so they can get as much direct light as possible, but you must watch them so their leaves do not get burned by very strong sun.
Winter: In the autumn and winter when the days are short, citrus plants must have extra light, so you should use special grow lights to give them about 12 hours of light every day, because if they do not have enough light, they can lose their leaves.
Watering
How to Water: You should water your plant only when the top layer of the soil is dry by about 2 to 3 centimetres, which you can easily check with your finger.
Water Quality: It is best to use water that has been sitting for a day and is at room temperature, because cold or hard water can hurt the roots.
Do Not Let Water Sit: It is very important to make sure that the pot has holes in the bottom and that the water can easily come out into a tray, because if water stays around the roots, they will start to rot.
Shaping the Tree
When to Cut: You should cut the tree in the spring before it starts to grow a lot.
How to Cut: You should remove branches that are dry, weak, or growing inside the tree, and you can also cut the tops of young branches to make them grow more branches, which will help make a pretty and compact tree.
Orchids: Types, Watering Rules, Repotting
The most popular and easiest orchid is the Phalaenopsis.
Types of Orchids
Phalaenopsis: This is the most common orchid, and it has pretty flowers that look like butterflies. It is quite strong and can forgive many mistakes.
Dendrobium: This orchid has flowers that grow in groups. Some types lose their leaves in the winter and need a time of rest.
Cattleya: It has big and very nice-smelling flowers. It is thought to be more difficult to care for than the Phalaenopsis.
Oncidium: It is known for its small flowers that are often called "dancing dolls."
Watering Rules
The main rule is that it is better to not give enough water than to give too much.
The Soaking Method: This is the most sure way to water them. You put the pot with the orchid in a container of water so that the water is up to the top of the pot. You should leave it for 15 to 20 minutes so the material can soak up the water well.
Knowing When to Water: You should water the plant when the roots become a light gray colour and when the water inside the pot is gone. Green roots mean the plant does not need water yet.
No Water Sitting: It is very important to make sure that all the extra water comes out of the pot after you water it.
Have a plant and don’t know how to take care of it? Check it for free via one of these apps, you will get all the necessary tips for better plant health.
App Name | What it Does | Why It's Useful |
AI Plant Finder | uses AI to tell you what your plant is and if it has a sickness or bugs from a picture | helps you to quickly find out what is wrong with your plant so you can fix it |
Planta | reminds you when to water your plants and gives you tips for care | helps you to not forget about your plants |
PictureThis | take a picture of a plant and the app will tell you what it is | helps you to learn about plants you see outside |
Repotting
Orchids do not like to be repotted often, so you should only do it in a few cases:
When: When the roots are growing out of the pot, when the material has gotten old and is too tight, or if you bought an orchid from a store and it is not in good health.
How: You should repot the plant after its flowers have fallen off. You must use a special material for orchids that is made of bark, moss, and other big parts, because it must have a lot of air and let water go through it easily.
Choosing a Pot: You should use a pot that is clear plastic so that you watch the roots to see how they are doing.
Succulents: Cacti and Other Succulents, and How Easy They Are
Succulents are plants that can hold water in their thick leaves, stems, or roots because of this, they are very strong and can live for a long time without water.
Types of Succulents
Cacti: they come in many different shapes and sizes
Echeveria: they grow into pretty shapes like flowers with their leaves, and they often have a blue-gray or pink colour on them
Aloe: many types are used in medicine.
Crassula: known as the "money tree"
Sansevieria: a very strong plant
Easy Care and How to Care for Them
Light: You should put them on the sunniest windowsill — the more light they get, the better they will grow and the brighter their colours will be.
Watering: Watering is the most important part of caring for succulents — the main rule is to water a lot but not often.
You should wait until the soil in the pot is completely dry and only then give them a lot of water.
The Danger: The most common reason succulents die is from too much water and water staying in the pot, which makes the roots rot.
In the winter when there is less light and it is colder, you should water them very little.
king a Good Place: Humidity, Temperature, and Light for Exotic Plants
For your exotic plants to feel at home, you need to make the right place for them.
Humidity
Most plants from the tropics, like orchids and citrus plants, need the air to have a lot of water in it.
How to Make More Humidity:
Spraying: You should spray your plants with soft water often, but you must not do this when they are in the sun or their leaves will burn
Humidifier: You can use a machine that puts water in the air
Water Tray: You can put the pot on a tray with clay balls or stones and water, and this will make a wet place around the plant
Temperature
Most exotic plants are happy with a temperature between 18 and 25 degrees Celsius.
Citrus Plants: They like it warm in the summer, but in the winter, it is better for them to have a cool time of rest, with a temperature of about 10 to 14 degrees
Orchids: They feel perfect at a temperature of 20 to 22 degrees, and sudden big changes in temperature can make their flower buds fall off
Succulents: They are very good with hot weather, but in the winter, you should keep them in a cool place, up to 10 to 15 degrees, to help them grow flowers
Light
As we have already talked about, light is the most important thing for success.
Different Needs: You must remember that citrus plants and succulents need direct sunlight, but orchids, especially the Phalaenopsis, prefer bright but not direct light