Tropical plants speak to people of the wild jungle and warm climates. It is why many who don’t live in places with warm weather keep tropical plants indoors. Among those tropical plants popular in the U.S. are Fuchsia and Hibiscus, are great tropical plants for outdoors.
They do well in the summer in areas in the South, like Texas tropical plants. They can survive through the winter just fine if you just move them indoors before the first frost. Just like any other plants, your tropical plants need extra care and attention to grow well.
How to Take Care of Your Potted Tropical Plants
Grow in a Pot
If you live outside of the tropics, you have to grow your plants in a pot. Put your plant inside a sufficiently sized pot with a good quality potting mix. In putting your tropical plant in a pot, always make sure to have a saucer placed in the bottom of the pot. It will help to catch any extra water while at the same time providing the plants with required humidity.
Source: Terra Greenhouses
Fill Pebbles inside the Plant Saucer
Besides putting a plant saucer, make sure you’ve filled it with pebbles. The pebbles will help to keep the water in the saucer. While it helps to provide humidity, the pebbles don’t force your plants to live in a puddle. If your plants live in a pool, they can suffer from fungal diseases and root rot.
Proper Watering of Your Plants
When it comes to watering your plants, do it once a week. Make sure that the soil has dried out in between each watering. On the other hand, you might also need to water the plant saucer. You need to do this to ensure that your tropical flora has the high humidity they need to thrive and survive in a place that’s not their native habitats.
During Hot, Dry Weather
During hot, dry weather, you should spray some fine mist of water to your plants. It will also help to maintain your plant’s humidity. On that note, don’t spray the plant when they are directly under the sun. Otherwise, it will cause them sunburn.
Fertilizing Your Plants
When it comes to fertilizing your tropical plants, you can use an especially formulated blossom booster for the flowering plants. Remember that different rules of fertilizing apply in different tropical plants, so be careful on what fertilizers you use.
Source: Pennington
Controlling Insects
Using insecticidal soap spray is a great way to control insect pests. It’s common to tropical plants to be infested by scale insects and spider mites. You can avoid these by watching for ants carrying these insects as well as a sticky substance on flowers or leaves, which indicates their presence.
Give Your Plants Plenty of Light
Your plants need light to thrive so give them plenty. Many of them don’t need direct sun but instead thrives under indirect light. If your tropicals are kept outdoors during summer, it’s best to place under a large tree or somewhere under an arbor. In this place, you have your plants receive plenty of filtered sunlight.
Move Indoors and Keep Warm During the Winter
Before the first frost falls, make sure to move your plants indoors. During this weather, you have to make sure they’re warm and have plenty of light. It’s ideal to keep them in a picture window where they have southern exposure. During sunny winter days, though, keep them under shade.
Source: CGTrader
