Gardening : Cacti / Succulents : Draft-Proof Plants : Home & Garden Television

Believe it or not, some plants actually like cold, drafty rooms. There are a wide variety of plants that tolerate 40- to 60-degree temperatures, including blooming and foliage plants. The trick to taking care of them, says indoor gardening expert Esther Filson, is to cut back on watering. The closer the temperature is to freezing, the more likely the plant has gone dormant. Also, avoid fertilization until the plant is actively growing during the spring and summer months.

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

Here are some good candidates for cold, drafty rooms:

Cyclamen. This blooming plant lasts longest in temperatures below 70 degrees (figure A). If properly nurtured, a cyclamen will bloom for up to six months. Be very careful not to get water on the plant's corm (figure B); the best way to water your cyclamen is to bottom water: simply take your plant, pot and all, and place it in a container of water so that the holes in the bottom of the pot are below the water level (figure C). Leave the pot in the water for 15 to 20 minutes. After watering, be sure to drain the plant well. Filson suggests adding fertilizer to the water every two weeks or so to help keep your plant in bloom. Cyclamen like bright light, (but not direct sunlight), high humidity, and temperatures between 50 and 60 degrees.

Figure D

Rhapsis Palm. The rhapsis, or lady palm (figure D) is a rugged plant that not only tolerates temperatures as low as 40 degrees in the winter but it can also handle temperatures up to 90 degrees in the summer. Rhapsis palms like any light conditions. Water sparingly during the winter but freely when conditions are warmer. Fertilize May through August.

Figure E

Rosemary. This aromatic herb (figure E) grows best indoors at temperatures from 45 to 60 degrees. Rosemary is a heavy drinker, so be sure to water every day during the growing season, and never let the soil get dry, no matter the time of year. Also, be sure to keep the plant from getting root-bound: if it gets close, re-pot it in a larger pot or cut back one third of the soil in its original pot. Place your plant in an area that gets bright sun for a minimum of six hours a day. Keep it in a humid spot and fertilize every two weeks during the growing season.

Figure F

Figure G

Mammillaria. These cacti thrive in the chill--and the dormancy that results. To bloom indoors in the spring, they need temperatures around 40 degrees during the winter months (figure F). They like bright light all year round, and need to be fertilized in the spring and summer months. A fertilizer with a high phosphorus content (the middle number in a fertilizer's designation of ingredients--a 10-15- 10, for example), can help boost bloom.

Echeveria. This succulent (figure G) grows best in temperatures from 45 to 60 degrees, and needs bright light to keep the beautiful, bluish-green color in its leaves. Like the mammillaria, this plant wants less water in the dormant season.

Figure H

Azalea. Great plants to keep indoors in the winter, azaleas (figure H) offer dazzlingly colorful blooms, hardiness and tolerance for chilly conditions. Azaleas like bright light but not direct sunlight, and should be fertilized every two weeks when they're blooming. To prolong the life of the blossoms, keep the temperature between 45 to 50 degrees--or even colder (make sure the temperature is above freezing). Keep the soil wet at all times to help the blossoms last. If the plant starts to drop its leaves, water it more and keep it in a colder area.

Also in this Episode

Great Indoors : Episode GIN-212
•	Weathering Winter
•	Draft-Proof Plants
•	A Good Move

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