Houseplants For Dummies

Looking to bring some outside greenery indoors? Maybe you already have an indoor garden and are looking to create a botanical jungle. Whatever the case may be, houseplants are an ideal inexpensive way to beautify your dwelling. You’ll be rewarded with purer air and you’re sure to enjoy watching your plant sprout, climb, and even flower.
Of course, before you start working on crafting a greenhouse, you need to know what kinds of plants you can grown in your home and which plants are best suited to your taste and style. Houseplants For Dummies introduces dozens of different foliage plants, flowering plants, cacti, and exotic varieties. Your green thumb is sure to get even greener once you’ve read about:
Houseplant basics
Identifying indoor microclimates
Indoor plant “biographies”
Differentiating between direct, indirect, and low light
Watering needs
Rules of fertilizing
Temperature and growing cycles
Houseplants For Dummies is packed with houseplant growing techniques, tips, tricks, and even goes the extra mile with a chapter devoted to the various ways you can display houseplants if you’re looking for some bragging rights! Whether you’re new to the world of houseplant basics or you’re a seasoned gardener, you’ll get the “inside dirt” on topics such as:
Various potting soil mixes
Preparing plants for indoor life
Cleaning, pruning, and staking
Propagating houseplants
Dealing with pests and diseases
Building your own controlled climate
And much more
The material is arranged into six clear and helpful sections: houseplant basics, houseplant profiles, growing essentials, potted plant maintenance, houseplant settings, and valuable ideas – each section helping you create your own indoor forest. Even if you’re convinced you have a black thumb, Houseplants For Dummies will have you living among the green in no time!

Larry Hodgson lectures widely, writes for many gardening magazines, and is the author or coauthor of over fifteen gardening books.
The National Gardening Association is America’s largest nonprofit gardening organization.

Introduction.

PART I: The Root of the Matter: Houseplant Basics.

Chapter 1: A Houseplant Primer (Or What Makes a Plant a Houseplant).

Chapter 2: Analyzing Your Growth Potential.

Chapter 3: A Guide for the Smart Houseplant Shopper.

PART II: Houseplant Profiles from A to Z.

Chapter 4: (Usually) Green, Leafy, and Built for Beginners: Foliage Plants.

Chapter 5: For the Budding Indoor Gardener: Flowering Houseplants.

Chapter 6: In the Thick of Things: Cacti and Other Succulents.

Chapter 7: A Touch of the Exotic: Specialty Plants.

PART III: Growing Essentials.

Chapter 8: Lighting Up Your Plant's Life.

Chapter 9: Water, Water Everywhere.

Chapter 10: Something in the Air: Humidity and Circulation.

Chapter 11: Do Not Feed the Plants: The Rules of Fertilizing.

Chapter 12: The Heat Is On: Temperature and Growing Cycles.

Chapter 13: The Real Dirt on Mixes and Potting.

PART IV: Potted Plant Maintenance.

Chapter 14: Preparing Plants for the Domestic Life.

Chapter 15: Cleaning, Pruning, and Staking.

Chapter 16: Multiplication and Division: Propagating Houseplants.

Chapter 17: Conquering Houseplant Pests and Diseases.

PART V: Houseplant Settings.

Chapter 18: Grow Pots, Cachepots, and Terrariums.

Chapter 19: Plant Displays for Every Room in the House.

Chapter 20: The Greenhouse Effect: Building Your Own Controlled Climate.

PART VI: The Part of Tens.

Chapter 21: Ten Ways to Water Your Plants When You're Not at Home.

Chapter 22: Dispelling Ten Common Myths about Houseplants.

Appendix A: Key to Plant Profile Descriptions.

Appendix B: Sources for Houseplants and Indoor Gardening Supplies.

Index.

Book Registration Information.