Houseplants

Let's look at houseplants today.

Does it seem all of yours lean toward the window bending toward the light?

When sun-loving species are grown with full overhead light, the stems are thick, short and upright, with leaves closely spaced. That's because the cells are growing equally on all sides of the plant.

But when the light comes from only one side, as in the case of houseplants on a windowsill, the stems on the shady side of the plant grow longer and faster.

Something called AUXIN accumulates in the cells on the shaded side. Since the cells on that side then grow faster than those on the sunny side, the plants bend in the way most of us commonly observe.

Solution?

Rotate your plants a quarter of a turn every week! I pick Mondays as my "turn day" so I don't forget. I happily scurry about the house and turn all my plants a quarter turn.

Tester could do the same and in this way minimize the power of AUXIN.


Victor K. Pryles
http://www.authorsden.com/victorkpryles