# I would like some advice about houseplants **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 17, 2006, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-some-advice-about-houseplants/380792 "2006-11-17T04:44:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2006, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-some-advice-about-houseplants/380792/21 "2006-11-19T17:02:10Z")
For more advice on growing house plants, check out [this site](http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/). There are forums on house plants and specific genera/families of plants that are commonly grown indoors. Be careful about mentioning Jerry Baker’s nostrums over there however. The consensus opinion from seasoned gardeners is that Baker’s recommendations are quackery and/or environmentally unsound (I’ve haven’t tried his formulas so can’t comment specifically). ---
**Author:** ![slaphead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2006, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-some-advice-about-houseplants/380792/22 "2006-11-20T14:17:02Z")
Bah. Your plants are all weak and puny compared to the robust might of the [Yucca](http://www.larose.com/TheFlorist/House_Plants/Images/Yucca.jpg). I bought mine from Ikea about four years ago. The care instructions said something like “Prefers light. Tolerates shade. Water every two weeks”. It’s now frigging HOOOGE, despite regularly having to go several months without water, living in a dark corner, and still being festooned with last years christmas lights. It got so big we decided to kill it by not watering it and then throw it away. After 3 months it was looking a bit limp and yellowed, but we gave in before it did and it was back to normal after a couple of waterings. We had one in norway that sat next to a woodfired stove in the dark part of the living room and it just didn’t give a damn about heat, cold, humidity, anything. And they make a cool gurgling/clicking noise as they suck up water when you do remember to give them a drink. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2006, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-some-advice-about-houseplants/380792/23 "2006-11-20T15:26:04Z")
[QUOTE=Hello Again] [Pothos](http://www.plantoasis.com/plants/1001_1020/1002_pothos.htm). You can’t kill a pothos. I kept one in an interior office, with zero natural light, watered it when I thought about (sometimes with leftover Diet Sprite), and not only did it refuse to die, it thrived for 7 years. The thing that killed it was when I left it on my back deck in the lovely fresh air, part-sun and natural rainfall for a month! [/QUOTE] I’ll second this! There are a ton of these in our office, and they get absolutely no natural light, but they are thriving. I had one on my old apt. (I gifted it to my roommate because I didn’t want to move it) that got huge with minimal care. I hung it in a window, and watered it when it started to feel dry, and that’s it. My mother recommend the [artillery plant](http://www.mobot.org/GARDENINGHELP/PLANTFINDER/Plant.asp?code=B614) to me, she said they are supposed to be impossible to kill. She killed hers though, so I’m not sure if that was just a fluke or they’re more fragile than they are supposed to be. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2006, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-some-advice-about-houseplants/380792/24 "2006-11-20T16:51:25Z")
So, you folks really recommend soaking plants under the faucet? I always thought that getting the soil too wet was a “bad thing” to do, plant-wise. ---
**Author:** ![slaphead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2006, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-some-advice-about-houseplants/380792/25 "2006-11-20T17:03:28Z")
I think it depends on the soil, the plant, and the pot. Provided it’s a proper compost with good texture, and excess water is able to drain out of the pot, it’s usually fine - that way you just end up with the amount of water retained by the soil. Leaving a plant with its roots in what amounts to a pool of standing water will rot it pretty quick, IME. ---
**Author:** ![Monstera\_deliciosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monstera_deliciosa/32/109_2.png) [@Monstera\_deliciosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstera_deliciosa)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2006, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-some-advice-about-houseplants/380792/26 "2006-11-20T17:29:23Z")
[QUOTE=Eonwe] So, you folks really recommend soaking plants under the faucet? I always thought that getting the soil too wet was a “bad thing” to do, plant-wise. [/QUOTE] Getting the soil wet is not a problem; plants should always be thoroughly watered. The problem occurs when the soil _stays_ soggy for extended periods of time. This happens if one waters too frequently, or uses a poorly draining potting soil. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2006, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-some-advice-about-houseplants/380792/27 "2006-11-21T01:23:53Z")
If you have a tendency toward hayfever avoid ficus plants. Pothos, spathyphilium (Peace Lily) and dracenas (Corn plant) are good hearty plants and they also help to remove some toxins from the air (especially the Peace Lily). ---
**Author:** ![Monstera\_deliciosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monstera_deliciosa/32/109_2.png) [@Monstera\_deliciosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstera_deliciosa)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2006, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-some-advice-about-houseplants/380792/28 "2006-11-21T01:41:02Z")
[QUOTE=Wile E] **If you have a tendency toward hayfever avoid ficus plants.** Pothos, spathyphilium (Peace Lily) and dracenas (Corn plant) are good hearty plants and they also help to remove some toxins from the air (especially the Peace Lily). [/QUOTE] Why? Hayfever is a pollen allergy. Ficus plants rarely bloom in “captivity.” ---
**Author:** ![Monstera\_deliciosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monstera_deliciosa/32/109_2.png) [@Monstera\_deliciosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstera_deliciosa)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2006, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-some-advice-about-houseplants/380792/29 "2006-11-22T15:07:24Z")
Ah, I found the answer to my question. There is brief report in the December _Prevention_ magazine about a study in done Belgium. The study found that hay fever sufferers had symptoms around some non-blooming houseplants (Ficus and Yucca being the worst). Apparently, they concluded that these plants do release allergens into the air, without being in bloom. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-would-like-some-advice-about-houseplants/380792.md?page=1)