What can you say about perennial plants?
The term perennial plants is very broad and covers all plants, that live for more than three seasons. These include trees, bushes, plants, which are not herbs, and herbs, and in a broader sense also bulbs and other plants, which have organs for restoration underground. At home, we can grow all of these groups. However, many people have difficulty determining, which plants should be stored for many seasons. Besides, the fact is causing the confusion, that part of the plant is sold as perennial, for practical reasons, are treated as annuals.
Trees
We define trees, with a clearly separated trunk. Some of them are grown as houseplants in the early stages of development, as most are susceptible to frost. Overgrown specimens are removed, moved to larger rooms or trimmed to the base, so that they can sprout new shoots from the roots, Such plants include acacia, peace herringbone, citrus, springy ficus, strong grill, headlower umbrella. Most of these plants sprout new shoots after hard pruning, of course, provided, that we maintain proper cultivation conditions. We are thinning out new growth, to make the plant pretty, shrubby proportions.
Shrubs
Shrubs are woody plants, with many shoots, which sprout from the base. Many shrubs are great for growing in greenhouses, but they are rather too wide for most rooms in the home. Many varieties look very decorative with flowers and leaves. We only grow some of them because, that they look good during the flowering period. If we have little space, we choose these plants, which look nice all year round, and not you, which need to be cared for for a long time and only bloom for a month. Those are: zaślaz, nettle, camellia, left, datura, some fuchsia, hibiscus, medinilla, pospornica, Plumbago and some rhododendrons. Such plants, like a camellia, velvet or bougainvillea can be grown against a wall, which gives them support.
Dropping leaves or evergreen?
Evergreen trees and shrubs thrive all year round. Therefore, it is necessary to provide them with appropriate growing conditions and not to stimulate active growth in winter, before the temperature and light are no longer suitable for them. It is best to reduce the amount of water supplied and lower the temperature yes, to reduce development during the winter season. Lots of plants, which bloom in winter, also prefers cooler growing conditions. Trees and shrubs, which shed their leaves, they need a winter rest period, and until spring they should be kept in a barely moist substrate. Bare branches are not very decorative, therefore, most indoor plants should be evergreen. However, shedding plants have more decorative flowers, therefore it is worth cultivating both types.
Care in the summer
Many woody plants will do well, when they are exposed outside the house in warm months.
Other perennials
Many plants belong to this group, which often form the backbone of home collections. Although according to the botanical classification, all of them are herbaceous, These are just a few of the popular indoor plants that actually fall into this group, because most of them keep their green part all year round, and the herbaceous plants die down to their roots at the end of the season. It is a group, which includes a lot of indoor plants, such as monstera, triplicate, ferns, solejrolia i cibora. Most of the species in this group tolerate heavy pruning, as long as we provide the plant with appropriate conditions.
Perennials are treated as annuals
This group includes perennial plants, which bloom in the first season after reproduction. It is more profitable for growers to grow these plants every year, than storing them season after season. Wintering plants in a sheltered place is expensive, and the specimens re-grown every year are of better quality. Many other perennials intended for off-season flowering, requires such growing conditions, which are hard to provide at home in the dark, winter months. Plants, such as poinsettia, potted chrysanthemums and old man's varieties are very often thrown away after flowering.
Bulbs and plants with surviving organs.
Many bulbs are sold as houseplants just before flowering. After flowering, when whole bulbs, and not only their roots are composted and fertilized as they grow, most of them can be dried and put to sleep, and plant it again the following year. Alpine violet and syningia are two popular flowers, which can be treated in a similar way.
Care and treatment
One of the biggest concerns when caring for plants at home is getting the right amount of light. If we have frost-free, year-round greenhouse, strongly weakened plant specimens can be strongly trimmed, transplant and cultivate from the beginning in greenhouse conditions.
