Indoor plants for dark rooms, cool locations

This arum plant is the most frugal plant I know. In good conditions it grows like the devil, blossoms and quickly becomes a giant. It also looks very decorative. The lucky feather can be bought in almost any size, so that you can easily get the right copy for your location. The prices are very cheap compared to other plants, and care is child’s play. Every beginner and every plant lover without a green thumb can handle these plants.

It should be noted that very little water is poured at low temperatures. This is especially important in winter. The plants tolerate drought much better than moisture. Namely, they can store water. I have the Zamioculcas zamiifolia in a planter with an irrigation system. She can always take as much water as she needs. In winter, however, I only fill the storage tank with a little water. In a cool location, I would rather leave the storage tank empty and only pour it sporadically. In summer, when it is warm and usually lighter, the plants draw a lot of water.

• Location:  A bright place is ideal, but you can also cope well with dark corners, they just grow more slowly. Warm is also cheaper than cool, but the plants usually manage that too. Temperatures should not drop below 10 ° C, 15 ° C is better.
• Plant substrate: Standard soil  is completely sufficient
• Plants:  drainage in the bottom of the pot prevents wet feet and is important
• Watering:  water normally at room temperature. The more water the plant gets, the more it grows. Water little in a dark and cool location. Let the soil dry off before watering again. Better not too little than pour too much!
• Fertilizing:  you can, but you don’t have to. I put liquid fertilizer in the water depot once or twice in the spring and everything is fine.
• Cutting:  you don’t have to, but you can. The stumps remain and can be removed the next time they are repotted.
• Overwinter:  possible without difficulties. Hardly water in a dark, cool location.
• Propagate:  division or leaf cuttings – both very easy
• Diseases:  rather unknown. I’ve had the plants for years and have never had any problems.
• Pests:  extremely rare. There have never been any problems with that either.

I still have to issue a warning. The lucky feather grows rapidly in a vessel with an irrigation system. I have to repot every two to three years because the roots are already growing out of the container. However, the plants are bright and warm with me. They are very big. In a cool and dark location, they will certainly not grow too fast, but if you want to avoid that, you should plant normally.

Schusterpalme – Aspidistra (Aspedistra elatior)

The cobbler palm is not quite as decorative, but also very easy to care for. It copes perfectly with dark corners and cool temperatures. It is now difficult to find a cobbler palm in stores, the plants are out of fashion. There are so many new and interesting species that the old-fashioned cobbler palm doesn’t want many plant lovers anymore. I admit I’m one of them too. There are decorative variegated varieties, but they in turn need a lighter location, so they are not so well suited for this topic here.

The cobbler palm becomes 50 to 70 cm high. It is absolutely easy to care for and also suitable for beginners. This plant gets by with dark locations, low temperatures, dry air, dust, drafts and temperature fluctuations and is hard to kill. With good care, the cobbler palm develops into a quite stately houseplant. The flowers, which appear just above the ground, are, however, absolutely inconspicuous and usually hardly noticeable. All in all, the less cared for it is a plant that does better.

• Location:  medium light conditions are ideal, no sun, copes well with darker places, but grows much more slowly
• Plant substrate:  flower or standard soil
• Plants:  if possible, repot only every 4 to 5 years, a drainage in the bottom of the pot ensures that excess water can run off easily. No standing moisture in the planter or saucer
• Watering:  little all year round, just keep the bales slightly moist at all times. Let the soil dry well after watering. Brown spots on the leaves indicate too much moisture. Better not too little than pour too much.
•  Fertilization : in the growing season every 14 days with liquid fertilizer according to the instructions
• Cutting:  is not necessary. Cut off dried leaves or allow to dry completely and pull out
• Overwinter:  same conditions as in the rest of the year, watering little, but do not let dry out completely or if so, then only for a short time
• Propagate:  division of the rhizomes in spring. There must be at least two leaves per rhizome. Do not fertilize!
• Diseases:  Burns when exposed to sunlight, root rot when there is too much moisture, over-fertilization shows up in cracks in the leaves, petioles that are too short indicate insufficient nutrients
• Pests:  spider mite and mealybugs (mostly mealybugs)

Efeutute – Epipremnum aureum

The Efeutute is an arum plant and a climbing plant that can climb to a height of 10 m with the help of its aerial roots. However, I have found that the plants grow better when grown as a hanging basket. There are varieties with white, yellow or light green leaves, but these usually need a lighter spot to keep the color. Otherwise the plants get by with very little light. The Efeutute is a good beginner plant that forgives almost any mistake in care, as long as these are not repeated or accumulated over and over again. For example, this plant does not like drafts at all, but rather high humidity.

• Location:  partial shade is ideal, avoid sun exposure, also gets along well with darker places, but grows much worse there
• Plant substrate:  potting soil, a larger proportion of humus is beneficial
• Plants:  repotting is necessary every two to three years, the best time is in spring, a drainage system in the bottom of the pot ensures that excess water can run off. So there is no root rot due to waterlogging.
• Watering:  Water quite regularly during the growing season, otherwise the plant does not need a lot of water. The top layer of soil should always dry well before watering again.
•  Fertilizing : Supply with liquid fertilizer every 14 days during the growing season. Do not fertilize in winter.
• Cutting:  does not have to be cut, but can if it gets too big. A new plant can be grown from the cut shoots.
• Overwinter:  the colder the location, the less watering, do not fertilize, check regularly for pests, especially if the location is not ideal. Temperatures around 15 ° C are ideal.
• Propagate:  Propagation of cuttings, completely uncomplicated. Simply put the separated shoot in a glass with water. When enough roots have formed, it is planted. You can also shorten the shoot so that only about three leaves remain and plant it straight away. It is beneficial to put a bag over the container, because the shoots take root better.
• Diseases:  gray mold from too much moisture and over-fertilization (nitrogen). Cut off infected parts immediately and dispose of them. Stem rot – also too much moisture. Remove infected stems, nothing can be saved.
• Pests:  Spider mites and mealybugs, but rarely, mostly caused by incorrect care, excessively dry air and an unfavorable location

Nestfarn – Asplenium nest

Some ferns in the genus Asplenium are suitable for darker locations, including Asplenium bulbiferum (striped fern) and Asplenium dahcifolium (bird’s nest fern).

• Location:  Asplenium needs little light, gets along well with a partially shaded location, 10 to 16 ° C room temperature is sufficient, temperatures below that are unfavorable, above 22 ° C too.
• Plant substrate:  a mixture of deciduous and compost soil 1: 1 is ideal. Long-fiber peat can also be used instead of leaf earth. The earth must be sterile!
• Planting:  proceed carefully and do not plant too deeply, the nest fern is actually an epiphyte like orchids, but can also be planted in the ground.
• Watering:  water abundantly in the main growing season, hardly let it dry out during the rest period, but do not let it dry out. Use only soft, room temperature water! Rainwater is ideal. A fairly high level of humidity is important.
• Fertilize:  only in the main growing season and then only sparingly, once a month in a low concentration. Rhododendron fertilizer is ideal.
• Cutting:  not necessary, just cut off diseased and damaged leaves
• Overwinter:  water a little, but don’t let it dry out completely. The cooler the location, the less water! Check for pest infestation.
•  Propagate : Nest farm only via spores, which is complicated. The other two ferns can be propagated by nodules or by separating young plants.
• Diseases:  brown leaf margins when the humidity is too low, brown leaf spots from drafts and incorrect watering habits, very light-colored leaves from too much exposure to the sun
• Pests:  leaf worms (roundworms), scale insects when the air is dry

Green Lily – Chlorophytum commosum

The green lily is an easy to care for and grateful houseplant. It is frugal, grows quickly and forms many children, which then hang down around the mother plant. The plant gets by with very little light, although it develops its leaf pattern more clearly in lighter locations. The home of the green lily is Africa, which is why it gets by with little water. Otherwise it is not very demanding. The green lily is an ideal hanging plant.

• Location:  not too dark, not too sunny, no direct sunlight, the darker, the less leaf color, temperatures not below 10 ° C, in summer also preferably outdoors, but without direct sun
• Plant substrate:  a mixture of flower and compost soil
• Plants:  repot in spring, whenever the roots grow out of the pot or blow it up
• Watering:  only water moderately, no waterlogging, do not let dry out. Drought is not tragic as long as it does not become permanent
• Fertilize:  fertilize a little every now and then during the growing season
• Cutting:  not necessary, Kindels can be cut off, otherwise only cut out diseased parts
• Overwinter:  possible without any problems, temperatures not below 10 ° C, check for pests
• Increase:  share, offshoot, child
• Diseases:  very healthy plant, too much moisture leads to root rot
• Pests:  aphids, mealybugs, mealybugs, whitefly

Conclusion
Even non-ideal locations can be equipped with plants. It is important that they are not too dark and not too cold, i.e. not below 10 ° C, better not below 15 ° C. It is important to choose the right plants. It makes the difference between victory and defeat in cultivation. One must not choose plants that can only exist with sufficient light. Temperatures are rarely the problem, mostly the lack of light. My favorite of the plants shown here is the lucky feather. I have hardly come across a more frugal plant and I have already tried many. It is bright with me, but I know that it can get by with significantly less light. She was already standing in the dark corner. It’s clear, that all plants do not grow optimally and usually quite slowly in non-ideal growth conditions, but that can also be an advantage if there is not much space at all. In the end, all that helps is to try it out and find out which plant is best for the location.