Plants indoors prefer a position where the they receive some light coming in through an archway, window, skylight or doorway. Direct sunlight for part of the day can be tolerated happily by plants provided that it is not long exposure to hot summer sun. Morning sun or sun filtered through shrubs and trees is ideal. Bright light through colored or frosted glass provides and attractive background for a group of palms and can be quite suitable for their growth. Such glass however may transmit heat and the plants will require more frequent watering and attention to humidity than would be the case in other areas. Solar films applied to windows to reduce heat and glare are very detrimental to indoor plants.

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Indoor atmospheres are generally of low humidity and tend to fluctuate considerably with changes in the outdoor environment as well as heating and air conditioning. plants generally dislike low humidities although there is a considerable range of response within the group. Species that are intolerant of low and fluctuating humidities lose their lustre and appear dull and are often severely attacked by pests such as spider-mite and mealy bug.
The answer to low humidity is to change the atmosphere around the plants. This does not necessarily mean increased watering although the plants must not be allowed to dry out. Many an indoor palm has been killed by overwatering because its leaves seemingly advertised that it was dry. The dryness is, in fact, caused by the low humidity and cannot be compensated for by increased watering of the potting mixture. Increasing the humidity around the leaves is the most successful solution. This can be achieved by grouping indoor plants so that each contributes to the atmosphere around the other. For the same reason a number of plants in each pot is more successful than just one. Standing the pot in a large saucer of wet, evaporative material such as scoria is also a useful technique to increase the surrounding humidity as is misting the plants at regular intervals with a fine spray.

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The majority of plants are tropical in origin and therefore dislike low temperatures, although some of the successful indoor species grow very well in temperate regions. Tropical plants in active growth may be damaged by temperatures around 14º C but if they are dormant or are growing slowly, they can withstand somewhat lower temperatures. The length of time the plant is exposed to the low temperature also exerts a considerable influence. Low temperatures are not a problem in tropical regions, but in highland districts and temperate zones the winter temperature indoors can drop to a level which can cause damage to sensitive species.
Houses fitted with internal heating avoid the problems of cold damage to indoor plants but the resultant very dry atmospheres may cause excessive water loss. Indoor plants in winter grow slowly not only because of lower temperatures but also through reduced light intensity and short daylight hours.

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Although watering indoor plants is basic common sense, for various reasons it creates more problems and frustrations than any other aspect of the plant's care. Healthy, actively growing plants need regular watering and frequency depends upon the prevailing temperatures and humidity. In summer, plants can be safely watered daily whereas in winter their needs are much less. The same parameters as for indoor plants apply - vigorous-growing plants will need more water more frequently than those growing slowly or not at all, plants will need watering more regularly in the summer than in the winter and plants growing in bright light will dry out more quickly than those in dim positions.
Other factors must also be considered such as the type of potting mix, the size of the pot and how full it is of roots and the prevailing temperature and humidity. The potting mixture must drain well but should also retain sufficient water for the plant's growth. Heavy soils that become soggy when watered are useless for plants as they only lead to rotting of the roots and retardation or death of the plant.
plants that are kept too dry lose the sheen on their leaves, generally look unhealthy and may even wilt. plants that are too wet suffer damage to the tips of the leaflets which die and become brown. If they have suffered root damage such as rotting of the root tips, waterlogged plants may also wilt because the damaged roots are unable to extract water from the soil. Wilting in plants is not as prominent as in other groups of plants.
The ideal watering regime keeps the potting mixture sufficiently moist to keep adequate oxygen and water available to the roots for growth. Regular topping up can be quite satisfactory but at intervals the potting mixture should be thoroughly soaked so that the water flows out the drainage holes. This ensures a thorough wetting of the root system and also leaches out salts which may have accumulated from the breakdown of the fertilizers. This leaching process should be performed out of doors or in a bath or sink.
In any group of indoor plants some specimens are going to require more regular watering than others. It is a temptation to water all of the plants at the same time but this should be avoided and individual needs catered for. For example, if all of the plants are watered each time the most vigorous plant dries out then the least vigorous ones will receive too much.

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Indoor plants, like any indoor plants, appreciate a 'freshen-up' at intervals. This can consist of a hosing down in the garden to wash the dust of the leaves and refreshen the plants generally. This simple act can also be important in reducing pest buildup and discouraging species such as mites which like dry conditions. It is also a good policy to put plants outside in rainy or drizzly weather, but they must not be left out if the sun appears. Such sudden exposure can drastically burn plants that have been shielded from it.
Resting indoor plants by moving them to a shady position in the garden or bush house is very beneficial. Here they are well watered, repotted or fertilized if necessary and generally encouraged to recuperate and put on new growth. Once spelled, the plants can then be moved back indoors. With planning a series of plants can be cycled in this way, and those indoors can always be at their peak. plants should be rested outside for two to three weeks after every two-month period indoors.

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Indoor plants benefit from the application of fertilizers but these should only be applied during the warm growing months of the year. Fertilizers applied during winter when growth is slow or sudden applications of quick-release fertilizers to starved or debilitated plants may be of no benefit and indeed may even cause severe burning. Fertilizers are best applied in the small doses at regular intervals and the soil mixture should be watered thoroughly and regularly after the application. Quick-release fertilizers should never be applied to newly potted plants or to those where the root system has be damaged (for example by waterlogging), because the weakened or new roots can be readily burned.
A wide range of commercial products are available to fertilize indoor plants and most of these will be successful with plants. Fertilizers are usually incorporated in the potting mix to encourage initial growth and these may supplemented with side dressings when it is felt that the growth is in need of a boost. Complete fertilizer mixtures are usually used in the potting mixes and these may be quick or slow releasing. Organic manures and fertilizers can be very beneficial but some such as blood and bone have the drawback of being smelly and attractive to dogs.
Supplementary fertilizing of plants can be carried out using slow-release fertilizers, plant pills, or liquid preparations. Liquid fertilizers are very beneficial and usually safe except where the plant is suffering from overwatering. A useful, cheap, nitrogenous preparations can be made by dissolving 1½ teaspoons of urea or ammonium nitrate in a watering can of water. Commercial preparations have the amounts to be applied on the packet and these recommendations should be adhered to. Some nutrients can be applied through the leaves in a process known as foliar feeding. This is generally a much less satisfactory and more expensive way of boosting growth than root applications.

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It should be mentioned here that container-grown plants may be more susceptible to certain pests than are those plants grown in the garden. The three most serious pests of container-grown plants are mealy bugs, spider-mites and scale insects. Spider-mites revel in dry conditions and are mainly a pest of indoor plants. Their effects can be reduced by frequent misting or hosing. Mealy bugs and scale may be present on any palm but become very severe on those that are weakened or debilitated through neglect. Healthy plants resist pests far better than weakened ones.

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