Question
Good morning, I live in Queens, NYC, in an apartment. I received a potted tulip plant as a retirement gift.  I put it on the window sill, until I could give to a relative with a yard. To my surprise the tulips open and close everyday. I love them. They are so pretty. Can they stay on the window sill? Is it possible to grow Callas lilies indoors on my window sill? If not are there any other flowers you can recommend I can grow in a pot on my window sill. I think my window faces south, but gets  full sunlight during the day. Thank you for reading my e-mail. Debra

Answer
Hi Debra,

Potted tulips are hybrids that have been forced into bloom early. Keep the soil moist and provide lots of sun to keep them in boom as long as possible. After it is finished flowering, you should discard it. It will never bloom again as an indoor potted plant and because it is a forced hybrid it will not survive in the ground in our area.

Calla lilies can be kept as indoor potted plants and they will re-bloom, but they are very challenging and I don't recommend them unless you have had considerable prior success with indoor plants. Callas need lots of direct sunlight, tight pots and soil that is kept moist through the spring and summer. In the fall they go semi-dormant with reduced watering if you want them to flower again in the spring.

The easiest flowering plants to grow indoors are African violets and Peace Lilies. Other flowering plants are quite a bit more challenging and require just the right amount of light, proper pot size and careful watering. These include Jasmine, Phalaenopsis Orchids, Bromeliads, Kalanchoe, Begonias, Gloxinia, Wax Plant (Hoya carnosa), Stephanotis, Cyclamen, Clivia and many others. For a south facing window, I recommend the Wax Plant and Kalanchoe. Both of these will tolerate dry soil and neglect.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

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