Crotons - Indoors

Indoor plants make a lovely and welcome appearance to any home, and one great plant for growing indoors is the Croton. Crotons are lovely tropical plants that are prized for their terrific leaf colours and patterns. There are many varieties to choose from and all with their own special appeal. Crotons are very popular for growing indoors because of their marvellously coloured leaves. The colours may be in blotches, spots, lines or around the outer margin of the leaf. To grow Crotons indoors, they need a brightly lit position near a north or east facing window. They do not grow so well in darker rooms. If your rooms are not very well lit, Crotons can be grown outside in semi-shaded areas and brought inside for periods of three to four weeks at a time to add lively colour to the indoors. Then they can be shifted back to their outdoor position and so on.
	For good growth, repot them into a new pot using Searles® Premium Potting Mix and use a slightly larger pot than the original pot. Crotons only need a moderate amount of watering, so give them a drink a couple of times a week. In very hot weather, they may need more watering, however, in winter they may only need to be watered once a week.
To keep them growing well, fertilise them with Searles Flourish® every 3-4 weeks. For indoor plants, it is best to apply liquid fertilisers directly to the soil and avoid foliage feeding. For even growth all around the Croton, turn the pot a quarter turn every week. This will ensure that the plant does not become lopsided, as it will grow towards the light. Crotons can be a target for some pests, mainly mealy bugs and small scales, although pest problems are rare. If these occur, use a suitable pesticide available from your local garden centre. Happy Gardening with Searles from the Searle family. © Copyright 2002 JC & AT Searle Pty Ltd You may make a copy of this Fact Sheet for your personal, non-commercial use only. Please do not make any other use of this Fact Sheet without first obtaining our permission.