If you don't have a garden, you would at least want to create a small, green oasis within your four walls. However, not all plants feel comfortable in the home. Conifers in particular need light and air - with one exception: the indoor fir can also be easily cultivated in the living room.
Which conifer is suitable as a houseplant?
The indoor fir (Araucaria heterophylla) is a coniferous tree suitable for indoor cultivation. It requires a bright, cool location, slightly acidic, lime-poor soil and regular, weakened rhododendron fertilization. In winter it should hibernate at around 10 °C.
Many coniferous trees are not suitable for indoor cultivation
No matter how tempting it is: a spruce, pine or other native coniferous tree does not belong in the apartment. These trees need the change of seasons and more sunlight, air and moisture than you could give them indoors. For this reason, bonsai made from native trees should generally only be kept outside. In the apartment, however, plants from the subtropical and tropical regions of the world are cultivated because they cannot cope with the local climatic conditions. By the way: Keeping things in a winter garden cannot be compared to growing pots on the living room windowsill: winter gardens imitate life in the great outdoors more realistically, especially since they often don't need to be heated in winter.
The indoor fir in a portrait
The only coniferous tree suitable is the popular indoor fir (Araucaria heterophylla), which is native to the subtropical Norfolk Island in Australia. In the wild the tree grows up to 60 meters high; in the pot it reaches a height of around two meters if well cared for. However, the indoor fir grows very slowly, which is why this final height is only achieved late - if at all.
Location and substrate
The indoor fir needs a bright, but not directly sunny and cool location. Do not place the tree directly in front of a window or on the windowsill as it will quickly become too warm there. In summer you can also put the pot on the balcony or terrace. As a substrate, choose a low-lime houseplant soil that is, at best, slightly acidic. Rhododendron soil is also very suitable.
Care
In summer, the substrate should always be kept slightly moist, avoiding waterlogging. Fertilize the indoor fir every two weeks with a weakened rhododendron fertilizer and repot it into fresh substrate every two to three years. In winter the tree should overwinter at around 10 °C cool and frost-free.
Tip
The selection of suitable conifers for pot cultivation is very large if you can place the pots on the balcony or terrace.
