装扮你的绿色生活：如何照顾你的小绿植

英语自学网

　　From watering to fertilizing and other details, successfully keeping an indoor plant seems to be a troublesome affair. But succulent plants turn it into a fun and easy experience. These fleshy plants don’t require much care and can easily survive and grow.
        　　从浇水、施肥到其它细节，要养好一株室内植物貌似是一件棘手的事。但养肉质植物就是一件轻松有趣的事情了。这些肉质植物不需要太多关注，它们容易存活和生长。
        　　The following are some hardy types that anyone can keep alive and thriving. Why not let these green plants decorate your room, clean the air and accompany you through your college days?
        　　下面介绍的是一些耐寒植物，任何人都能养活它们，使它们茁壮成长。为什么不用这些绿色植物装饰你的房间、净化室内空气呢?为什么不让它们来陪伴你度过大学生活呢?
        　　Snake plant
        　　虎尾兰
        　　The Snake plant, also known as Mother-in-law’s Tongue, needs little light to grow. Juliette Vass, owner of New York-based online plant store My City Plants, says it “can literally survive in a closet”. You can even just leave this plant in a pot for years, allowing the roots to multiply into a thick clump. It has long and variegated leaves with deep green centers and light yellow edges. Its flowers are small and white, but it rarely blooms.
        　　虎尾兰还有一个好笑的英文名字“Mother-in-law’s Tongue(丈母娘的舌头)”，它只需一点阳光便可茁壮成长。纽约植物网店“我的城市植物”的店主朱丽叶•瓦什说，虎尾兰完全可以在壁橱里存活下来。
        　　Care tips
        　　温馨护理贴士
        　　Allow the soil to dry out slightly between waterings. Don’t overwater, because it will cause leaf and crown rot. It tolerates low light but performs best with medium to bright light. It doesn’t need fertilizer. Any normal room temperature should suit it just fine. Remember to prune out any damaged leaves so the overall plant looks better.
        　　土壤稍微干透后再次浇水。切勿过度浇水，否则会导致叶子和花冠腐烂。虎尾兰耐阴，但中强光下会长得更好。不需要施肥。适合任何正常的室温。为了让整株植物更耐看，要记得剪去任何枯枝烂叶。
        　　Hens-and-chicks
        　　屋顶长生花
        　　Sempervivum Tectorum and Echeveria Elegans share the common name of Hens-and-Chicks. They both produce “chicks” — small and identical plants that are slightly offset from the mother (hen). But they look different. Echeveria Elegans forms flat and flowerlike rosettes, while Sempervivum Tectorum’s leaves tend to be flatter and more-pointed. The availability of different-colored hybrids makes them the perfect paint-box plants.
        　　屋顶长生草和月影有个共同的名字——“Hens-and-Chicks”，直译过来便是“母鸡和小鸡”。两种植物均产“小鸡”—形状相同的小型叶片，与母株(母鸡)有稍微差别。但两者看上去不一样。月影的形叶片扁平，犹如一朵盛开的莲花，但屋顶长生草的叶片往往更加扁平，叶子更尖。这两种植物的颜色富于变化，有多种混合颜色，是制作颜料的最佳选择。
            
            

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        　　Care tips
        　　温馨护理贴士
        　　Fertilize three times in summer with balanced fertilizer. Propagate by removing offsets and potting them. Although they look tough, they are easily scarred if water touches the foliage or if bumped. The soil should be allowed to dry slightly between waterings, as overwatering causes rotting. Water very little during winter dormancy.
        　　夏天施三次平衡肥料。这种植物的繁殖可以剪取小莲座形叶盘，然后插到花盆里。尽管看起来很结实，但叶片一旦接触到水或者受到碰撞，就容易受伤。应等土壤稍微干透后再次浇水，不然过度浇水会导致其腐烂。冬天休眠期应少浇水。
        　　Aloe
        　　芦荟
        　　With long, pointed leaves, this succulent plant has medicinal properties and often appears on product labels. It has been used for centuries to treat wounds and sunburn. Some varieties can grow high and grand. But smaller varieties like the popular Aloe Vera, work great in small and sunny indoor spaces. There are sharp “teeth” along the leaf margins, so place it where it can’t be brushed accidentally.
        　　芦荟为肉质植物，有长长的尖叶，富有药用价值，经常出现在产品标签上。几个世纪以来，它一直被用于治疗创伤和晒伤。一些品种会长得非常高大。但小品种比如龙舌兰在阳光充足的室内小环境下长得非常好。叶子边缘成齿状，所以应放在不容易碰触到的地方。
        　　Care tips
        　　温馨护理贴士
        　　Allow the soil to dry out during soakings. Don’t let it stand in water and water only once or twice a week. Water it sparingly in the winter since it won’t dry up quickly. Keep it in direct sunlight or the greatest amount of light possible.
        　　土壤稍微干透后再次浇水。不要让它浸泡在水中，一两周浇一次水。冬天浇少量水，因为它不会干得很快。放置在阳光直接照射的地方或尽可能接触阳光。
        　　Jade plant
        　　翡翠木
        　　For those who love the good looks of a plant, the Jade plant is a great choice with its thick, lush leaves and visually interesting branches. It grows slowly and has the potential to accompany you far beyond your college life. This South African native is an old-fashioned favorite due to its easy-care characteristics.
        　　对于注重植物外观的人，翡翠木是一个不错的选择，因为它的叶片多肉肥厚、苍翠繁茂，分枝看起上去饶有趣味。翡翠木生长地很慢，有可能在你大学毕业后继续伴你左右。这种植物原生于南非，由于其易护理的特性，从而得到了长期的厚爱。
        　　Care tips
        　　温馨护理贴士
        　　It does not require much water, so keep the soil somewhat dry. Keep it potted in terra-cotta for good air movement through the soil and to help balance the top-heavy plant. It prefers bright light and an ordinary room temperature.
        　　不需要太多水，所以要保持土壤一定的干燥性。要装在赤土陶器里，以保证土壤之间良好的空气流通，同时帮助这种头重脚轻的植物保持平衡。翡翠木更喜强光和正常室温。
        　　Sedum Morganianum
        　　翡翠景天，或松鼠掌
        　　Sedum Morganianum’s overlapping gray-green or gray-blue leaves can grow up to 3 feet (91.4 cm) long. It is shown to its best advantage when planted in a hanging basket where perfect drainage is assured. It also grows well dangling from a pot on a wall or balcony. As a native of Mexico, it prefers medium to bright light. Although it rarely blooms, pink or red flowers may appear at the end of the stems in summer.
        　　翡翠景天呈灰绿色或灰蓝色，叶片层层叠叠，可以长至3英尺高(91.4厘米)。悬于吊篮上，其优势便展露无遗，因吊篮可保证最佳的排水效果。将它悬于盆上， 挂在墙上或置于阳台，其都能健康生长。这种源自墨西哥的植物喜好中强光。尽管很少开花，但夏天的时候，茎干尾部会开出粉色或红色花朵。
        　　Care tips
        　　温馨护理贴士
        　　Allow the soil to dry slightly between waterings. The leaves fall off with even a light touch, so keep it where it won’t be disturbed. Although it likes bright light, avoid sudden exposure to direct sunlight, otherwise it may cause sunburn. Give it a shaded location with filtered light.
        　　土壤稍微干透后再次浇水。即使轻碰，翡翠景天的叶子也会脱落，所以要放在不会受到干扰的地方。尽管它喜好强光，也不要突然暴露在阳光下，否则会导致晒伤。将之置于阴暗处，但能受到阳光的间接照射。