African violet. Plants will take bright indirect light behind a thin curtain in a south-facing window until Mother’s Day when plants should be moved to a northern window for the summer. Move plants back to southern exposure in late August. Allow soil to dry at the top before watering the next time with warm water. Use African violet fertilizer according to label instructions.

Agave. Plants prefer full sun the year-round, but will tolerate bright indirect light if sun isn’t available. Let the soil go bone dry between watering (the rootball generally shrinks from the wall of the pot). The plant needs only one feeding of acid fertilizer each year; use Jack’s Classic 17-6-6 Acid Special now available at nurseries and independent garden centers.

Aloe. Plants belong in full, direct sun until Mother’s Day when they take bright indirect light. Soil needs to be almost bone dry between watering. Omit fertilizer until Halloween when the one and only application of granular plant food should be made.

Aluminum Plant (Pilea). Until Easter, the plant does best in full sun in a south-facing window, but needs to be moved out of full sun by mid-April for the spring, summer and early fall. Return the plant to full sun in early October. Keep the soil lightly moist from here on (like the moisture content of a sponge after you’ve squeezed out the water). The plant takes label rate applications of 20-20-20 water soluble plant food now to September, no fertilizer until the next March.

Cape Primrose (Streptocarpus). Dormant since Thanksgiving, the plant should be moved into full sun in a south-facing window to start growing again. Keep the soil lightly moist, using warm water as needed. Avoid overwatering as it kills roots. Fertilize monthly with Jack’s Classic 15-30-15 houseplant special through July, halting plant food over the summer. Resume monthly feedings starting at Halloween, continuing over the winter.

Cast-Iron Plant (Aspidistra). The plant should never be set in the sun, otherwise you’ll have a dead plant in a matter of weeks. The best location is in bright indirect light, even if your only option is a northern window. Soil should be kept lightly moist the year-round. Using 20-20-20 water-soluble plant food at the label rate, make monthly applications from early March to late September; withhold fertilizer over the winter.

Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema). The plant thrives indoors in poor light, so bright light isn’t essential. Set the plant where it will have medium indirect light, even exposure from lights in the room. Lightly moist soil is a priority year-round; never let the soil go dry. Use Jack’s Classic all-purpose 20-20-20 water-soluble plant food at the label rate when seasons of the year change (March, June, September and late December).

Coleus. The plant will take full sun until early April when it needs to be moved behind a thin curtain in a warm, sunny room. From May to Labor Day, plants need only bright indirect light, moved back behind a curtain in early September and into full sun from Halloween on. Keep a close watch on the soil because it should be lightly moist the year-round. Fertilize monthly from March to October with Jack’s Classic 20-20-20 at the label rate, then again in November and January.

Devil’s Ivy (Pothos). The plant takes bright to low light year-round. Soils should go moderately dry (not bone dry) between watering. Use a granular plant food (Osmocote 14-14-14) twice a year, in March and September. No fertilizer at other times of year.

Dumbcane (Dieffenbachia). Plant needs only bright light to perform well year-round. Average temperature rooms are OK. Let the soil go moderately dry between watering. The plant takes Jack’s Classic 20-20-20 plant food every four weeks in June, July, August and September, then in December. No fertilizer is needed now unless you didn’t feed in December, in which case fertilize now.

Dracaena (Corn Plant). Bright indirect light is best the year-round. Soil should be kept lightly moist at all times. Fertilize with Jack’s Classic 20-20-20 at the label rate every month from early March to September, then no food over fall and winter.

Ficus Benjamina (Weeping Fig). The “tree” that dots shopping malls, banks, offices and such, this ficus takes bright indirect light; avoid full sun unless you want to risk losing the tree. Warm room temperatures between 60 and 85 degrees are ideal. If there is one cultural practice to avoid, it is overwatering. Always allow the soil to go fairly dry between watering. A good rule-of-thumb is to water every 12 to 14 days; by this time, you will see the rootball pulling away from the wall of the pot; using tepid water, soak the rootball thoroughly. Fertilize every three months year-round with Jack’s Classic 20-20-20. Where possible, weeping figs should be moved outdoors the first days of June to bask in tropical humidity at night. Choose the location carefully because the tree must be set in fairly dense shade (minimal exposure to sunlight). Plants are returned to the house in late September after being sprayed to control insects. Indoors, locate plants in the strongest indirect sunlight possible.

Gold Dust Plant (Aucuba). The plant takes full, direct sun from Thanksgiving to the first two weeks of April, after which a thin curtain is drawn at the south-facing window to diffuse the rays of the sun. By late September, remove the curtain so the plant is again bathed in full sun. Year-round, keep the soil lightly moist. Energize the plant with applications of Jack’s Classic 20-20-20 plant food every three months year-round.

Grape Ivy (Cissus). This is one of the few plants which are sensitive to room temperatures; in other words, it won’t tolerate cool temperatures. From Halloween to May, the plant needs 60 to 70 degree temperatures, and around 70 over the summer. Plants take bright indirect light year-round, so sunlight poring through a north-facing window from Mother’s Day to mid-September makes for a happy plant. Soil should go fairly dry between watering. Monthly feedings with Jack’s Classic 10-30-20 blossom booster year-round is recommended.

Ivy. The best advice is to provide good light year-round. From Halloween to mid-April, ivy does best in full sun in a south-facing window, but must be sheltered from the sun’s rays by mid-April because this exposure will burn ivy leaves. Moving the ivy away from the sunny window is a mid-April priority. Also, ivy is a favorite target of mealybugs and spider mites, so the plant should be double-potted over the fall and winter so leaves are bathed in humidity above 30 percent. Keep the soil barely moist year-round. Monthly feedings with Jack’s Classic 20-20-20 at half the label rate will yield spectacular results.