How to Keep House Plants Alive & Thriving
It’s no secret that houseplants make us happy. They’re beautiful as decoration, meditative to tend to, and they can improve your home’s air quality. Unfortunately, we can end up killing indoor plants if we’re not sure how to care for them. Don’t worry - we’ve all been there!
As a proud plant parent (say that three times fast), I’ve compiled my tips, tricks and general musings on caring for houseplants for beginners. Read on—I’m certain they’ll help if your houseplants keep dying.
Pick the best plant breeds for your living environment
All plants need sunlight, air, warmth, but the type and extent of these depends on your particular plant breed.
Sunlight
Take a good look at your house, apartment or condo. Where is there direct sunlight? Where is there indirect sunlight (that’s when the room itself is bright, perhaps with white walls catching light, but actual sun rays don’t hit the area)? Where is there low light? You want to place plants in the areas they’d thrive the best. A quick google search will tell you what kind of sun your particular houseplant thrives in. Be extra careful not to place indirect or low light plants in the sun; it will literally burn their leaves! A general rule of (green) thumb is that darker leaf (dark green, purple) plants tend to like low light, whereas lighter leaf (light green, yellow, white) plants tend to like more sun.
Air circulation & Humidity
All plants tend to like at least 40% humidity because they need it to open up their pores and do their version of breathing. However, most homes (unless you live in the tropics) sit just below 30%. Invest in a humidifier or place several decorative bowls filled with water throughout the space to increase humidity. Another great way to increase humidity in and around your house plants is to simply spritz them with a spray bottle filled with water every now and then. That being said, there are plant breeds that are pretty good at surviving in dry air, such as those with waxy or fuzzy leaves.
Temperature
Generally speaking, house plants can tolerate the same living temperatures you can, which of course fluctuates from day to night. However, one thing to be particularly mindful of is the winter time. Plants placed too close to windows that are a bit too cold for your plant babies can kill them!
Choose houseplants that suit your lifestyle
Aside from picking plants that thrive best in the environment you have, you also have to pick the kinds that get along with you! Will you be home a lot to tend to them, or do you often go away on trips? You will need to consider this when deciding to get a high or low maintenance plant. If you’re a beginner, there are plenty of breeds that are easy to care for. There are also cactuses and succulents, which thrive on neglect! You can leave them without water for weeks, maybe months.
Watering is truly something to master
Speaking of water, when it comes to houseplants it’s no joke. The most common cause of plant death is overwatering. Let me repeat that: the most common cause of plant death is overwatering! I used to neurotically water my houseplants because I assumed that’s what they needed, only to find later on I’d drowned them. Ask your garden centre staff about the watering needs of your particular breed of plant, but generally no plant likes to sit in water for too long. It causes root rot.
Generally, you should only water your plants when the top 2-3 inches is dry. How often this happens is dependent on the plant and your home’s unique environment. Some plants need to be watered twice a week, some once a month. This is something you’ll come to learn as you get to know your plants. The type of pot and soil they’re in also greatly affects water drainage and absorption. Keep reading to find out how.
Plant them in the right pot
I used to overlook the type of pots I put my plants in, in favour of its design. Big mistake! Especially with houseplants that prefer to sit in drier soil, most stylish planters hinder drainage because they have no holes and/or they’re made of a material that isn’t porous or breathable. Unglazed/unpainted ceramic pots are typically best for all house plants, and if there are no holes you might want to consider placing stones at the bottom to prevent root rot (especially for succulents). The size of the planter also matters. If your pot is too big or small, your houseplant might grow in a weird formation/direction, or stop growing entirely.
If you’re not sure, just leave them in the plastic container you bought them in until you feel like it needs room to grow! You can always place that container in a larger, decorative planter. Nobody will know the difference!
Thoroughly inspect your plants before you buy them!
This is something I find people skip often. Don’t assume your plants are perfectly fine just because they’re being sold in a store. Take a look at its leaves, are they happy and healthy? Does any part of the plant look like it’s drooping, dry or torn? Check under its leaves for fungus or pests, both of which might just look like strange white dust. Fungus and pests are particularly necessary to search for, as they can be contagious to your other plants!
Remember that some plants are just bred to die
Sometimes the death of a plant might not be your fault! Plants, usually the kind that are mass produced for places such as Ikea, are bred and grown so quickly and artificially in a lab that they can’t possibly survive too long in the real world. I once spoke to a boutique garden centre owner, and she said some of these mass-produced plants are exposed to up to 20 hours of artificial light per day throughout their growth! This means when they’re purchased and brought home, they’re doomed to spend 3-4 months struggling to adjust to regular days of sunlight—before they finally give up and die. Try to buy your plants from reputable small businesses that care and nurture them the way you would!
With love,
Veronica
Thanks for reading! Here’s Ollie and I with our plant babies :)