I always thought I would have a brown thumb because my mom wasn’t very good at keeping plants alive. Well, lo and behold, I actually have a green thumb. One of my favorite things to do with my husband is to go plant shopping. He goes to nurseries looking for fruit trees and I check out the indoor plants, and we both usually come home with something.
Keeping plants alive isn’t as hard as you think it is. Here are a few tips on how to care for your indoor plants…
1. Water: Overwatering is probably the most common reason a plant doesn’t thrive. They are a few plants that like to have very moist soil, but most of the time, plants do better when you let the soil dry out a bit between waterings. Stick your finger an inch into the soil (closer to the edge of the pot), and if it’s dry, it’s time to water. After doing this a few times, you’ll get to know your plant and have a better idea of what kind of watering schedule it should be on.
I like to gather all my plants in the sink to water them. To water, lift up the leaves and water the soil until you see a little bit of water trickle from the bottom. If you have a saucer to catch the excess water, be sure to dump it after about 30 minutes. It’s not good for plants to be sitting in water. Plants like a shower, but they don’t want to soak in a bath.
2. Drainage: I find it works well when I put a 1/2″ – 1″ layer of pebbles at the bottom of the pot. The pebbles will keep the water away from the roots. Also, for some plants that like a little humidity, if there is a little bit of water in the pebbles, that will help provide that. When repotting (which is probably another post on its own), use a pot with drainage holes. Good drainage is critical to plant health. Pots with no holes will keep all the water in, and more than likely root rot will occur.
3. Light: Always pay attention to the care label of your plant when you first purchase it, or do some research online. You need to know if your indoor plant wants full sun, partial sun, or shade. My fig tree loves the sun, so it’s by a big window to get bright light. Now fig trees also grow towards the sun, so I have to rotate it once in awhile to prevent it from leaning one direction. Typically, most plants like really sunny rooms, but there are a few like the snake plant or ZZ plant that do moderately well in low light environments.
Pay attention to see if the plant is lanky or has paler foliage. This may be an indication that it is not getting enough light. If so, gradually move it to a spot where it can get more light. If a plant has been in a certain spot for a long time, it can go into shock if it’s moved too suddenly, so you want to gradually transition it to a new area.
If you want to ease into indoor plants, these are some of the hardy ones that are almost impossible to kill: philodendron, aroid palm, and the snake plant.
It’s still winter, and we were gone for two weeks for Christmas, so I can totally tell some of my plants feel a little neglected (some seem lankier and not as green), but I’m hoping they will perk back up with some TLC. Though I do have four kids, so they get my attention first. And of course, with kids around, the occasional torn leaf or broken branch happens too. Or in the case of my cactus, they made indents all over it with their nails because they thought the thickness was interesting (oye!). Anyway, plants add so much beauty to a space, so don’t get intimidated, and start with one. As long as you don’t overwater, you’re pretty much good! –Rubyellen
Credits // Author and Photography: Rubyellen Bratcher. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.
Obsessed, thanks for the plant tips! I’m growing a veritable jungle now, it’s quite easy to get carried away after the satisfaction of not killing one!
I love indoor gardening!
Jumana
http://www.mercadouae.com
These tips are so great.. especially rotating your plants, which makes total sense, but I’ve never done it before.. and that’s why some of my plants are lopsided.. haha. Taking care of that many plants is a full time job! I love plants but I wish some would just water themselves. It’s almost like cleaning, you don’t really want to, but you have to! Nevertheless I’ll keep on buying new plants. It makes your home so beautiful.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ve really been needing simple tips for keeping plants alive in the house. I’m a newbie and being a plant momma, so this is super helpful!
Circus & Bloom
I love buying indoor plants too. I find it nice that most plants like a bit of a dryness between waterings since I don’t always keep right on that. I think it’s a lot to do with getting to know your plants and their “preferences.” You’ll know when something’s not right.
.. Laura ..
Love the black pot in the first picture. Any details on where (and if) it can be ordered online?
I am the opposite of you…my mom was a florist and a gardner, and I thought I would innately have a green thumb and mine is most definitely black! i’m getting a little better and you are right, my biggest problem is overwatering!
-meg
www.waterlilyshop.com
@waterlilyshop
Awesome tip!s Thanks!
I’ve always wanted to start with an indoor plant garden or like some cacti and succulents. However, My nephews and niece are 3-ish and I always get the feeling of “poor plant, save it the trouble” lol also, with My university and job, I’d only be getting more work for Mommy…
I do like the post 🙂 once I travel and move out I am so definitely doing this!
-SJay
The Chronic Dreamer
I’m experimenting with growing Avocado trees from seeds. I did my research on the internet and did just as they suggested but somehow none of my four seeds started to show any signs of becoming a plant. Is there anyone out there who tried to grow Avocado and succeeded with it?
Use a good potting soil, very large pit with drainage and tray. Wet soil well. Let drain. Plant avocado seed twice depth it is tall. Circular rings & coloring mark the bottom. If you are going into fall, your tree may not sprout till spring and warmer weather. Keep in semi shaded good sun exposure. Let dry between watering but don’t make it a desert. Insert a sharpened pencil into soil. If coated in dirt add no water. If very little dirt slowly soak in sink. Water draining out will remove salts. When tree is two feet high and you do not plan on planting outside (very warm climate year round) look for sop halfway up on trunk, just above leaf and cut your tree in half. If you do not do this expect your tree to attempt to reach its natural height of 40 feet. As tree hardens, gradually give it full sun. A seed inherits from two parents so parentage may be unknown so you may never see fruit. A cutting or grafted branch is a piece off a known individual and retains the same genes. It may produce fruit. Once or twice a year as needed add fresh soil. I avoid fertilizer. Soil intended for fruit trees could be beneficial. In Mexico, many avocado groves are growing on volcanic rich soil and unripe fruit is harvested. Fallen fruit on ground is not sold.
I’ve been wanting to get some house plants for a while, I might go shopping for some in the spring!
www.peonyandpeach.blogspot.com
I agree!! I asked a question about one above.. waiting for a response!
I wish you would clarify what the plants in the photos are (as is always done with clothes, for example). Ie, you list some hardy ones at the end, but that’s not all the ones you show……..
love your home! i need these tips– i kill every plant i touch!
xx nikki
www.dream-in-neon.com
Also want to ask, in the last post’s photo, what’s the name of this plant on the table in the white pot? The big one? So nice.
tsiou, from http://www.inwhirlofinspiration.com/
where do you get cute pots with drainage holes and trays?? that’s the hardest thing for me to find!
I needed some tips. I just lost a cactus and can’t get my money tree is heading that way. I’ve had luck with my fig tree but with most plants I have a black thumb!
Great tips! Especially for the girls with no green thumb!
I’ve never really been that great at keeping plants alive, either. But about a year and a half ago, my mother-in-law sent me a houseplant as kind of a sympathy bouquet (one of my grandfathers had just passed away). I’m not 100% sure what this plant is, I think it might be a peace lily, but it’s awesome because all I have to do is wait for the leaves to start drooping, water it, and then it magically perks right back up! I guess at some point, I should think about giving it a larger pot, but the one it came in looks so nice and contains the water so well. Which is good, since I have to keep it on top of the fridge so our dogs don’t eat it.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ve really been needing simple tips for keeping plants alive in the house. I’m a newbie and being a plant momma, so this is super helpful!
Circus & Bloom