Simple Indoor Plant Care For Dummies
Your flash guide to the indoor jungle of your dreams.
If you’re anything like me, you love a good pop of color in your home. Something that gives it character. That makes it YOU. A well-placed painting, some tasteful wallpaper, or a gorgeous Persian rug can all add so much to your space.
Plants add warmth and life to your home. There is such depth in the richness of the different shades of green. Caring for a plant can give you a sense of accomplishment and nothing beats the feeling of success when you are rewarded with a happy propagation — or as I like to call them: plant babies. Those little roots showing you how happy they are in your home is so rewarding.
But you’ve killed all the plants you’ve brought home and nothing seems happy in your space. You want a green thumb but it looks like that’s not in the cards for you.
Well, I’m here to tell you: YOU CAN DO IT! After years of trial and error, I’ve nailed down a system for keeping my plant babies not only alive but happy. And I’m going to share it with you!
First off…
SUNLIGHT. Indoor plants love the sun, but not direct! A good north or south-facing window is ideal. Plants convert sunlight into energy and that energy is what helps a plant grow and thrive.
SOIL. Most indoor plants are way hardier then we give them credit for. I once kept a plant alive in a bathroom with no natural light for over a year! Just your average indoor potting mix will do great. I like to use this kind from Harris.
POTS. Now, here's the most controversial thing I’ll say this whole post: The ONLY pots I use are clay or terracotta pots. And before you come at me, here's why: terracotta pots absorb the excess water and HOLD it until the plant needs it! How amazing is that? Most of my plants were dying from root rot — a nasty issue that’s caused by overwatering. Having terracotta pots helped reduce the risk of that. Plus, over time they develop this gorgeous, white-washed antique look that adds to the character of both the plant and the pot. It’s also super important to have a hole at the bottom of your pot for drainage, which most terracotta pots have. You can find clay pots at a local nursery, Home Depot or Walmart.
WATER. This one is pretty essential. Plants need water to live and thrive. My problem when I first started out with indoor plants was overwatering — as stated above. I would water 2–3 times a week! Little did I know (until it was too late) that I was drowning them. Nowadays, I set a reminder on my phone and every Monday, I water. I stick them in my sink and don’t stop until water leaks out through the drainage hole.
FERTILIZE. This is a big one, but not something you do year-round. You want to fertilize during the active growing season, usually from April to October. There are many different fertilizers on the market, but here’s the one I would recommend. It’s all-natural and safe to use in a home with children and pets.
That’s it! There’s your flash guide to indoor plants. There’s so much more to learn, like propagation — which is root cutting, how to keep bugs off your plants, repotting, and pruning, but that’s a blog for another day.
