Your living situation, whether you live in a house, apartment or bedroom, will be made brighter and better with a houseplant. I know it sounds like I’m using mind control on you, but I’m serious. Plants add beauty to any space, and they are important for our health because they act as a natural air purifier. We get oxygen from plants, so having them around will help you feel more energized and inspired!
I work as a Live Nursery Specialist. It is my job to keep the hundreds and hundreds of plants that currently live in my store happy and alive (with minimum care), before I talk someone into taking them home with them. I can’t tell you how many times a day I hear, “I can’t. I kill plants.”
Please raise your hand if you are convinced you are the grim reaper of plants.
Yeah, well, you’re not.
The greatest killer of plants is people who think plants need more attention than they do. Over-care is the largest killer of plants (as is overwatering, but I’ll get to that later). Most house plants that you find at a major retailer like Lowe’s are there because they are easy keepers. The exotic and challenging ones are sold at independently owned nurseries.
Though plant care is easier than you think, there are still some important things to consider when choosing a houseplant:
Lighting
Don’t ever buy a houseplant just because you think it’s pretty; consider they type of lighting that plant requires. Not all plants like to be stuck in a window!
At the store, all plants have a tag stuck in the soil which describes that individual plant’s water needs, light needs and the temperature it likes to be kept at. Stores like Lowe’s have made it easy to find the perfect plant for the lighting you have available. A bright yellow tag is for plants that like full sun or 6+ more hours of sun a day, an orange tag is for plants that like partial sun, usually 4-6 hours a day, and a purple tag is for shade plants that don’t like much sun at all.
If you live in an apartment or if you’re buying plants for your bedroom, you may have windows that only face in one direction. Based on this, you may never be able to provide adequate light for full sun plants. Consider the direction your windows face before choosing a house plant.
North: North facing windows do not receive much sun, and the light they do receive is “indirect” light. Read plant tags carefully to make sure they read “4-6 hours of indirect sunlight a day.”
South: South facing windows get the hottest, most intense light. It may be too intense for many plants. Stick a cactus or sago palm near south facing windows.
East: Many plants love morning sunlight. It’s a bright, but cool light, great for growing plants and seedlings. Read plant tags to find plants that particularly love morning light, such as African Violets.
West: West facing windows receive an adequate amount of sunlight for sun loving plants, but it may not be good for plants who only enjoy moderate sunlight or who need indirect sunlight. My Norfolk Pine and Majesty Palm seem relatively content near my west facing window, but I think my Bird of Paradise would be happier if I had a south facing window.
I found these other interesting facts about lighting on Lowe’s website:
“• Plants are phototrophic – they grow towards the light source. Turn your plants regularly to maintain even growth, at least every time you water.
• Variegated (foliage plants with leaves of more than one color or shade) plants require more light than purely green ones.
• Most plants do their growing at night, so make sure to provide a daily period of darkness.
• Light colored walls reflect more light than dark walls. Plants will feel the effects of this indirect light – something to keep in mind when placing plants.
• Flowering plants will generally need more light than foliage plants. In fact, the more light they receive, the more flowers they will produce. (But don’t forget a nightly rest in the dark).
- You may want to consider providing additional artificial light in areas where sunlight is scarce during winter months.”
Watering
So you have a plant whose leaves have turned brown and have started to wilt. Immediately you panic, assuming the plant is wilting due to lack of water, so you water it more. It doesn’t get better, it just keeps wilting, no matter how much water you add. Before you know it, your plant is dead and you are convinced that you are in fact the grim reaper of plants, no matter what Ashley Lorelle says.
Unfortunately, your plant had been overwatered from the very beginning.
Overwatering is the number one killer of houseplants, not under-watering.
It’s not your fault you didn’t know this, not really. The symptoms of an overwatered plant are very similar to the symptoms of an under-watered plant. In both cases the leaves on the plant will wilt and even turn brown. The effects of an overwatered plant usually occur at the roots of the plant, far beneath the soil. The roots will rot, uproot and the soil may even begin to smell. If there is improper drainage for the plant, the top layer of soil may appear dry, causing you to believe the plant is under-watered, while the roots are actually drowning in moisture.
Do not water on a set schedule. Instead, physically check your plants to see if they need to be watered. You’re going to have to get your hands dirty, because like I said before, even if the top layer of soil appears dry, their still may be more moisture beneath.
Whenever you check a plant for water, you must stick your fingers two inches into the soil. Just like with light, each plant has individual watering needs. Some plants need frequent watering, which means that you should re-water the moment the top layer of soil becomes dry. Other plants like moderate water. The first two inches of soil can be dried out before the plant needs to be re-watered. For dry loving plants, the soil should be entirely dried out for at least two days before you water again.
It is easier to bring an under-watered plant back to life than it is to bring an overwatered plant back to life.
If your plant is under-watered, water will immediately run straight through the soil and drain right out of the bottom whenever you water it. To establish regular moisture amount in a dry plant, place the plant in a sink of water for 30 minutes. If the plant is too large to do this, thoroughly soak the plant with a hose. You will need to repeat the soaking two hours later due to the speed water will drain out of dry soil. Repeat the soaking process every two hours until the soil is able to retain moisture.
In the case of an overwatered plant, you must allow the plant to dry out completely before watering it again. Once the soil has dried, repeat the soaking process above and then return to a normal watering process of checking the plant before watering.
When you water your plants, water at the base of the plant, not over the leaves. For some plants, water on leaves can be damaging and encourage mold to grow. Large green foliage plants enjoy humidity and their leaves should be misted occasionally. But if you try that with African Violets, you will quickly kill them. Once again, research your plant’s individual needs.
Potting Soil
Depending on the size of the plant, you may not need to transplant your plant to a bigger pot the moment you buy it, but you must change the soil. Pay the five bucks on a bag of potting soil, and you’ll help your plant live a long, healthy life.
The farms and nurseries I receive plants from use cheap soil to pot their mass-produced plants. This soil is all right for the short amount of time the plant lives at my store, but no plant can live a long and healthy life in the dirt. This is because the dirt plants come shipped in is low on nutrients and contains no fertilizers.
Bags of potting soil, like the ones Miracle-Gro makes, come with a balanced amount of nutrients as well as fertilizer. Buying potting soil will save you money on buying bottles of house plant fertilizer in the store.
I use Sta-Green potting soil, and all my plants are thriving.
Alright guys, tomorrow I’m going to give you a tour of my favorite house plants and how to take care of them. Please contact me if you have any questions. Here are some awesome articles to read as well:
