Sharing recommendations on easy methods to not kill your houseplant and hold indoor vegetation alive and thriving!
The Pilot says I used to have a gangrene thumb. I used to be the one who’d stroll via the plant store and vegetation would immediately recoil in worry that I’d deliver them residence. The unfortunate chosen ones had been introduced into our home, uncared for, and lived a tragic, but fast, demise.
With an enormous studying curve, over previous handful of years, I’ve actually turned issues round! We now have a full backyard with a lot of herbs and veggies, a number of thriving indoor houseplants, and the legendary Frida, our 10 ft-ish fiddle leaf fig.
Houseplants could make such a distinction in residence decor and the general vibe of the home! They might help purify air and may also add extra fashion and character to your house. Vegetation naturally develop within the wild however you possibly can recreate a plant’s pure habitat indoors. In the present day, I’m sharing some ideas that may assist my horticulturally challenged pals on the market kiss their black thumb goodbye and hold your vegetation alive thriving inside your properties.
How To not Kill Your Houseplant
Selecting vegetation correctly
Don’t be afraid to begin with an “simpler” plant, like a succulent, lavender, aloe, cacti, spider plant, or my fave straightforward plant, the Coronary heart leaf Philodendron. This submit has a listing of in style houseplants. Try the tag to see how a lot daylight and water they want and plan accordingly for the kind of care that’s required. Succulents and cacti want little or no water (an excessive amount of can provide them moist ft and soggy roots), whereas aloe wants a bit extra, and the Coronary heart leaf Philodendron likes to dry out a bit of after which be fully drenched.
Put vegetation in the precise spot
Daylight is a vital issue, as some vegetation want lots of solar and others don’t want a lot in any respect. Earlier than making your buy, take a look at the tag of the plant or do a fast google search to see how a lot gentle they like. Our fiddle leaf fig loves being in a big south-facing window, which receives hours of oblique solar. Different vegetation in the home do effectively with oblique solar from numerous home windows. If you deliver your plant residence, place it into its spot in the identical pot you introduced residence from the nursery. This fashion it will possibly get used to its new setting earlier than experiencing the stress of repotting.
Select the precise pot
Test the underside the pot and make it possible for it has a drainage gap. You wish to ensure the soil can drain, in any other case you might expertise root rot. If you happen to actually love the pot you wish to use but it surely doesn’t have a drainage gap, you possibly can place the plant in its plastic pot within the bigger pot. This fashion, you possibly can take away the plant to water and drain, then put it again into its ornamental pot.
Preserve vegetation nourished
Search out fertilizer on your plant and use this twice a yr. I like to do that within the spring and fall. I’ll sometimes lurk Amazon critiques or ask somebody on the plant store what they advocate. Many vegetation don’t find yourself needing fertilizer, however it will possibly make a distinction within the general well being and progress of the plant.
Keep away from overwatering and underwatering
In all probability my #1 tip for vegetation is to make use of a water meter. That is the easiest way to inform in case your vegetation want water! Many individuals consider in giving their vegetation a little bit of water every single day, however the technique that’s labored finest for me is to attend for them to dry out a bit of (a 2-3 on the water meter) after which a drench the heck out of them. Right here is the water meter that I take advantage of! Additionally, vegetation love showers if you wish to water them within the bathe!
Cleansing dusty leaves
When the leaves are dusty, it makes it more difficult to soak up daylight and for photosynthesis to happen. Use a mister and a paper towel or mushy material to softly clear the leaves. I’ve heard of individuals utilizing neem oil (and even mayonnaise!) to scrub their plant’s leaves, however I discover that good ol’ filtered water works the very best.
Use sharp scissors for chopping lifeless leaves / branches
Don’t be afraid to chop off lifeless leaves or branches. Additionally in case your plant has any brown spots on the leaves, you possibly can gently trim this utilizing a pair of scissors. Once I was first getting used to caring for our fiddle leaf fig, I had some brown spots that the plant was continually utilizing its vitality to attempt to restore. My nana advised me to chop off the brown spots on the edges of the leaves, and it made an enormous distinction.
Use synthetic lights as wanted
If you happen to discover that your plant isn’t getting sufficient daylight or might have an additional increase, you need to use a develop gentle at residence. Amazon has so many of those!
Rotate vegetation often
This fashion your plant received’t have an apparent back and front, however as a substitute will keep rising upright and can look good on all sides. I prefer to rotate my bigger vegetation each three months.
Groom your vegetation
Check out your vegetation and ensure to trim off any lifeless leaves, take away any mushrooms (an indication of wholesome soil), and trim them as wanted in the event that they begin to get out of hand. 
Deal with root rot as wanted
If you happen to discover that your plant is trying soggy, dropping leaves, yellowing or brown leaves regardless of common watering, it might have root rot. This can be a useful submit with indicators that your plant could have root rot and what you are able to do about it. In could circumstances, you possibly can completely rescue your plant from root rot.
Test for pests
Test your vegetation from pests (listed below are some widespread ones!) and deal with accordingly by eradicating the pests and cleansing the leaves.
Filter your water
This looks like it wouldn’t make a distinction, but it surely has completely helped with the leaves of a few of our vegetation. Even should you don’t filter for normal watering, attempt utilizing filtered water to scrub the leaves. Our water in Tucson is extraordinarily laborious, so after I switched to Berkey filtered water for the leaves, the vegetation began to look a lot more healthy.
Give them consideration… however not an excessive amount of consideration.
This can be a large one. At first I wished to provide my vegetation ALL the eye. I watered them every day, performed Michael Bublé, and seems that’s a good way to assassinate your houseplant. So, I water once they dry out, clear the leaves, after which in any other case, play it cool. 😉 I like having an oasis of of comfortable flourishing vegetation.
What plant ideas am I lacking? Are you a inexperienced thumb or a plant killer?
Have an exquisite day and I’ll see ya tomorrow with a vogue submit 🙂
xoxo
Gina
Extra:
The best way to deal with your fiddle leaf fig
