Sharing tips about how to not kill your houseplant and hold indoor crops alive and thriving!
The Pilot says I used to have a gangrene thumb. I used to be the one who’d stroll by means of the plant store and crops would immediately recoil in concern that I’d deliver them house. The unfortunate chosen ones had been introduced into our home, uncared for, and lived a tragic, but fast, dying.
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 house decor and the general vibe of the home! They may also help purify air and can even add extra model and character to your private home. Plants naturally develop within the wild however you possibly can recreate a plant’s pure habitat indoors. Today, I’m sharing some suggestions that may assist my horticulturally challenged associates on the market kiss their black thumb goodbye and hold your crops alive thriving inside your houses.
How Not to Kill Your Houseplant
Choosing crops properly
Don’t be afraid to begin with an “easier” plant, like a succulent, lavender, aloe, cacti, spider plant, or my fave straightforward plant, the Heart leaf Philodendron. This post has a list of popular houseplants. Check out 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 toes and soggy roots), whereas aloe wants a bit extra, and the Heart leaf Philodendron likes to dry out slightly after which be fully drenched.
Put crops in the precise spot
Sunlight is a essential issue, as some crops want plenty of solar and others don’t want a lot in any respect. Before making your buy, try 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. Other crops in the home do nicely with oblique solar from varied home windows. When you deliver your plant house, place it into its spot in the identical pot you introduced house from the nursery. This method it might get used to its new setting earlier than experiencing the stress of repotting.
Choose the precise pot
Check the underside the pot and ensure that it has a drainage gap. You need to make sure that the soil can drain, in any other case chances are you’ll expertise root rot. If you actually love the pot you need to use nevertheless it doesn’t have a drainage gap, you possibly can place the plant in its plastic pot within the bigger pot. This method, you possibly can take away the plant to water and drain, then put it again into its ornamental pot.
Keep crops nourished
Seek out a very good fertilizer on your plant and use this twice a 12 months. I like to do that within the spring and fall. I’ll sometimes lurk Amazon evaluations or ask somebody on the plant store what they advocate. Many crops don’t find yourself needing fertilizer, however it might make a distinction within the total well being and development of the plant.
Avoid overwatering and underwatering
Probably my #1 tip for crops is to use a water meter. This is one of the simplest ways to inform in case your crops want water! Many folks consider in giving their crops a little bit of water daily, however the technique that’s labored greatest for me is to look forward to them to dry out slightly (a 2-3 on the water meter) after which a drench the heck out of them. Here is the water meter that I exploit! Also, crops love showers if you’d like to water them within the bathe!
Cleaning 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 smooth material to gently clear the leaves. I’ve heard of individuals utilizing neem oil (and even mayonnaise!) to clear their plant’s leaves, however I discover that good ol’ filtered water works one of the best.
Use sharp scissors for slicing lifeless leaves / branches
Don’t be afraid to lower off lifeless leaves or branches. Also in case your plant has any brown spots on the leaves, you possibly can gently trim this utilizing a pair of scissors. When I used to be first getting used to caring for our fiddle leaf fig, I had some brown spots that the plant was continually utilizing its power to try to restore. My nana advised me to lower off the brown spots on the edges of the leaves, and it made an enormous distinction.
Use synthetic lights as wanted
If you discover that your plant isn’t getting sufficient daylight or may have an additional increase, you should utilize a develop gentle at house. Amazon has so many of these!
Rotate crops repeatedly
This method your plant gained’t have an apparent back and front, however as a substitute will keep rising upright and can look good on all sides. I like to rotate my bigger crops each three months.
Groom your crops
Take a have a look at your crops and ensure to trim off any lifeless leaves, take away any mushrooms (an indication of wholesome soil), and trim them as wanted if they begin to get out of hand. 
Address root rot as wanted
If you discover that your plant is trying soggy, dropping leaves, yellowing or brown leaves regardless of common watering, it might have root rot. This is a helpful post 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.
Check for pests
Check your crops from pests (here are some common ones!) and tackle accordingly by eradicating the pests and cleansing the leaves.
Filter your water
This looks like it wouldn’t make a distinction, nevertheless it has completely helped with the leaves of a few of our crops. Even when you don’t filter for normal watering, attempt utilizing filtered water to clear the leaves. Our water in Tucson is extraordinarily arduous, so once I switched to Berkey filtered water for the leaves, the crops began to look a lot more healthy.
Give them consideration… however not an excessive amount of consideration.
This is a large one. At first I wished to give my crops ALL the eye. I watered them day by day, performed Michael Bublé, and seems that’s a good way to assassinate your houseplant. So, I water after they dry out, clear the leaves, after which in any other case, play it cool. 😉 I like having an oasis of of completely satisfied flourishing crops.
What plant suggestions am I lacking? Are you a inexperienced thumb or a plant killer?
Have an exquisite day and I’ll see ya tomorrow with a trend publish 🙂
xoxo
Gina
More:
How to take care of your fiddle leaf fig
