5 ways to keep your house plants alive
Pot it like it’s hot
If you haven’t botany plants recently, this guide is for you to help make sure you buy the right one(s) for yourself. With more and more people spending an increased amount of time at home, houseplants have soared in popularity. And may we add that adding some greenery to your flat/house magically transforms it into a home? But don't you just hate it when from one day to the next, they decide to give up on you? It’s like they still have not yet adapted to our fast paced environment. Just kidding of course. We don’t have the greenest of thumbs (we are very much guilty of killing some of our houseplants), so we thought we would share with you a personal curiosity and achievement of ours. Did you know that there are actually A LOT of ways to kill a plant? We’re not gonna name the ones our plants have fallen victim to… BUT we hope you’re ready. Because we’re so excited to share this one with you that we might just wet our plants.
Here are our top 5 green thumb tips to keep your houseplants alive:
Know your lighting
If there is one key tip to take away from this post, it’s this one. Thanks to high school biology, we remember that photosynthesis is a plant’s main process to live. Sunlight is critical for a plant’s survival, so make sure you are getting the right species of greenery according to the amount of light you receive in your place. Alas, even if we so desperately want the prettiest one from the nursery, the constant battle to keep them alive is almost not worth it. Additionally, if you’re not entirely sure of how much light is too much or too little after you have purchased the plant, try moving it around your place every few days to see how it responds.
Start slow and steady
After you have figured out the amount of light you are able to provide for your plants, familiarise yourself with easy to care for plant species. Lighting and “easy” plant species are going to be your two important factors to take into account. So don’t be too hasty in your green purchases. Start with less and easier plants before transforming your home into a jungle (yes, I might have gotten that far already #crazyplantlady). Make sure you also ask the nursery owner what they would recommend! Here’s a list of easy to care for indoor plant species:
Spider plant
Cacti
Snake plant
Succulents
Rubber plant
Keep ‘em groomed
Just like us, our green bébés also need to be up kept with cleaning and pruning. Dust is inevitable and it certainly can start gathering on our plants’ leaves, blocking light and slowing down photosynthesis! Using a damp cloth, gently remove the dust - this can be done once every two weeks or, simply keep an eye and see whenever necessary. Aside from getting a little clean, plants also need “haircuts” to stay healthy. Check out this blog to learn about the correct ways to prune a houseplant and extra tips.
Go with the flow
Water your plants - sounds obvious, right? Although evident, not so easily executed. Being good plant parents is not about watering them everyday, but rather knowing how often they need to be rehydrated. Depending on the houseplant species you have, you might not even need to water them each week. It’s worth adding that soil drainage is also highly important to check to ensure the roots don’t rot. So, as well as knowing the amount of sunlight make sure to familiarise with how much water your plants require.
Even plants go hungry
Indoor plants can’t get all the necessary nutrients to thrive from the soil they’re in. Especially during their more active phases in Spring and Summer. But don’t you fret, you don’t need to buy fancy fertilisers to give your houseplants a little nutrient boost. Simply combining eggshells and water, and letting it all soak up is a great way to provide calcium and potassium (and hello, it’s also zero waste!). Make sure to read up about how much is required though, too much can be toxic for your green younglings.
