You’re strolling the aisles of your local nursery, big box store, or shopping online and managed to score the perfect plant for your space. Congratulations, you’ve just entered the world of plant parenthood! Whether the conception was planned or not makes no difference, this plant child is now yours to care for. Fortunately, plant parenthood is a bit more predictable than raising tiny humans; so we created a general guide to get you started.
Choosing the right plant
Ideally you would know the right plant for your space before ever purchasing it, but we all know that’s not realistic for a beginner. Those first few thrill-induced purchases often result in disappointment if the environment is inadequate. We have to remind ourselves that indeed, we do not live inside greenhouses and moving into our homes is a drastic change for most of these tropical plants. Fortunately there’s a plant for nearly any space that will not only survive, but thrive.
Plants need light, water, and nutrients to survive. Each of these elements can be supplemented artificially in the form of grow lights, humidifiers, and fertilizer to meet the needs of virtually any plant. However, it’s best to stick to plants that aren’t as sensitive in the beginning of your plant care journey. When shopping for plants, consider your environment’s humidity and light levels but know that there are plenty of houseplants that tolerate a wide range of conditions.
Plants that don’t have special lighting or humidity requirements include several species in the following genera, or categories:
- Sanseveria
- Draceana
- Pothos
- Spider plants
- Peperomia
- Syngonium
- Scindapsis
- ZZ Plant
- Cast Iron Plant
Watering wisdom
One of the biggest plant parent mistakes is inadequate watering. It happens to ALL of us. Ask yourself, “am I an overwaterer or underwaterer?”. If you don’t know the answer, a soil moisture meter would be a wonderful investment.
If you’re prone to over-loving and watering your plants, be mindful of the amount, frequency & drainage you’re providing. If you have decorative planters without drainage holes, keep your plants in their nursery pots. This way you can pour the excess water out of the planter. Alternatively, you can use terracotta planters which will help wick away excess moisture.
If you tend to neglect your plants a little too long before watering, be sure to give them a good soak each time you do water them but make sure they are able to drain out. The shock of excess water around the roots can cause what’s known as dry rot. There are also many self-watering planter options available with gauges to monitor the water level at a glance.
Nurturing with nutrients
Having a fertilizer routine for your indoor plants may sound daunting, but it’s really quite simple. There’s a simple approach called “weakly weekly” which simply means to include a diluted amount of nutrients every time you water, or as often as you’d like. This helps you reduce the risk of fertilizer burn and stay consistent without paying too much attention to feeding schedules. Whether you go organic or not, you’ll want to use a fertilizer rated specifically for tropical houseplants, we really like using TPS, Fox Farms & Bonide products.
Now that you are armed with some plant selection techniques, watering wisdom and nutrient knowledge, you’re ready to raise a healthy, thriving plant child. Share any tips or tricks in the comments to help your fellow plant parents on their quest to conquer houseplant care.
Browse our selection of homegrown houseplants here. Always feel free to reach out with questions or comments, we’d love to chat!
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