How Can I Take Better Care Of My Houseplants?

This article provides six tips to help you care for your houseplants, focusing on the importance of watering, fertilizing, and repotting. It emphasizes that it is easier to take care of one or two plants than an entire jungle in your home. To ensure effective houseplant care, it is essential to choose the right plants, evaluate the light in your home, consider your lifestyle, schedule watering, pruning, and fertilizing, avoid overwatering, and have patience.

Efficient houseplant care includes the right techniques for watering, fertilizing, and repotting your plants, routine cleanings and pest checks, and understanding your plants’ light needs. Owning and caring for houseplants is rewarding, and you don’t need to be an expert to have indoor gardening success. The article covers everything you need to know to care for your indoor plants, from watering to sunlight requirements to fertilizer.

Overwatering is a common cause of death for houseplants, and it is crucial to be mindful when watering and raise humidity levels when needed. Most houseplants need a minimum temperature of 55ºF to survive, so keep them away from areas of cold drafts in winter.

To care for your houseplants, follow these expert tips: choose plants based on your light, schedule, be mindful when watering, raise humidity levels when needed, and provide proper light, temperature, humidity, temperature, fertilizer, pruning, and more. Choose healthy houseplants that complement your decor, select the right potting soil mix, water indoor plants properly, and fertilize indoor plants properly.

Should plants be watered everyday?

Potted plants require regular watering, especially in cooler climates and warmer regions. In spring and fall, container plants should be watered every two to three days, while in summer and warm climates, they usually require daily watering. Hanging basket plants, exposed to sun and wind, dry out faster, especially those with coir liners. They need at least daily watering, even twice a day in hot weather.

Raised beds also need more frequent watering than in-ground vegetable gardens due to faster soil drying. The frequency of watering depends on the size of the raised bed, with smaller beds needing daily watering in hot summer weather, and larger beds needing twice a week.

How to make your houseplants thrive?

Regularly fertilize houseplants to replace nutrient-losing nutrients and control pests like aphids, scales, and whiteflies. Inspect plants for signs of pests and treat as needed. Increase humidity to prevent drafts and keep plants away from drafty windows, heater vents, or drafty areas. Place plants in naturally humid areas like kitchens or bathrooms with adequate light. Misting plants only temporarily increases humidity and can increase foliage diseases. Keep foliage clean to block light and harbor insects. Wipe leaves with a moist towel or take plants outdoors in mild-winter areas.

How do you perk up house plants?

To enhance the humidity levels within a plant, one may consider the following methods: the application of a fine mist of water to the foliage, the utilisation of a humidifier, or the grouping of plants together. This results in the formation of a humid microclimate, whereby water is permitted to migrate from the roots to the foliage. Furthermore, the placement of pebbles in shallow saucers or trays filled with water is recommended.

Should you water house plants morning or evening?

Watering plants in their natural habitats is essential for their health and growth. However, indoors, where you have control, the morning is the ideal time to water plants. Most plants prefer to water in the morning to bulk up on water before the sun is shining, which helps them absorb the water. This strategy is beneficial for plants that don’t get enough natural sunlight, as the multiple hours of daylight help pull water out immediately. Misting plants like air plants and ferns in the morning and evening is recommended for their growth.

Morning mist prepares plants for the day ahead, while evening misting creates extra humidity. Misting in the evening is also beneficial for plants struggling in a dry indoor environment, such as apartment dwellers in New York City who don’t have full control over their heating systems. Misting around plants in the evening or investing in a humidifier can help them thrive and make you happy.

What is the best food for indoor plants?

The most efficacious houseplant fertilizers include Dr. Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food, Wiggle Worm Organic Worm Castings Fertilizer, Fox Farm Big Bloom Liquid Plant Food Concentrate, and EarthPods Organic Indoor Plant Food Capsules.

Is it better to water houseplants at night or in the morning?

Watering plants in the morning or evening is the best time to do so as it prepares the plant for the day ahead and helps retain water. Watering in the afternoon, especially during summer, evaporates water instead of absorbing it into the soil and roots. Morning watering is preferable as it allows the plant to dry before the sun goes down, while evening watering encourages rot, fungal growth, and insects.

Heat and dry soil indicate that a plant needs more water, while dry soil indicates dehydration and requires more frequent watering for healthy growth. Ideally, the soil should be moist and well-drained.

A plant’s age also helps determine when to water. Young and newly planted plants need more water to establish a healthy root system, while shallow and fragile roots require additional water for root strength and expansion. Mature plants don’t need as much water as younger plants, but need a larger amount at one time to ensure their roots thrive deep in the ground.

How often should you water indoor house plants?

Watering houseplants is a crucial task, but it can be a challenge due to over-watering or dehydration. Typically, houseplants need to be watered once or twice a week in spring and summer, but less in autumn and winter. However, some houseplants require special care, such as orchids, cacti and succulents, and citrus plants. Orchids should only be watered once a week with a small amount, cacti and succulents should be watered when the potting mix has dried out, and citrus plants should be watered frequently.

How to fertilize indoor plants?

Fertilizing houseplants is essential for their health and growth. However, it’s important to note that potted plants don’t have a constant stream of nutrients from the soil, and over time, the nutrients in the potting soil can deplete, leading to plant health issues. To maintain the health of your houseplants, it’s recommended to use a water-soluble fertilizer, specifically a rich fish emulsion fertilizer. Organic fertilizers are more effective than chemical fertilizers, as they provide longer-lasting growth.

Patrick Hillman, plant enthusiast and owner of Buzz and Thrive Gardens, advises using a water-soluble fertilizer, specifically a rich fish emulsion fertilizer, as it is more effective in feeding plants longer than chemical fertilizers. Diluting the fertilizer in a ratio of ¼ to ½ teaspoon per gallon of water is also advised to be on the safe side.

In summary, proper fertilization is crucial for the health and growth of houseplants, especially if they don’t have access to a large outdoor area.

Should you spray or water indoor plants?

Plants naturally absorb humidity from the atmosphere, resulting in the formation of dew droplets that enhance leaf freshness and facilitate the removal of dust particles. The application of moisture to the foliage of plants on a periodic basis, at a frequency of one to two instances per week, has been demonstrated to have a revitalizing effect on the plants, thereby promoting their continued growth and well-being. However, it is crucial to ensure that misting does not constitute the sole source of water for the plants, as this can also have an impact on their overall health.