The recipes in this text are simple, fresh, family-friendly, and sometimes decadent. The author is a cookie connoisseur and believes that cookies make the world a better place. They also mention that houseplant trends can provide valuable insights into the past and present. They discuss a variety of houseplants that anyone can grow, and their care and maintenance.
The right light exposure, watering schedule, container choice, soil type, and feeding regimen will determine if your houseplants thrive or flounder. They recommend placing them on the north side of the house on the deck close to the wall, where they get early morning and late afternoon sun. The RHS expert guide on choosing, planting, feeding, pruning, and propagating plants can help you grow houseplants in your garden.
The author also mentions 25 favorite house plants to brighten your home, including lush philodendrons and scented hoyas. Pothos, found in warm, tropical places, was first discovered on the islands of French Polynesia. There are many varieties of Pothos, and the first houseplants appeared inside homes in the late 1970s.
Tweak light and temperature are essential for indoor plants to thrive. Research suggests that the greatest benefits of indoor plants are through wellbeing and productivity improvement. Plants can turn yellow due to disease, overwatering, or underwatering, and there are various causes for this.
📹 This Plant Costs £10,000 — And People Are Stealing It
How far would you go to get a Philodendron Spiritus Sancti? What is it? It’s currently the hottest plant in the rare plant …
Where is the best place to plant?
To ensure the health of your vegetable garden, consider the following factors:
Sun exposure: Choose a location with at least six hours of direct sunlight daily, with 8-10 hours being ideal for most vegetables.
Watering: Choose a clean water source near your garden or planting containers for convenience. Avoid using recaptured water due to potential pathogens. Water your garden during morning hours to dry leaves quickly and prevent plant diseases.
Soil quality: Choose well-drained, non-puddled soils in New Jersey, free from contaminants like ice-melting treatments or road run-off.
Proximity to your residence: Having a garden near your home encourages more time spent caring for it, as it encourages weed removal, vegetable harvesting, and frequent watering. By following these guidelines, you can ensure your vegetable garden thrives and thrives.
What are houseplants?
Houseplants, also known as pot plants or indoor plants, are ornamental plants grown indoors for decorative purposes. Common houseplants are typically tropical or semi-tropical and are often epiphytes, succulents, or cacti. The history of houseplants is closely connected to container gardening, with ancient Egyptians, Sumerians, Greeks, and Romans cultivating ornamental and fruiting plants in decorative containers. In ancient China, potted plants were shown at garden exhibitions over 2, 500 years ago, and in the medieval era, gillyflowers were displayed in containers.
Where are most plants found?
The Amazon rainforest in South America, the Congo rainforest in Africa, and the Southeast Asian rainforests are among the areas with the highest plant diversity, as evidenced by the vast number of species that inhabit these regions.
What is the common spot for a houseplant?
Houseplants require light within four to eight feet of a bright south window, with some plants preferring less light near the window. Too little light can result in tall, lanky plants and too much light can cause leafburn on sensitive species like African Violet. Drapes should be left open during the day, but be careful not to let the plants’ leaves touch the window glass. If natural light is limited, artificial lights such as 100-watt table lamps or specially built fluorescent plant lights or plant flood lamps can be used. Both fluorescent and incandescent plant lights are satisfactory for growing plants.
Where to place your indoor plants?
Houseplants thrive in sunny or shaded conditions, and most prefer west or east-facing windows. Adding houseplants to your bedroom can add brightness, life, and health benefits by absorbing gases through their leaves. They can also filter and clean the air in your bedroom. If you don’t have a window, a plant that can cope with high humidity and low light levels, such as Boston ferns, spider plants, or devils ivy, can be added to your bathroom. However, keep an eye on them to ensure they can handle these conditions. Overall, houseplants can add a touch of greenery to your home, but they should be carefully monitored and maintained.
Where is the best place to keep indoor plants?
Plants require natural light for survival, and the best spot for indoor plants is beside a window. Edible plants prefer full sunlight, so position them against southern windows. Different plants require different amounts of light, so a light map tailored specifically for indoor gardeners can help. Grow lights are a great alternative if the light map doesn’t work out.
When arranging plants, consider temperature and humidity. Most plants prefer a constant temperature of 60-75°F and a reasonably humid environment. Avoid placing plants in areas with significant temperature fluctuations throughout the day. A guide for indoor gardeners can help guide you through the process of setting up grow lights.
How do you get houseplants?
Choose healthy houseplants for a flourishing “jungalow” by buying from trusted vendors and being cautious when selecting plants. Check for signs of good health, such as normal-sized growth, well-formed leaves or buds, well-anchored stems, and overall color and appearance. Avoid plants with droopy or wilted leaves, soggy soil, mushy stems, or small and shriveled growth. Warning signs include excessive brown leaves, dropped or yellowing leaves, elongated stems, and visible insect pests.
If you’re unsure about the best indoor plants for your home, consult a plant shop pro for advice. Consider your light and space, as plants require photosynthesis for growth. Light-starved plants are more prone to pests and disease. Research your plant’s light needs before buying.
Where do most indoor plants come from?
Indoor plants have been cultivated for 3, 000 years, with early indoor gardening beginning in Greece with women growing herbs indoors for the Festival of Adonis. Orangeries were common during and after the Renaissance, and the invention of the Wardian case in 1830 allowed gardeners to grow ferns and other tropical plants in the same humid conditions as their native habitats. Botanical collecting expeditions and world trade increased the number of species available for indoor cultivation, with many plants brought to Europe from the tropics being cold-hardy outdoors.
Some of these early expeditions are still in cultivation today and are good houseplants. Indoor landscapes, such as planters filled with plants in shopping malls and office spaces, are known as interiorscapes.
Tropical regions have seasons that vary by the amount of rainfall, with a wet season and a dry season. Plants in these regions may be accustomed to particular conditions depending on their native habitats. Indoor plants can improve the quality of life for people by moving and reducing pollutants by cycling air through themselves. Studies have shown that people near green spaces have greater feelings of happiness and well-being.
What is the best climate for indoor plants?
Tropical houseplants prefer temperatures between 65-75°F during the day and 10 degrees cooler at night. Lower temperatures can cause issues. Adjust thermostats to your comfort level, but consider your plants’ health. Healthy plants require cleaning to survive and thrive. Look for pests before indoors, especially during cold weather. Repotting houseplants helps maintain fresh soil and new growth, ensuring their health. Remember to consider your plants’ needs when adjusting thermostats.
Where did the plants come from?
It is a tenet of evolutionary biology that plants, including land plants and embryophytes, are monophyletic. This implies that they have a freshwater ancestor, which, if still present, would belong to the charophycean green algae.
📹 4 Common Mistakes To Avoid That Kill Snake Plants
These are 4 of the most common Snake Plant mistakes you need to avoid to stop you killing your plant! ——————– Download …
On my first job out of college, i was given a small plant arrangement for my desk. It included a 3-bladed snake plant. Ive transplanted it only a few times over the years. Most of its life it has lived in a south facing window. It now fills a 30″x30″x30″ planter, its blades are 4-6′ tall, and it will celebrate its 50th birthday next year!
1. Do not place by window with cool breeze. No temp below 50F/10C 2. Do not Overwatering… once a month in growing season/ once every two months 3. Do not mist leaves. 4. Be sure it gets enough light. 5. A couple hours of direct light/ south facing window, even outside during the summer 6. Prune leaves at the base and soil line during active growing season. 7. Divide roots to smaller plants by breaking apart at root clumps. Thank you sir. I’m not sure how google reads my mind when I do not say my thoughts aloud for them to hear, and yet…here you are.
A friend of mine gave a snake plant to his young son to look after as he heard they thrive on neglect so even his son wouldn’t kill it. Sure enough, he forgot to water it for weeks/months on end and he never fussed over it. After a few years it ended up as one of the best looking plants in the house!
I will always remember the words from our Master Gardner instructor/horticulturist… When asked whether the Snake Plant was really a good plant which needed little light…she replied…”It’s not that the Snake Plant is good in low-light locations…it’s that the Snake Plant takes a long time to die”. Smiles.
I would like to add that Snake Plants don’t need a lot of soil, some people think that if the plant gets a little bit larger it needs a larger pot. No! Keep those roots tight together in compacted soil. That keeps this plant happiest! Especially because the roots are so thin and the leaves are so top heavy. Loose dirt and loads of space in the pot doesn’t help. Compact is the key word!
I adore my snake plant for being so pretty and easy to keep. After 3 years having it with no real changes in its appearance, it suddenly shot out a long new growth. Initially I thought this was a good sign, but eventually this leaf grew so tall it was several inches above the rest of the plant then flopped over. 😮 I had to cut it out. Now I know why thanks to this article! …My plant has always had the same amount of light, but maybe its getting pickier with old age. I will try sunning it on the patio for a few hours a day in spring, to see if I can make it happier. 😊
Dear Mr Sheffield, Thank you for this great advice. You explained so much. My sister gave me a couple snake plants because she knows I forget to water. Surprisingly, they are the thriving. Now I know to give my dear snake plants some sunlight and they will be even happier. Best from SF Bay Area, California
I rescued a Zeylanica from my daughter’s kitchen window. It had only 3 leaves. I put it in a deeper, narrower pot, good drainage and just watered it 2 or 3 times during the summer-with a couple of food spikes and it’s growing wonderfully! Yes, I like the easy maintenance of it too. I want to get the gold flame and Laurenti next summer.
I’ve never understood the care info shared for so many years concerning Sansevieria trifasciata and watering. It’s become more about what levels of neglect the plants can endure and not what they need to thrive. People tend to dramatically underwater the plants all year round while also often pairing that with too little light. In its home range this plant does experience 3-4 months of little water during the dry season but it also experiences a wet season lasting just as long, as well as the transitional months where moisture levels are ramping up or down. Good growth happens when enough water and nutrients are applied along with bright light, usually during our summer months. If treated this way the plants often flower during the winter months indoors. There are Sansevieria that are arid adapted and live in rather harsh conditions but the flat leafed species are forest growers for the most part and experience only seasonal dryness.
I started out with a very small snake plant. A friend gave me four years ago now I have three a plant that has multiplied so much. I have it in three different pots and one of those is going have half of it transplanted to another pot. It has grown so much I keep them outside in the summertime. They get lots of rain and sunshine. In fact, when I put them out, that’s when they start growing really fast.
This was so informative, thank you. I have a snake plant just as you described, thin leaves. I rescued it from my mother’s house when she couldn’t care for it anymore. It’s about 30 years old and not doing well, but not dyeing. It sits in front of the sliding glass deck door. I bet its getting cold drafts. I live in New Hampshire and its winter now, Feb. 23, 2023. I will move it to the upstairs office near the sunniest window in the house. I’m really excited to see if it finally enjoys life here. LOL I also noticed at the 6:36 mark you have a Pilea on the right that looks just like mine. It’s tall! All the others I’ve seen look short and bushy. I gave a baby Pilea to my daughter. I hope her’s grows healthy too. Great article.
This was very informative! Thank you. I live in California and I grew a green/white variegated version of the snake plant very successfully under a table lamp. It became so big! I currently have it in the window in the bathroom and thanks to your article I will move it as it’s approaching November and getting drafty. Appreciate your information.
My oldest plant is a variegated Snake. Pushing 20. It was on my desk at work as well as in my apartment at different times. Granted, I probably overwater it, and it doesn’t get as much sun as it should, so it hasn’t grown much over the years. But it’s alive and well with no signs of trouble. It even grew a new shoot recently.
My first snakeplant has now 8 wide at the end and pretty thin coming from the plant. They are about 80cm long going out in every direction. But i have come to like it like that now. I’ve found it to be very forgiving, as i have had it in low lighting and watered it quite frequently. But now i know better, thanks to your tips👍
Thanks. Absolutely right. I wonder why two snake plants outside at the door are so unhappy while others inside are doing great. And the winter was so cold (Australia) this year, they are exposed to wind, exactly what you said. During the summer the mother plant of all of them was on the sun and it was thriving. Also, those inside even without direct sun are healthy and nice. They definitely do not like cold and wet and windy conditions.
So, today is my birthday. I’m 16 years old. It feels like yesterday since I started school. I won’t buy snake plants anytime soon. But I’ll be buying some flowers when spring comes, well continues. We haven’t had freezing temperatures since late January. Usually, it snows on my Bdays, but not today. Today wasn’t my best Bday, since I got bad grades, even though I studied. But I had a wonderful time. Some of my avocados surprised me with amazing foliage, while my mangoes completely fell apart. What I mean by that is – unexpected root rot on my mangoes which lead to their rapid demise. This peat substate with 40% perlite is worse than trash. I let one of my mangoes dry out for weeks and the soil was bone dry for over a week at one point and then watered, when the plant was severely dehydrated, and you’re telling me it still got root rot? That’s BS. I’ll try again at some point. I have a new avocado tree that appears to have white leaves, can’t wait to see how that’ll turn out.
You mention people being afraid of harming their plants when they prune…I’m a weirdo who has to apologize to her plants for hurting them, lol. I was just cleaning up a couple of cyclamen I bought recently, and every time I snipped off a thick but spent flower stem, I had to remind myself that I was doing a beneficial thing!
Nice article. I have way too many Sans…addict! Some ideas that help me keep them healthy. I use one bamboo skewer pushed to bottom of the pot, snip off what sticks out at soil line so that only 1/2″ or so is sticking out…just enough to take hold of. When I check for water needs, just pull out the skewer and if it is dark, the plant still has enough water. If it is tan and very dryish, time to water, just put the skewer back til next time. In my soil mix, I never use perlite…seems to get loose to flow and fly everywhere. I do use pumice as it stays put, has less dust and does a better job of aireating the potting soil. In my soil mix, I also use orchid Fir bark (medium to small)1/4,pumice 1/8, compost 1/8 and 1/4 good potting soil. This makes a good, fast draining soil and the Sans. do super well in it. In the winter they get very little attention and water. It is January now and new growth is starting on several. I check the skewers, water accordingly. I usually leave them in the same pot until they are so tight I start to feel guilty as their strong roots worp the pot. As long as they appear happy and healthy I leave them alone. Some have been in the same pot for years and years (10+) One is 4+’ tall and the leaf clump is at least 14″ across, can barely see the soil and it is pushing new shoots. The ones tight in their pots often bloom. When I repot they only get 1″ or so deeper and a thumbs width around the edge. I hope this will help some of you Sans. lovers. Be careful of south sun as Sans.
great tips.I water my Snake plants more often but that’s just because their soil dries out faster. they’re two feets away from a west window and in a very well draining soil(at most 40% is potting soil, the rest is coarse perlite, pumice and some active charcoal), even though they’re in taller pots I water them about once every ten days in summer and once every two weeks in winter. it stops growing if I wait much longer and leave it bone dry for a long period
Great article! My mom and I noticed that my snake plant was drooping and is stretched/skinny looking. We noticed that the roots were not deep in the pot but rather closer to the surface of the soil – we removed the snake plant and divided them into 2 pots. We used the same soil and added new soil. My big question is what is the best soil mix for snake plants? I noticed the soil we used didn’t have any perlite.
Thanks for the information! I have a snake plant in hallway. Medium light. It is opposite bathroom, so it receives the moisture from shower. Seems to like its location. It is almost 3 feet tall. I have a moisture meter because otherwise, would receive watering too frequently. Currently propagating leaf cuttings. Seems to take forever. Hard part is keeping soil moist. After this article, plan to take out of soil and place in water with perlite. Happy growing!
Thank you. This information answers a lot of my snake plant questions. The leaves were going limp and the limp ones were loose…. I can pull them right out of the soil. I thought it was water but now I know it was overwatered. I really like snake plants and I own two. I plan to buy a few more. Gracias😉
The plants I care for are jammed tight in the pot. I have no way to test the soil as they are so tightly together that I cannot get a meter into the soil without stabbing into the plant. As these plants are in commercial/business locations they are in pots with no visible drainage holes. Some of the plants have water reservoirs with indicators built in. I made the mistake of trusting this device and topped up the water until the indicator was at the top. I thought that would be an easy solution…let the plant drink when it needed to…but no. I think the soil/perlite ratio was too dense because the plants sucked up too much water and are drowning. Thanks for the advice on watering this plant. I think going forward I will be just watering every 2 months or so and see how that works out.:goodvibes:
i have a wonderful snake plant that id had for years in a large vintage concrete pot. it is fabulous. its really healthy. thanks for the tips ~ evidently im doing the right thing. you just confirmed this. i wish i could take a photo of it and send it to this thread. im not sure if thats possible tho. thanks again.
I have a large snake plant that I’ve had for several years. It’s alive but doesn’t seem happy. It has a lot of floppy leaves and it’s not a brilliant dark green. Should I cut those leaves off? I’m sure it would like more sunlight. Per your suggestion, I think I’ll put it in my covered patio over the summer. And maybe some fresh soil? Fertilizer? Thx!
Hi! Your articles inspired me to buy a snake plant. I could use your advice please. I found a beautifully full snake plant, it’s so full / jam packed in its pot that you can barely see any soil (15″ pot, roughly 5 feet tall). I bought it today at my local nursery but it seems they had left it outside during a thunderstorm yesterday. They claim it won’t rot…. But the soil is VERY wet as it stormed for roughly an hour. Do you have any recommendations on how I can prevent my plant from dying? Do you think it’ll be ok?
I have a question about watering my snake plants. I have been watering it over the sink until water comes from the bottom; but the other day a local florist said that was wrong- it didn’t need that much water. And in this article, you do both- bottom water it as well as over the sink. So I am a bit confused as to which is the best way to water them (I only have snake plants)? I use a water meter and wait until the number goes to 1 before I water them. Thanks!
Where my snake lives, I have the heat set at 58°F at night(a bar, my work). I water it when I water my succulents, about once a month in the spring/summer, very other month in the fall/winter. I bottom water all my plants. For the winter, all my plants live under grow lights. Once it stays warm most go into windows, or sit outside for a bit. The snake get a mix of both.
I love this website and am subscribed. I bought that exact model of moisture meter (using your link), but it read the same for every plant whether it’s dry to the touch or has been recently watered. When I insert the stem it briefly reads on the high edge of “Moist” and then quickly goes down to slightly above the border between “Dry” and “Moist”. Has anyone else experienced this problem? Or am I just missing something? Should I ask Amazon to replace it or am I just making a mistake. I saw a article where they said if there was salt in the soiled it would cause faulty readings. I’m using plain old Miracle Grow potting soil in most of these pots (snake plants, crotons, and a ruby ficus elastica). Thanks in advance for any clues as to what’s going on. Is it the meter or is it me?
I bought a large snake plant from a charity shop – it was planted in a glass vase and had clearly been in there a long time. I had to smash the vase to get it out, there was some slight yellowing on a couple of leaves, but no obvious rot on the plant or roots. I cut the base in my eagerness to remove the old soil, separating it into two plants, I rinsed it and repotted it into a plastic pot a couple of inches bigger than the root/soil ball (so compacted that I couldn’t really tell the difference…) watered it in and then haven’t watered it since (about a month) today to my horror I saw a couple of the smaller leaves at the base look brown and soft, and there’s a small soft spot further up on one of the larger leaves. Should I just leave it to keep drying or try to repot it? I thought it was pretty indestructible but I am worried I might have killed it 😥 Maybe it was adapted to living in a vase. There was a couple of tiny fern fronds and some decorative stones in it suggesting it was once a terrarium, but there was a weak spot developing in the rim of the vase from the sheer pressure, and when I broke the vase, the contents remained in the exact same shape, perfectly smooth. I have never seen anything like it. I probably should have just planted that in a pot and left it. Do you think there’s any hope?
Very interesting about the droopy leaves and draughts. Explains one of my plants. It is the biggest with leaves about 1.5 meters tall. Curious about another pot that has smaller, newer leaves growing in a corkscrew shape. They aren’t limp. They are spiraling against gravity but I don’t know if it is just a quirk or a symptom.
Hello again ~ My snake plant fell out of the pot! I used the opportunity to give it some new soil and as I was re-potting I noticed the root ball is very small. The pot is 7″ and the root ball was only about 3″. There are also very few leaves but since I’ve started following your advice, new growth is appearing. This plant is very old so I would have thought there would be a much larger root system. I’m following your steps as far as more light and less water. What can I do to encourage root growth? Thanks! Best wishes from New York, Jeanne
Thanks a lot for your timely article. Today I am troubleshooting a black, fungal-looking spot on my S. Laurentii. One other stalk near it has become discolored with a pallor/yellowing. You are my first stop for pruning tips. Must I remove the entire stalk or is it okay to cut half the stalk away?? I’ve had this plant for one year. This is the first problem I’ve had with this 12 ” plant. It’s lived in the same West-facing spot, with plentiful southern light the entire time. Of course, the growing season is officially over, even here in USA-South. (Colder air finally moves in tonight!) Any advice, Sheffield?
Hello. I just relocated from a state with all four seasons to a state with one season, the desert. When I arrived I put my plant on my patio but I think I shocked her so I brought her in and she is doing so much better. Do you think I can out her back outside? It can get up to 112° during the day and around 86° at night…I’m in the US.
I am desperate to find information on split leaves. My snake plant is almost 1 year old and is doing great except for one thing. A couple of the leaves have split and idk if that’s bad or what it means. They turn slightly brown along the edge of the split but that’s it. So far I leave it alone and have no further damage.
I have watered my snake plants twice since I bought it (I bought it 5 days ago)…. The First Time I watered it enough so the soil would get all wet and today I watered it the second time but not much, Because I was scared I might Kill the plant. For reference I keep the in my balcony (it’s a sun facing) I touched the soil and it was dry I think.. The soil was rough to touch. So now I am still confused did I do anything? Can I water it twice a week?
So you’re supposed to water your snake plant in the sink but also bottom water it? I thought it wasn’t good for snake plants’ roots to be in constant contact with water. I watched your bottom watering article but I still don’t see how it’s good for snake plants in particular. Most people tell me to make sure that there is no leftover water in the tray after watering my snake plant.
THE MOST COMMON MISTAKE Made with these plants is overwatering. Even if your plant is placed in ample bright indirect light, You won’t need to water it more than once every 10 days (at most) during the growing season. During the winter months or if the plant is in low light, it can need watering as infrequently as once a month.
I like a biscuit only for breast sandwiches bc the fillings are usually greasy and the biscuit sops it up and it isn’t messy to eat. Croissants are too rich for bfast sandwiches for me, and I love a savory brat. I think croissants are great for lunch sandwiches! Literally soooo good with a light chicken salad and dark green lettuce
Can’t help it..here in Alaska this is really the only plant that lives forever in very little light, they are near windows doubled pane, but it’s really the only real light they get. We installed LED lights against my better judgment since these lights are big heath problems for humans..I was right the plants started to die, lights shut off..they are recovering..
Ah! This is exactly what happened to my snake plant and i couldn’t figure it out. After killing my very first one i was so proud of myself this one was doing so good. It had new shoots and was so pretty. One day a leaf went limp then another and I automatically thought it needed watering. It was definitely because of the cool draft that room was getting.
When we moved 5 years ago we lost the snake plant in the van/ it rolled under no one noticed it was missing I found it 2 weeks later dried out baked in the sun… and It still lived? It fell into the kiddie pool from the second floor balcony found it after the big storm and it lived/ I left it in the parking lot of my x with a note one big prick deserves another/ he died two years ago his wife says the plant is doing fine 🤣 My son helped me with my time line funny how we forget time flies by
I got a new snake plant a few weeks ago and repotted it (without watering) and it was doing great until I watered it for the first time 2 days ago… now the leaves that were once straight are curling/getting wavy? I don’t know if its because I put it in the sun for the first time in a few weeks or if its because I watered it… Please help!
That’s very helpful.. I have Sansevieria ‘Golden hahnii also but 2 of those the moment I watered led to root rotting and plant dying. Even though I watered very rarely. Can you tell me what should be frequency for it? Also I have a diffenbachia plant which is not growing at all even though I am being very careful with watering only after soil drying
I have a whale fin snake plant. The margin of one of the leaves became thin, as if it had been sucked and it became thin. The margins started to dry up. What it does it means? What to do. I have already killed several such plants and my heart is broken. Usually I give them too much water because the soil is super dry and they look dehydrated 😓