House Plant Care 101
Hi, I am Jennifer, a plant obsessed interior designer from @jcdesign1.1. Today I am going to share plant care tips that will make you a successful plant parent and will help you keep your babies happy and healthy! Plants are one of the most important elements of design. They bring so much life to any space and make it so much more beautiful and vivid. These simple tips along with some easy to care for plant recommendations will make you the BEST plant parent out there! I promise!
Let’s start!
1. Get familiar with the plant before you bring it over to your home! Remember that every plant is different with different needs, and that it will take them time to adjust to their new environment. Some plants will not need any special care or attention and will do well even if you neglect or forget to water them, while others will need more touch, love, and care to thrive. So, before you bring them home get familiar with their requirements and see if you can give it the attention it needs.
2. Do not overwater! Beginners often think that lots of water would keep their plants healthier and will help them grow faster; however, this is far from reality! Overwatering is one of the most common mistakes! It can cause your plants to wilt, the leaf drop, and will often slow down or even stop their growth. I always recommend feeling the soil before watering your plants! If the first inch or two of the soil is dry, then your baby is thirsty! Give it water and make sure you dump the water from the saucer to prevent your plant from sitting in water.
3. Location, location, location! Plants need to be in the right spot to thrive faster. Going back to getting familiar with your plants, check if your plant needs low, medium, or bright light to thrive and then place it accordingly.
4. If you don’t know what your plants need or are not sure about something, ask or research, do not assume! There are so many plants that will not need a lot of care and will do better with very little attention, so it is important to know that and not assume that they need something.
5. Give your plant a “hair-cut.” When you get a hair-cut your hair feels much healthier and grows faster right? It is the same situation with plants! Trim the dead ends and get rid of yellow unhealthy leaves! This will help them grow faster.
6. Make sure your pots have drainage holes! If there are no drainage holes the water will sit in the bottom of the pot and will prevent the roots from getting some fresh air! This will cause the roots to rotten and your plant to eventually die.
7. Dust your plants! Plants collect dust, which prevents them from getting the amount of light they need to thrive. Dust will not allow the plant to photosynthesize (which is how they feed themselves). Take a wet washcloth once every few weeks and gently wipe the leaves.
Now let’s talk about some of my favorite and most recommended plants for beginners!
Snake plant - this is one of the easiest plants out there! It will do well under any light condition and normal room temperature, and will not fuss even with some neglect. Water it when the first 2 to 3 inches of the soil are dry making sure you DO NOT overwater it because it will die. Depending on its size and how dry the soil is you will probably need to water it once every 10 days.
Pothos - this plant is absolutely amazing, very easy to grow and recommended for beginners! It grows long beautiful vines and has air purifying qualities. It can thrive in a variety of lighting conditions and normal room temperatures, however it will grow faster under bright indirect light. I recommend letting the soil dry out between watering (again, touch the soil and see if it is dry).
Monstera - one of the most gorgeous houseplants! It is adaptable to all light conditions but will thrive faster in medium-bright indirect light. Water when the top inch of the soil is dry (about once a week), dust and mist the leaves every few weeks and let it be!
ZZ plant - this low maintenance plant can tolerate neglect and drought and will do well under low light conditions. It has air purifying qualities and is so beautiful! You may want to water it every 7-10 days and make sure there is proper drainage so the roots don’t stay wet.
Philodendron heartleaf - this beautiful plant is very low maintenance! It will thrive faster under bright indirect light but can tolerate low-medium light as well. It is very forgiving so if you forget to water it, don’t worry, give it some water and it will come back to life! Last and very important thing to remember with this plant is to let the soil to dry in between watering!
I hope you find these tips helpful and I hope it inspires you to get some real plants and create your own beautiful indoor garden! You can do it! I believe in you!
Thank you Drew for inspiring me every day and for giving me the opportunity to share my passion on your amazing platform!
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