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Many people have thumbs that are anything but green, but with a few basic pointers you can have those houseplants up and growing in no time. Here are the five most important steps to healthy houseplants.
1. Plant Choice
To give your green thumb a head start, make sure you choose plants that are easy to grow. Plants that can take a little abuse will be more tolerant of your beginner mistakes.
Some plants that fall into the easy-to-grow category are the spider plant, which is best suited to a hanging pot since it puts out shoots over the side that resemble spiders; Mother-in-law's Tongue, which is a plant with pointed, stiff leaves that rise up in a clump; and Dumb Cane, which I think is the most beautiful of the beginner plants. It has nice, full leaves that are the most beautiful shades of green.
These are just a few of the plants that will make your first experience with houseplants a happy one.
2. Sunlight
All plants need light to thrive and grow well, as you know. What may surprise you is that too much light will damage some plants. The trick is to find a happy medium, according to each plant's specific needs. If your plant needs more light, place it near a southeast window. Low light plants grow best across from a northern facing window.
And one of the most important things to remember is to turn the plant often. They have a natural tendency to grow toward the light, and will become lop sided and spindly if you forget to turn them often.
3. Watering
Watering plants is one of the things that worries most people, but is actually one of the simplest things to learn to do.
First, remember that a pot that needs water will be much lighter than one that is full of moisture. Secondly, you can push your finger down into the top layer of the soil and tell if it needs water. If it is dry below the surface, it is probably time to water.
When watering, remember to soak the soil completely. The water will run from the pot, so use a saucer to catch the excess.
Another important point about watering is to not water too often. If the soil stays too wet, this can lead to root rot and doesn't allow for the oxygen needed for root growth.
4. Fertilizing
This is where you will find the most varying advice in the world of houseplants. A few good rules of thumb, though, are to never fertilize a plant right after bringing it home, because it probably has been fed at the nursery. Also, you shouldn't fertilize a plant that is looking poorly.
Some say to fertilize every month, others advise every two months. The best advice, I think, is to research your specific plant and find out about its needs and fertilize accordingly.
5. Re-potting
If your plant quits growing it could be because it has become root bound. This is when the roots circle the inside of the pot and may even start to grow out of the drain hole in the pot. Luckily, re-potting a plant is quite simple and only takes a few minutes.
First, hold the plant by its main stem and turn it out into your hand or onto a table. Examine the root ball to determine if the roots are tightly packed and need to be trimmed. If they are, you should cut away about 1/2 inch of the root ball around the sides and from the bottom. Then you can loosen the roots some before you put the plant into its new pot.
Choose a pot that is only slightly bigger than the old one. Fill the pot halfway with soil, since the root ball needs to be at the top of the pot. Finish by placing the plant into the pot, filling in around the edges, and packing down the soil lightly. Now, all the plant needs is a good watering and should get on with its growing cycle.
With these basic steps of houseplant care and maintenance your plants should grow well and bring you years of enjoyment.
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