If you are new to the world of houseplants, you may be wondering how to care for your new, green friends. I care for indoor tropical plants each day as an interior landscape account manager. The plants that we use in interior landscaping are picked for their durability and appearance. If you need some suggestions for a good choice for a houseplant, take a look at this list of easy to care for, hardy houseplants. More about basic houseplant care below.
You may find instructions that come with a new houseplant telling you to keep your houseplant “evenly moist”. Sometimes you will be told to water this much at a certain interval. Pay no attention to those kinds of directions as many things influence the watering of a houseplant. Some of those things that affect watering and water use of your houseplant are the size of the plant, the size of the pot, the soil mix, the health of the plant (thin and barely alive or full, lush and growing), the light in which you have placed your houseplant, the temperatures and the time of year.
I cannot know all of those things about your particular houseplant but I can give you basic steps you can follow that should be, for the most part, all of the care your houseplant requires.
The first part of good, basic houseplant care is to pick a day each week when you will take a little time to check on your houseplant and give it a little attention. Care for your houseplant on the same day each week.
So it is the day for your houseplant care and the first thing you should do is check to see if your houseplant needs to be watered. Most plants will be fine if you allow the soil to dry half of its depth or more. So feel down half the depth of the soil. Is it dry all the way or is it still pretty wet or moist? You can use your fingers or a moisture meter. I use both at work, often relying on a moisture meter if the pot is larger and harder to dig down into.
If you decide that your houseplant requires watering, grab your watering can and make sure to water thoroughly. You can immerse the entire pot and root ball into standing water until all the air has been displaced from the soil or you can top-water using a watering can. When using the top-water method, make sure to wet the entire soil mass. Water should drain out of the grow pot through the drainage holes. Houseplants should always be planted in containers that have drainage holes. Then allow plant to dry down as much as possible without causing it to wilt. Room temperature water is best.
Next, remove all yellow and brown foliage. If you have brown leaves, spotted leaves, yellow leaves or leaves that are starting to turn yellow at the stem, remove them entirely. You can use scissors or pruners if you need to but many times you can remove leaves and stems with your hands. Woody plants may need pruners or scissors. If leaf tips have turned a little brown or black, you can trim them with clean, sharp scissors.
Take notice of your indoor house plant’s appearance as you care for it. Does it droop a little or seem to be not so green and healthy looking as the week before? Or is it looking good, no spots, no brown tips and no yellow leaves?
Think about the last time you watered your plant. Did you have to water the week before? Or was the soil still wet or damp? Did you water it anyway? Or was the soil so dry the plant was beginning to wilt?
Watering your plant is very much a cause and effect event. If your plant is looking good – green, shiny and healthy looking – then you are doing the right things. If it is wilting, yellow or spotted, not much new growth, you need to review your watering habits and make adjustments.
You will know if you are doing the right things by the way the plant responds to your care. Remember, every plant is different. Only you can tell if your plant needs to be watered.
Indoor House Plants Care
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After you have watered your houseplant and cleaned it up of brown, yellow or discolored leaves, you can gently wipe the leaves with a clean, dry cloth. This may or may not be necessary and you can tell by looking at your plant if it needs cleaning. It is a good idea to clean or dust your houseplant’s leaves occasionally.
The last thing you should do as part of your basic houseplant care is turn the entire plant half a turn. This will help promote even growth on all sides as a plant will orient the leaf surfaces towards the major light source.
Over watering is a big problem but insufficient watering or letting your plant wilt on a regular basis is not good for it. This will most likely cause browning or spotting of the foliage over time. Be sure to check your houseplants on a regular schedule. Pay attention to visual signs such as mild wilting, browning tips, etc. and you will soon learn how to gauge when your plants require watering.
Basic Houseplant Care Other Things to Note
- When you water your plants, always water thoroughly.
- Water should be as close to room temperature as possible.
- Plants should always be planted in a container with drainage holes at the bottom.
- Aerating the soil before you water is very beneficial to the root system.
- Make sure that any excess water is discarded when you are finished.
- Many plants are in a stage of no or very slow growth in the winter and should be allowed to become somewhat drier. Some plants may not need to be watered at all in the winter months, after a good soaking in the fall.
- If the heat is kept exceptionally high in the winter, it is also possible that your plants may use and need more water in the winter months.
- Some plants use more water temporarily as heating systems are turned on in the colder months.
- As the daylight changes throughout the year and as temperatures change, your plants water use will change accordingly.
Watering & Houseplant Care
A Few More Things….
- A house plant that is set next to an air vent is going to require more frequent watering than one that is not.
- Plants that are in a new environment often use more water as they acclimate to new conditions.
- A plant with an abundance of foliage is going to require much more moisture than a very thin or sparse plant.
- If your plant is in a plastic container, it will stay moist much longer than a plant in a clay or wood container.
- Watering is very relative to the light that your plant receives. Finish this page and then read about the importance of good lighting for your houseplant’s health.
All of these things should be considered as you perform your weekly basic houseplant care. Hope these tips help you to keep your indoor houseplants green and growing.
Thanks for visiting and come back soon as houseplant care information, pictures and more are being added all of the time. If you have questions about your houseplant care, you can visit my contact page. I hope that your indoor tropical houseplants and all of your plants and flowers are happy, green and growing because that is why I started this indoor house plant and flower care website, PlantAndFlowerInfo.com.