Having live plants inside your house can give a different vibration to your home, they improve your home décor and provide warmer and more energetic feelings to the environment.
If you really think about it, there is no such a thing as indoor plant, naturally every plant grows outdoors. There are plants that happily live inside as well, but they all prefer to grow outside in suitable climatic conditions. So if you are having trouble keeping your indoor plants healthy, you are not alone.
Healthy Indoor Plant
One of the main ingredients to happy indoor plants is sunshine. Most of the plants don’t require direct light, natural light through the window is sufficient however, it is best to select the right plants to the light level of your room though.
If the spot where you keep your plants is quite dark, let’s say you need additional light for reading then you are better off placing plants there which have naturally dark green leafs as they tolerate lower levels of light better. As opposed to plants with colourful foliage or with light green leaves, they require plenty of natural light.
If you get the light right then the next most important thing is the water. This is where most people go wrong and kill their plants by over-watering them.
Make sure you only water your plants when the soil feels dry and never leave water sitting in the saucers under the plants, especially during winter. Too much water causes root rotting and from there it is nearly impossible to bring the plant back. Soil dries out quicker if you use air-conditioner or heater so make sure you check it regularly.
Indoor Plant
Feeding your plants is best done with controlled-release fertilizer, but ensure you give them a break during the winter months. Make sure keep your fertilizer out of the reach of children and pets. If you have the ability to keep it outside of your home, perhaps in your outdoor storage shed.
Cleaning the plants’ leaves should be also part of your regular plant care to wash the dust off and it can be easily done with a damp sponge, or through a gentle shower in your bathroom, or outside on a rainy day. If you do it outdoor, make sure you place your plant to a shady spot after the rain stopped, so it won’t get burnt when the sun comes out.
You an also give a holiday to your indoor plants by putting them outside during wet and cloudy weather to revive, they will really appreciate it, ensuring they don’t get too much direct sun.
For optimal health it is recommended to repot your plants annually into fresh potting mix.
If you do all of the above, you will have great chances that your plants not just survive in your home, but they will grow and live happily.
