3 Tips To Great Indoor Plants and 3 things NOT to do!

I love indoor plants, Not only do they create a great atmosphere in your home, they also naturally filter the air. Putting out Indoor plants is my favorite way to decorate- here a just a few of my favorite plants.

I am one of those who has a natural green thumb- and I have people ask me all the time how I can grow big healthy plants, while they cannot keep theirs alive. These are the most common reasons indoor plants die:

1) Over-watering– You are excited you just bought a big beautiful plant, you water it everyday. The more water the better right? WRONG! Plants can be babied a little too much and if they are over watered can die in a quick hurry. Every plant varies in the amount and how often they need to be watered, if you pay attention you will find out how much your plant needs. I find that most plants do better if they get dry between waterings- and when you do water just water enough to moisten the soil. I give my plants a water about once a week- but if some of them have moist soil I let them wait another week.

How do you know if you are over watering or underwatering? You usually know you are over watering when the plant starts to lose their leaves or it looks as though their leaves are rotting. If the plant is not getting enough water the leaves will droop & turn brown.

2) Not enough light– Most indoor plants do not need direct sunlight- it’s actually better if they have indirect/diffused light. The reason being that if the plant gets the dry then direct sunlight can fry the plant and potentially kill the plant, consistent diffused light is best and more gentler on the plant.

3) Too Small of a Pot- Plants need to be transplanted periodically into a bigger pot. If a plant is in too small of a pot it will require a lot more watering, look droopy or almost dead- it may even crack the pot. So if you notice any of these things you may transplant the plant into a bigger pot before it dies.

So now that you know the don’t s- here are a few do’s that will make your plants even better. Here are a couple of my secrets:

1) Fertilizing– You don’t need to go out and buy expensive fertilizers- there are many things in your household thanks make excellent fertilizers.

• Coffee- I often use my left over coffee and pour it into my plants (make sure it’s cooled first) it a EXCELLENT fertilizer
• Tea- it’s not only a great fertilizer but also a antioxidant for the plant. Plants filter the air and brown tips on the leaves are result of that. Tea will remove those brown tips from the leaves and extend the life of your plant.
• compost- if you are into composting it’s the best thing for your plant- they will grow like a weed on that stuff.

2) Use a Draining pot-  Make sure your pot drains (holes on the bottom) I cannot emphasize this enough if your pot does not drain you will not know how moist the soil really is. The top will appear dry when it really is still moist- which as result will in watering and rotting of the plant. Drain holes will let the water run through the plant and not have it sit in the roots.

3) Retain leaf moisture-  Mix 1 cup water with 1/2 tsp of dish soap and it put into a spray bottle. This is typically done in winter when you are heating your home and the air is very dry- it will retain moisture and keep your leaves from drying out.

So there you have it! I know these tips may sound pretty simple and self explanatory to some- but for those that cannot keep plants alive I hope this helps!

I also got this tip from my friend Denise (She was one of my bridesmaids at my wedding).

“Put mayonnaise on the leaves of your plants. Make sure it is mayo! My grandma taught me this trick which shines up house plants (not the fake kind), it’s perfectly safe for the plants and lasts a long time! I’ve been doing this on this plant for probably 14 years now. I just use a cloth (from a ripped up t-shirt). You don’t need a lot, just enough to wipe it down. They stay shiny a long time. And it does not stink!!!”

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