I love the look of plants and flowers in the house all year long and I envy people who are able to tend to their plants and keep the alive for years and years. My cousin Holly is one of those people, she has beautiful houseplants all around her house and has kept them alive for years–even with little kids around.
Now me on the other hand? I tend to kill anything that is green in the house but I am determined to change my ways and turn this brown thumb green!
I have done some research into what my issues are with keeping plants alive in the house and if you enjoy growing plants indoors, or would like to start growing some plants indoors, here is what I found out. I hope this helps YOU too!
The key issues with indoor plants not thriving are location and watering.
Location, location, location!
1. Location is SO important! Each plant will have a perfect spot in your home. Some will like low light, others will like full sun, and some will even do very well in rooms with non-ideal climates for most other plants.
2.Moist environment plants such as ferns will do well in bathrooms. There really are plants that do well in moist environments. Most plants would wilt due to the humidity and moisture, but plants such as ferns are used to this type of climate in the jungle.
3. Sunny plants should always face north. This will give them the most sunlight throughout the day. If you don’t have a window facing directly north, try a north-east window instead. You can try a few windows to see if your plant does better in front of one versus the other.
4. There ARE plants that do well in dim light! Believe it or not, many plants that grow on the jungle floor do exceptionally well with dim lighting. They grow below all of the trees, meaning that they don’t see much daylight. Each plant that you purchase should come with instructions on what they like and don’t like, be sure to follow these instructions.
Watering is key
1.Your first task should be to determine what plant is your indicator plant. An indicator plant is a plant that will wilt fast when it’s out of water, but will not brown and will easily pop back to life when watered. Place this plant somewhere where you will see it frequently as a reminder to water your plants if it begins to get droopy.
2.Misting your plants is also beneficial. Especially tropical plants. They will soak in that water and be rejuvenated making them grow faster and stronger. (It’s very similar to humans!)
3.Don’t over or under water. It’s a straightforward concept but it can be a difficult one to master. You can do things such as make sure that all of your plants have drainage and water them from the bottom up to let the soil soak in what it needs, and leave the rest so that the plant doesn’t drown. (Use a small plate under the planter to pour the water into.) As well as putting ice cubes in the top of the plant allowing the ice to melt and the soil to soak it in rather than taking it all in at once.
I know for ME, my issue is I don’t end up giving them enough water. I tend to forget and then don’t remember to water them until they are all shriveled up and dried out. Then I overcompensate and give them TOO much water. Now that I know what I am doing wrong, however, I think I am going to write on my calendar a reminder to water the plants so that they stay alive all year long.
What do you do to remember to tend to your plants? Do you add it to your calendar or do you just have a naturally green thumb?
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