How to Care for Houseplants

The warmth in your home keeps your family happy. But turns out, our green friends love being cozy, too! There are many benefits to having real plants in your home. Granted, to improve air quality, you’ll need a lot of them, but just a few can improve your mood and fill you with a sense of pride and ownership when things are going right. Houseplants can inspire decor and spark good conversation.

Since there’s not much keeping gardeners busy outdoors right now, it’s the perfect season to try your thumb with these inside guys. This is a great time to do some maintenance on houseplants, too. There’s more required for keeping them happy than just proper light and water.

One tip to being successful with houseplants: Remember that we’re forcing them to be inside, so we are constantly trying to replicate their natural environment.

LET THE LIGHT IN
Ensure plants receive their preferred amount of sunlight. Anything tropical, whether it stays inside or was brought indoors for the winter, needs bright light and humidity. It’s a good idea to keep the leaves of houseplants clean and misted if the air is really dry (e.g. near a heat source).

Rotate potted plants, especially if they’ve developed a slight lean towards the sun.

ROOM TO BREATHE
Plants need to breathe! For those with broad leaves, occasionally wipe dust from the tops with a damp rag or paper towel. Be sure to change the cloth from plant to plant to ensure no pests are carried over. Using a leaf shine spray isn’t necessary.

REPOT FOR REJUVENATION
If leaves are starting to yellow and the plant isn’t putting out new growth, it is time to repot. Over time, nutrients in the potting soil leach out with the water, and roots start to circle inside the pot, so replant into a pot that is one inch wider in diameter.

WATER WATER EVERYWHERE
Water plants only if the top one to two inches of soil is dry when you stick your finger in the pot. And remember to check those trays beneath them. Don’t let standing water remain there. Though nothing is wrong with tap water, rainwater or distilled water is best for plants to replicate the way they’d receive water in nature. Tap water contains traces of chlorine and fluoride, and some plants may be sensitive to these compounds.

Houseplants Care Guide – Light and Water Requirement

Low-light lovers: Snake Plant (Sansevieria), ZZ Plant, Peace Lily

Bright-light beauties: Bromeliads, Aloe, Succulents

Like a camel: (It’s OK to forget to water): Jade Plant, Succulents, Corn Plant (Dracaena)

Be careful not to overwater! This often leads to yellowing leaves and can attract fungus gnats at the soil surface.

FERTILIZE TO THRIVE
Finally, keep up with a houseplant fertilizer when the plants are actively growing. Follow label directions for amounts and application timings. 

Ashley Frasca is the host of WSB’s “Green and Growing” radio show, on every Saturday morning from 6-9am on 95.5 WSB and on Facebook. She uses her newfound planting knowledge to answer listener questions and learn for herself. Lucky for us, she shares a little bit of what she’s learned, so that we can get our hands dirty in the garden, too. Follow along all year for more of her tips and tricks!

@greenandgrowingwsb, @ashleyfrascawsb