We all agree that there is something about bringing the green from the outdoors to the indoors that brightens up our homes and workplaces. Previously, we did an article on indoor plants which you can refer to as Indoor plants that are easy to care for. All plants require water, light, and food, but the trick to success is to practice moderation and understand your plant needs.
While picking the plants comes down to personal preference, you also need to consider the conditions that you have to offer, including your sun quality and climate. However, we have the basic tips and ways to care for in-house plants.
Select a pot that has good drainage
The amount of drainage in the pot you’re keeping your flowers in is very important because over or under-watering your plant can damage or kill it. Make sure that there are drainage holes at the bottom of your pot. Plastics, metal, and glass will absorb much less water than ceramic or clay pots. To facilitate good drainage make sure there are holes at the bottom of the pot to drain excess water. Building up water can kill your plants.
Keep the potting soil moist, but not wet
There is no specific frequency that works for all indoor plants. Instead, what you must do is determine what kind of plant you have, and follow guidelines on how often to water it by doing research on its specific type. For example, Plants with lush, thick leaves require more water than plants with waxy or leathery leaves. Succulents should be watered once a week or so. Under watering or over watering can affect the plants differently.
Place the plants in an area that gets adequate sunlight
Plants require sunlight in order to undergo photosynthesis (the making of their own food). The quality, duration, and intensity of light all affect a plant’s growth. succulents require bright light when kept indoors or out and should get at least six hours of sunlight a day. Otherwise, the leaves will start to fall off. While flowering plants require 12-16 hours of light per day. In the absence of direct sunlight, fluorescence light can be used as an alternative.
Don’t move your plants around a lot
Plants acclimate themselves to their surroundings fairly slowly, so it’s best that you don’t move them around a lot. This also includes putting it in a place where there would be a drastic change in temperature. If you want to move the plant, take it to the new area for an hour a day. Slowly increase the amount of time it is left in the new area until it has fully adjusted.
Don’t Forget to Fertilize
Most houseplants thrive in a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer. That is nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. House plants need nutrients from potting soils and fertilizers in order to survive. If you don’t repot the plant, or add new nutrients to the soil, the plant will eventually die. Fertilizer helps fills in the gaps in your plant’s daily nutritional intake.
If your plant is shedding its leaves, it’s probably trying to tell you that it would be happier in a different spot. Maybe it needs pruning as well.