Indoor Garden Ideas – Indoor Plant Maintenance
Indoor plants are a welcome addition to any home; not only do they look gorgeous but they help purify the air and provide beautiful scents to enjoy. You don’t have to be the most proficient gardener in the world in order to grow a range of indoor plants; however they do need some taking care of. Some plants need more maintenance than others, so ensure to pick one that suits your style.
Try sticking to these top tips to ensure indoor botanical beauty:
Soil: This is obviously dependent on the plant – succulents will die if you water them as regularly as normal plants – but generally your soil should be moist. If you overwater or your soil is too dry, then you can cause damage to the roots of the plant. Be sure to know how much and how are often you should water your specific plant to encourage good growth.
Perfect Pots: Choosing your pot is very important to ensuring your plant thrives. It will need a good amount of drainage to keep your plant healthy. If your pot doesn’t have drainage, you can get a cachepot to put at the bottom.
Select Space: The space you choose for your plant is imperative, as this will determine how much sunlight it receives. Again, you need to look into your specific plant to find out if it needs to be in direct or indirect sunlight or shade. You can purchase growth lights if need be. You also need to consider how much space the plant needs: is it a hanging plant? How large or tall will it grow? Does it need to be kept out of the way due to its fragile nature? If you have children/pets, you also need to take these factors into consideration.
Keep It Stationary: Plants acclimatize to the space you’ve chosen for them, so try not to move your plant around too much. If you need to move it due to a change in weather, try not to make it too much of a drastic change as this can hurt the plant.
Fertilizer: Your houseplant gets all its nutrients from the soil around it, without a good potting mix your plant will wither away and die. You can make you own mix or buy from the store, just remember your plant will need you to replenish the soil regularly to ensure growth. Different plants require different fertilizers, so check what your plant prefers.
Prune: Like any other living thing, plants need regular attention in order to grow healthily. You should prune your plant so it can continue to grow healthily and not get out of control. Cut off any dead or dying part as these invite insects. Again, your pruning regime is unique to the type of plant you have.
Research: If you know your plant then it is much easier to take care of it properly. There are many websites that can assist you in becoming an avid and successful indoor botanist, and employees at the garden center or florist can help advise you on the specifics. Find out when/if your plants flowers, what it needs in terms of soil/watering and you have the stepping stones to promote healthy and prolific growth.
