This week, Kelly (our Leader of Plant Health) and Alex (farm technician and Planted’s resident house plant expert) give their top 5 tips for keeping your houseplants healthy and happy!
- Get to know your house/apartment. What is your humidity level like? Is the level different in each room? Where is that good, good light (south facing windows get the most direct light!)? Are there drafts? Does the temperature fluctuate based on the time of day? Knowing these things about where you live will make it easier to care for your plants!
- Get to know your plants. Learn about your plant’s specific needs based on their species. On the farm, we have different care recipes for each variety we grow and houseplants shouldn’t be treated any differently. Focus on 4 main care factors for each plant you have: humidity, light requirements, watering schedule, nutrients. If you can dial these in for each species, your plant babes will be thriving!
- Use the right type of water. If you’re using tap water to water your plants, it’s important to know if impurities in the water could potentially harm your plant. If you know there is chlorine in your tap water, fill your watering container at night, leave it out uncovered, and water your plants with it in the morning. Chlorine, which can be harmful to plants, will evaporate at room temperature, leaving behind safer water. If there are other minerals in your water (fluoride, salt, etc), use distilled water instead of tap to keep your plants happy & healthy.
- Flush your plants. When watering your plants, make sure water is reaching the bottom of the pot (always buy pots with drainage holes). The deeper the water goes into the soil, the deeper the roots will grow, making for a healthier root system! If you’re worried about overflow, set your pot in the tub or sink before watering.
- It’s okay if you can’t grow it. Sometimes, you can provide your plant with everything it *should* need and want, and it still won’t be healthy. It can be frustrating (especially when you have a friend whose plant is thriving 🙄), but just know, it’s not you...it’s the plant.