5 Houseplant tips if your a plant killer

May 23, 2019

Houseplants are quite awesome! They can add so much joy to life and decor to your home but not if you keep murdering them! So what’s the trick?

How do you keep houseplants alive? Without examining your houseplant myself I can’t tell you definitively but I can give you five basic houseplant tips that will help all newbie houseplant parents!

If this is your first visit please check out our about page for more!

Table of Contents hide

1 Houseplant Tips

1.1 Want More?

1.2 The Thrifted Planter

Houseplant Tips

Do your research Know what you are bringing home. You can talk to someone at the garden center to get more details regarding the needs of your plant. Also check the plant tag because it will give you some basic information such as light needs and water needs. If you cannot meet the basic needs for the plant its best to leave it behind. Why get your heart broken if you don’t have to.

Light: Plants need light to live lol. Plants are Autotrophs and make their own food. Weird I know but amazing. They use the energy from light to help create glucose. No more scientific details but you can look it up if you want. So long story short plants need light to survive. Some plants require more light and some less.

Water: I have killed many houseplants in my years of plant ownership and water is one of the main causes of death. Either I over watered and the plant rotted from the bottom up or not enough water and the plant dried up from the roots on up… Water is tricky and its is best to know how much water your plant needs. Plants like Cactus’ need very little water and plants like a Banana Tree love water.

For tips on how to properly water your houseplants we’ve got you covered!

houseplant care, rubber tree, ficus elastica

Pots: The type of pot your plant is in can cause issues for your planty friend. So a plant that likes to stay moist may not love being in a Terracotta pot. Terra Cotta will pull moisture from the soil causing your plant to dry out quicker. Plastic and Ceramic will hold moisture for longer. So if you have a plant that likes to be dry like Succulents or Sansevieria Terra Cotta is great. Plants that like moisture like the Croton or any Calathea will not be happy to dry out.

For a list of beautiful houseplants that are cheap check out this post

Pests: This is the one I hate the most. There are many insects that love to eat your plants and if the populations get to high they can completely murder your plants before you even notice. Two pests that have invaded my home have been Spider Mites which are tiny little mites that web and suck the juice out of your plants and Mealy bugs which are white and fuzzy looking. Both offenders are very small and treacherous. I combat them by washing leaves, spraying a neem oil mixture on the leaves an keeping a close eye.

So that’s my quick houseplant tips for newbies. Also know that sometimes plants die and there isn’t always a clear reason why. So don’t get bent out of shape if you kill a few. You can always try again but make sure you do your research first.

Happy Gardening!

Want More?

Houseplants are gorgeous living home decor. It is worthwhile learning how to properly care for them.

IF YOU LIKE THIS POST

The Thrifted Planter

Ciearra is a gardener and houseplant enthusiast of over 10 years! She has been growing indoors and outdoors. Supplying food for her family and beautifying her home with annuals, perennials and houseplants! Ciearra is passionate about sharing her knowledge of plant care with anyone who needs help or a quick plant growth tip! When she’s not blogging you can find her tending to her chickens, dogs and hanging out with her family

Learn More