Tips, Tricks and Houseplant Care

For more houseplant care tips, visit our Life Lived Inside: Plant Care Category

Houseplants take in CO₂ and release pure oxygen for you to breathe a.k.k they scrub out toxins, keep the air around you clean, and look great while making you feel great. Just like we always say, home is where your plants are.

Light

Houseplants love, love, love indirect sunlight. Most thrive under medium to bright indirect light, but there are a few that can survive in low indirect light (that doesn't mean no light!). We always recommend placing your plants next to or near a window so they can soak up a healthy amount of indirect sunlight.

Worried your plant is't getting enough indirect light? The following are some symptoms:

Spindly growth as if the stems and leaves are stretching for light
Small new leaves
Lower leaves turn yellow and fall off
No growth or slow growth
Variegated leaves turn solid green
Flowering plants fail to bloom or bloom poorly

Each of our plants on the site specify how much indirect light that particular plant prefers. Feel free to reach out to us via Instagram or Facebook with any questions regarding sunlight and your plants!

Water

The number one reason houseplants die? Over watering.

Houseplants need a good soaking and then want to dry out. Only water once the first few inches of soil is completely dry to the touch. How fast the soil dries out really depends on the environmental surroundings, but most plant parents only need to water once or twice a week. Keep in mind that symptoms of being too wet are similar to being too dry. If the plant is wilting, check the soil before you water to make sure it isn’t already wet.

Humidity

Many houseplants come from humid climates and aren't used to dry indoor environments. To increase the humidity for your houseplants, try...

Setting plants on a tray filled with pebbles that is about half full of water. As the water in the tray evaporates, it will increase the moisture in the air around the plant’s leaves.
Placing plants close together around a bowl or watering can filled with water. This can help create a microclimate where the plants stay warm and humidity.
Using a humidifier to keep consistent humidity for your plants.
Placing your plants in the shower and giving them a nice rinse with lukewarm water. This not only washes the leaves of dirt and dust, it also increase the humidity as your bathroom warms up.
Misting plants to help temporarily increase humidity. This is also a great way to clean the leaves of any dirt and dust. Never mist plants that have fuzzy leaves, this can cause damage.

Feeding

Houseplants will thrive and grow with regular feedings. A controlled-release fertilizer such as 14-14-14 with Osmocote is our favorite. It delivers the nutrients a plant needs and you only have to use it every four months. For more regular applications, you can use Espoma's Organic House Plant Fertilizer.

Cleaning House Plants

You dust the dressers and tables in your home on a regular basis, and the same dust that settles on furniture can also block precious sunlight from getting to the leaves of your houseplants. Occasionally wipe smooth leaves clean with a damp cloth or sponge to remove dust and dirt. It will keep the plants healthier and prettier. For textured leaves, use a Q-Tip or toothbrush to gently remove dirt and dust.