The Ultimate Guide to Indoor Plant Care: Watering, Light, and More

An integral part of every interior design ought to be indoor plants. In addition to adding brightness, greenery is proven to elevate moods indoors.

Because they are inexpensive, healthy, and suitable for a range of interior design concepts, indoor plants are becoming more and more popular.

For people who live in climates with extremely cold winters or who have limited yard space for an outdoor garden, indoor plants are a fantastic option.

Therefore, if this is your first time taking care of indoor plants, our comprehensive guide will provide you the knowledge you need to ensure the health and well-being of your green companions.

WHAT ARE INDOOR PLANTS?

Plants grown indoors are known as indoor plants. Many tropical plants, including palms, are able to survive in indoor spaces.

HOW TO PICK YOUR PLANTS?

All indoor plants are only plants that were formerly found growing outdoors in a natural climate.

Although indoor plants are not picked and put in a pot right away, they still require their optimum environment to be duplicated in order to be healthy. Unless you actually do harvest wild plants from a garden or any other outdoor place, the majority of houseplants have already been domesticated, clipped, and well-prepared before you buy them and bring them into your home.

The key to caring for indoor plants is to try to replicate as much of their natural environment as you can. If you wish to grow succulents and cacti, for instance, you should know that they require dry, sunny circumstances. Therefore, these houseplants are probably not a good fit for someone who lives in a mostly overcast or gloomy region like Seattle or London.

There is a wide variety of indoor plant species available for home décor, and while some can be very demanding, others require very little care.

For instance, ferns are quite picky plants that require a lot of care and attention to thrive. On the other hand, snake plants can tolerate neglect rather well and have been observed to live without much light or water.

Although snake plants can resist almost everything, it doesn't mean you should ignore them. With a little careful love and care, these plants may be exquisite accents in any area of your house.

Whatever kind of indoor plant you decide on for your house or place of business, just make sure you can provide the minimal necessities and care that your plant demands.

HOW TO PLACE INDOOR PLANTS?

You must determine the ideal location for your new additions after selecting the ideal indoor plants for your house or place of business.

You might need to make an additional lighting purchase to suit the needs of specific plants when the natural light in your home is insufficient. The ideal places to keep plants that need a lot of sunlight are on windowsills, in sunny nooks, and by windows in bathrooms and kitchens.

Your house's humidity or dry air quality will also have an impact on the growth and behavior of your plants. Certain plants require dry air to thrive, whereas others require constant moisture.

There are workarounds for this. For instance, if you have a fern in your house that needs more moisture and your house is really dry, you can just sprinkle the leaves with a spray bottle once a day to keep them moist.

HOW TO WATER INDOOR PLANTS?

Watering your plants might seem like the simplest thing to perform, but it's actually the one that kills more plants than anything else.

What is the water requirement of your plants?

Every plant has unique requirements, which vary depending on the species, your home's soil, lighting, temperature, and humidity levels. More water will probably be needed by plants with lush foliage or plenty of leaves than by plants with waxy or sparse foliage.

The growth cycle affects how much you water your plants as well because a plant takes more water during active development than it does during dormant times. Watering will also depend on the size and kind of container you put your plant in. A larger container will hold too much water, while a small pot will absorb moisture rapidly.

Additionally, a clay potted plant will require more frequent watering than a plastic potted plant.

By inserting your fingers into the soil and feeling for wetness or dryness, you may determine whether your plants need to be watered. This method is similar to testing a cake to see if it's ready to be taken out of the oven.

You should water your plants if the soil feels dry; if it feels moist, you can probably wait a day or two; and if the soil is extremely wet, you should water your plants less frequently.

HOW MUCH LIGHT DO INDOOR PLANTS NEED?

Three categories of light are necessary for indoor plants:

Full sun: Plants need four to six hours of direct sunlight each day.
Medium-light: The plants need six to eight hours of bright indirect light or two to three hours of direct sunshine.
Low light: Although the plants may survive with electric lights like fluorescent bulbs, they still need some indirect light.

Lighting provides the energy that plants require to develop, flourish, and survive.

WHAT TYPE OF FERTILISER SHOULD WE USE FOR INDOOR PLANTS?

There are several excellent fertilizers available that are ideal for indoor plants. These are our top choices.

Fertilizer for plants: You may easily apply liquid or tablet fertilizers when you water your plants. Add your watering can to the mixture and administer as directed by the manufacturer. This organic plant food concentrate is our favorite.

Granular fertilizer: Granular fertilizer for indoor plants is exactly what it sounds like—it consists of tiny granules that you can scatter over the surface of the pot holding your plant. Additionally, you can apply them at the root zone by poking holes in the soil with a chopstick or dowel, or you can mix them with the soil during repotting... Just make sure you choose granular fertilizer specifically designed for houseplants, as the nutrients in it differ from those in outdoor plants. It's crucial to choose organic because the nutrients will be released gradually rather than all at once.

Solid fertilizers: such as spike fertilizers, should be incorporated into the soil surrounding your plant. They'll start releasing nutrients at the root level gradually soon. You won't need to apply fertilizer as frequently as you would with other varieties because they operate gradually.

Unique fertilizers: An all-purpose fertilizer will work wonders for the majority of indoor plants, but some have additional requirements. Fertilizer with more phosphorus is beneficial for blooming plants, such as orchids and African violets.

EXAMPLES OF SOME INDOOR PLANTS?

Additional instances of typical indoor plants are as follows: