Indoor plants often add a natural, vibrant touch to the atmosphere of your home or any place they are kept in.
Not only do they make the place look more beautiful, some of them also purify the indoor environment. Plants also improve your health and help increase your concentration
Here are the ways you can follow to ensure good growth for your plants with 6 tips for caring for and taking care of indoor plants.
6 tips for caring for indoor plants
Choose a pot with good drainage
The amount of drainage in the pot you keep your plant in is very important because over- or under-watering can damage or kill it.
Make sure there are drainage holes in the bottom of the pot.
Materials such as plastic, metal, and glass absorb less water than ceramic or clay, so keep that in mind as well.
Make sure there are holes in the bottom of the pot so that water can drain. If you use a small pot (without holes), water can accumulate and kill your plant.
Identify an area of your home that gets enough sunlight
Plants require sunlight in order to photosynthesize. The quality, duration, and intensity of light affect plant growth.
Avoid placing your plant in direct sunlight.
Instead, give them plenty of indirect light by placing them in a well-lit room.
Fluorescent lights can act as a substitute for sunlight for some plants.
Give flowering plants 12-16 hours of light per day.
Give foliage 14-16 hours of light per day.
Don’t move your plants too much
Plants adjust to their surroundings quite slowly, so it’s best not to move them too much.
This also includes placing them in a location where there could be a dramatic change in temperature.
Suddenly moving your plant from a dark area to a sunny area will have a negative effect on the plant.
If you want to move your plant, take it to the new area for an hour per day.
Slowly increase the amount of time it is left in the new area until it is fully adjusted.
Increasing the humidity in the room
Dry air may serve certain plants well, such as cacti, but most plants require humidity, especially tropical plants.
You can purchase a room humidifier with a cool mist, and make sure it is close enough to provide moisture in the air for the plant, but not wet the leaves or flowers.
A cheaper option for purchasing a humidifier is to fill a tray with pebbles.
Add water to the bottom of the pebbles. As the water evaporates, it will humidify the room.
You can also fill a spray bottle with distilled water and mist the plants to give them extra humidity.
Wilting, browning leaves, and poorly developing flower buds are signs that your plant is suffering from low humidity.
Grouping your plants together can help increase humidity
Fill your pot with a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer.
Most houseplants thrive in a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer.
Houseplants need nutrients from the potting soil and fertilizer to survive.
If you don’t repot the plant or add new nutrients to the soil, the plant will eventually die.
The first number is nitrogen, the second is phosphorus, and the third is potassium.
If you have a flowering plant, you can buy a fertilizer that is high in potassium.
If you have a foliage plant, you should get a fertilizer or soil that is high in nitrogen.
Plants also require micronutrients that need to be replenished by adding soil or fertilizer in order to survive.
Cacti or succulents require a special potting mix that is specifically designed to drain water efficiently.
They also need pots with lots of holes in the bottom.
This prevents excess moisture from being trapped in the soil, which can kill the plant.
Prune your plant regularly
The roots of certain plants need to be pruned at different intervals, so it’s important to read up on how often you should prune your plant.
A plant that is not pruned can grow out of control, and the roots of the plant can grow beyond its pot or container.
Prune your plant regularly to keep it healthy and to prevent yourself from having to replant it.
Cut off dead branches or stems that could attract insects.
Prune above a leaf node at a 45-degree angle to promote a stronger, fuller plant.
