We all start off as plant rookies in the beginning, unless of course, you grew up with a natural green thumb. No doubt most people throughout their early 20s would’ve picked up an odd indoor plant or two from Bunnings and gradually sent them all to the plant graveyard… R.I.P plants. If this sounds like you, then don’t worry, there is still hope. As with every new skill, practice makes perfect even with gardening and plant maintenance. Eventually, you will get a hang of it and become a proud plant parent to an ever-growing urban jungle.
If you can’t even keep a plant alive, then make sure you check out these quick tips below. They’ll make a huge difference in keeping your plants happy and healthy! Join our Plant Lover Lab community Facebook group for more advice from fellow planet parents and show off your plant collection. Join here.
1. Light.
Let there be light! Look around your living space and take note of the different lighting conditions (shady, vs. bright) throughout the day. The amount of light each plant needs varies and depends on the time of the year. If your home does not get a lot of sunlight, then we don’t recommend picking a plant that demands a lot of direct light. Many indoor plants grow at their best close to a window in partial sun and shade.
Alternatively, if you wish to have plants in a space that doesn’t get a lot of natural sunlight then you could use grow lights to give the plants the light they need to survive and thrive. These types of lights are designed to stimulate plant growth by emitting an electromagnetic spectrum appropriate for photosynthesis.
2. Care instructions.
Most indoor plants from shops come with care instructions that are inserted into the pot. These instructions will show you the specific care needed for each particular plant in regards to light, watering and any additional information.
It’s a good idea to keep all these tags in one place to keep handy. Plus if you ever forget your plant’s name, you can look through your collection of tags and match the tag photo to your plant.
You can also find care instructions and lots of advice online if you Google the plant name or you can post in Indoor Plant Facebook groups. The plant community online are more than happy to help you with whatever issues or questions you may have.
3. Water needs.
Watering correctly is essential to keeping a plant healthy. Make sure you don’t water all your plants all the time because different species have different needs. Overwatering a plant can be just as bad, or even worse than underwatering a plant.
My personal favourite… Get yourself a Moisture Meter for plants! This is an essential tool that helped save all my plants from the plant graveyard. Simply place it into the soil and the meter will tell you if it’s dry, moist or wet. Moisture Meters are so handy that I hope to one day stock them in this online store to offer my customers the chance to order one along with their trellises.
3. Proper Drainage.
A common mistake with new plant parents is that they purchase trendy pots which don’t have drainage holes and re-pot their plants straight into it. Plants need proper drainage in order to avoid root rot that’s caused by the roots sitting in water for a long period of time.
You can still use those fancy trendy pots though, just keep your plant inside the pot it came in and sit the pot inside the fancy pot. The bonus is that the fancy pot doubles as a tray to catch excess water when watering. After watering time, the water will drain from the plant’s pot into the fancy pot. Don’t forget to take that pot and tip out the water to ensure the plant’s roots are not sitting in water.
4. Pruning.
Sometimes you just gotta cut things loose in order to grow. The same goes for plants. Prune your plant’s dead leaves. This will allow the plant’s vital energy to go towards its healthiest leaves and stop wasting it away on the old ones which are beyond saving.
Plus the bonus is that it improves the aesthetic look of your plant collection. Only lush-looking leaves in your urban jungle.
Pruning is also helpful if your plant has any leggy stems. Prune them back to a node (where the lead meets the stem). Your plant will start to grow at the nodes after pruning.
5. Soil & Nutrients.
Soil and Nutrients are important to maintain the best health for your place. Standard good-quality potting soil is fine for most plants, although some, including succulents, orchids, and ferns, do better in a mix formulated specifically for that plant. Never use regular garden soil.
There’s also the common mistake is not fertilizing, which can lead to problems with houseplants down the line. Remember that unlike a plant outdoors, nothing will replenish nutrients in the pot of soil indoors. When it comes to fertilizer, don’t be overzealous. It is always a good idea to fertilize throughout the growing season with occasional applications of a weak, water-soluble fertilizer and cut back or stop during the winter.
6. Start simple
New plant parents should ideally start simple first. Begin your urban jungle with the hardy species first (pothos, aka devil’s ivy, palm plant, succulents and cacti), these won’t let you down. One you get a handle on things, then you can move on to the more difficult and needy plants often known as ‘drama-queens’.
The most difficult plants to keep alive at Maidenhair Fern, Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree, String of Pearls/Dolphins/Bananas and all varieties of Calathea.
The easiest plants to keep are all the varieties of Monstera, theSpider plant, ZZ plant (Zanzibar Gem), varieties of Pothos and Arrowhead, (Syngonium podophyllum).
7. Plant Support
Some types of plants need a little extra support. A plant trellis will guide your plant to grow and provide it with the support it needs to thrive. Vine plants such as the Pothos, Philodendron, Ivy, Monstera Adonsonii, Hoya and other vining indoor houseplants can benefit from a plant trellis.
Other types of climbing plants that may need extra support to be able to stand upright in the pot include the Monstera Deliciosa, Syngonium and Philodendron varieties.
Our Designer Plant Trellises here at Dreamer Design Lab are both functional and decorative.
Check out our range available.
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