Love plants but not sure how to care for them?

It’s commonly voiced how people love plants and would have more of them in their homes if only they could keep them alive. If this is you, then we have a few tips to help you.

 

Healthy indoor plants

There are some simple tips when trying to keep your indoor plants healthy. They go something like this:

 

• Make sure they have enough light
• But don’t keep them in direct sunlight unless their labels say this is their preferred spot
• Beware of over-watering
• Don’t leave your plants sat in pools of water – drain them well after watering

 

The rule of thumb when watering plants is to check if the compost in the post is damp. Press your thumb or finger into the compost; if your thumb has bits of compost stuck to it when removed, then the plant probably doesn’t need water.

 

Essentially creating the right home for your indoor plant is trying to recreate the conditions they would have in their natural habitat.

 

Some like it hot and steamy

Some plants love the atmosphere that is typical in bathrooms. In general these are fern plants and air plants. Bamboo is also a fan of a warm, humid atmosphere too.

 

If they don’t get this air moisture they will need regular misting, probably once a week to create the humidity they love.

 

Air plants need no soil; they get all they need from the air including moisture. Again if they don’t get enough you should mist them once a week and turn them upside down to let any excess drip off to avoid leaf rot at the base of the leaves.

 

 

Bamboo will absolutely bask in the damp surroundings as will ferns. If ferns don’t get enough moisture, that’s when you’ll see them frizzle and dry up. Bamboo loves water too but be careful not too much at a time – little and often is the best way. Again both plants like humid conditions and should be sprayed regularly if your bathroom doesn’t get hot and steamy.

 

 

Simple to care for

Good old trailing ivy is a carefree plant and so is the Peace lily. Of course they need watering like every other plant but they aren’t so difficult. If you see your Peace lily begin to wilt, just give it a good soaking, leave to drain and all will be right with the Peace lily’s world once again. Of course regular watering is better!

 

Keep your Peace lily away from direct sunlight and preferably out of draughts.

 

 

 

Orchids, too difficult to keep at home?

Orchids aren’t nearly as temperamental as they are rumoured to be. They do like light though not direct sunlight and they don’t like the temperature to drop below 15°C but otherwise they are a beautiful addition to your home, even your bathroom.

 

Do beware of over-watering though. Just once a week if they seem quite dry, give them a good soak in a large pot of cool water. Then drain thoroughly before returning to their ‘home’.

 

 

 

Feeding your plants

Houseplants do like some food during their growing season. For most of them this is during our summer. In wintertime they rest so that feeding should be reduced.

 

Enjoy!