Have you ever wanted to start a houseplant collection, but you’re not sure where to start? Or maybe you’ve had plants in the past that you just couldn’t seem to make happy? Well today I’m going to break down some basic houseplant care tips, to help all of your plant mom dreams come true! Think of this as Plant Mom 101!
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Every plant has three basic care needs: light, water and humidity.
Light
Every plant requires a different amount of light. Believe it or not, they don’t all want to sit in sunbeams all day! This is really important when you’re shopping for plants, because you need to assess where you’ve got space in your house. If the only place you’ve got room for plants is in a really sunny room, you’ll be shopping for different plants than someone who’s only got room for plants in a darker space. Some plants need direct sunlight, some need indirect sunlight and some need a low level of sunlight.
- Direct sunlight means it’s sitting in actual sun all day, like right up against a bright window.
- Indirect sunlight means it’s not right at the window, but maybe on an adjacent wall where it’s bright, but the sun isn’t shining directly on it.
- Low light means it’s probably across the room from the window.
Water
Next is water. This is where the amount of effort you’re willing to put into plant care becomes important. Some plants only need to be watered once a week, or with succulents and cacti more like every two weeks. BUT some plants like their soil to be constantly damp, so it’s on you to keep checking their soil moisture levels. If you’re someone who wants low maintenance plants, you’re going to want to shop for plants that are “drought tolerant”, and need minimal watering.
Humidity
Lastly, you need to know how humid your plants want their environment to be. This can be a really annoying thing to deal with, and I myself have learned this lesson the hard way. There are PLENTY of plants that can live indoors without any extra humidity, and some that will actually die if it’s too moist and humid inside (like succulents and cacti), but there are some popular house plants that require extra levels of humidity and you’ve basically got two options if you want to have them in your house:
- Get a mini humidifier that you can plug in near those plants. I’ve seen plenty of people do this where the humidifier is just on overnight, not all day.
- Your other option is to have those plants live in a bathroom that has a shower PLUS the appropriate amount of light! I will tell you right now, succulents and cacti DO NOT want to live in a bathroom with a shower, they hate the extra moisture and will rot.
So remember, when you’re trying to decide what houseplants to buy there are three basic houseplant care categories to consider: Light, water & humidity.
- Does your plant need direct, indirect or low sunlight?
- Does it need constant watering, a little watering, or barely any water?
- And lastly, does it need a dry or humid climate?
Do you have any other basic houseplant care tips for new plant moms? Drop them in the comments!
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