Indoor Plant Care Guide: Tips to Keep Your Houseplants Healthy & Green

Indoor Plant Care Guide: Tips to Keep Your Houseplants Healthy & Green:  Essential tips that should be followed to ensure the healthy and optimal growth of your indoor green friends.

Indoor Plant Care Guide

1. Understand the location and sunlight Requirement of the plant

Indoor plants thrive best when placed in areas where they receive at least one of the three types of light: bright light, indirect sunlight, or direct sunlight. They are not suitable for dark, enclosed spaces like bathrooms or kitchens where natural light is limited.

In bright light conditions, you can keep popular plants like the snake plant, spider plant, ZZ plant, lucky bamboo, and syngonium. These same plants can also do well in indirect or even direct sunlight, and you can expand your collection with options like the areca palm, dumb cane, peace lily, satin pothos, golden money plant, aglaonema, rubber plant, betel leaf plant, monstera, and more.

It’s important to note that plants won’t survive in completely dark spaces — not even with grow lights. While grow lights can support plant growth, they still require some ambient brightness to be effective. In total darkness, even with grow lights, indoor plants are unlikely to thrive.

2. Key Points to Keep in Mind While Buying Indoor Plants:

Buy from a trusted nursery: Always purchase your plants from a reputable and well-known nursery. They might be slightly more expensive, but the quality and health of the plants are worth the extra cost.

Choose a healthy plant: Look for plants that are visibly healthy and in strong condition. A plant that already looks stressed or weak may struggle to survive once you bring it home.

Prefer locally potted plants: Opt for plants that are already growing in the local soil of your area, as they’ll adapt more easily to the environment. If you find a healthy plant that isn’t in local soil, you can still buy it — just be prepared to give it a little extra care.

Avoid repotting : Most indoor plants don’t respond well to frequent repotting. So, it’s best to choose a plant that’s already in a sturdy, proper pot. Try to avoid buying plants that come in plastic grow bags or damaged containers.

3. Pot Selection Is Crucial

• Clay pots are often the best choice for plants, thanks to their breathability and natural look. However, when it comes to indoor decor, many people look for pots that also enhance the aesthetic of their space. While clay pots are simple and understated, they can easily be painted or decorated to match your home’s style.
• Avoid using cement pots indoors — they’re quite heavy, can damage flooring, and are difficult to move around. 
• Ceramic pots are a beautiful alternative and can elevate the look of any indoor space, but not all plants thrive in them. Only very hardy plants like the jade plant or syngonium tend to do well in ceramic pots.
• If other options aren’t available, high-quality plastic pots can also be used for indoor plants. 
• However, grow bags are not recommended for indoor use .
• When it comes to pot size, always choose a pot that is just one size larger than the plant’s current pot. Avoid placing indoor plants in oversized pots, as this can lead to overwatering and hinder their growth.

4. Pot Plates and Stand

Always place trays or plates beneath your pots to catch excess water and dust — this helps keep your floors clean and dry. Avoid placing large plants like Areca Palm on stands, as they can become unstable and may topple over during cleaning.

Position smaller plants near windows where they can get enough light, and place medium-sized plants on low tables for better support and visibility. Also, try not to move or disturb your plants too much while cleaning — they thrive best when left in a stable, undisturbed environment.

5. Soil Mixture 

• The soil mixture for indoor plants needs to be light, well-balanced, and not too compact. Unlike outdoor plants, indoor plants don’t get much sunlight or airflow, which means their soil tends to stay moist for longer. That’s why the soil mix should be designed to avoid water retention and promote healthy root growth.
• To prepare the ideal indoor soil mix, use local garden soil and compost in a ratio of 5:1 (five parts soil to one part compost). Then, add cocopeat — about half the quantity of the compost — to improve texture and water retention just enough without overdoing it.
• Since indoor soil doesn’t dry out quickly, it’s important not to overload it with compost or cocopeat. 
• You can also mix in a small amount of vermiculite, which is a great optional addition and a good growing medium. 
• Adding a bit of Trichoderma is highly recommended, as it helps prevent fungal infections. If Trichoderma isn’t available, you can use a mild fungicide like Sarf as an alternative.
• Finally, include some sand in the mix. Sand helps improve drainage and ensures the soil doesn’t hold excessive moisture, which could lead to root rot and ultimately weaken the plant.
•  A well-draining, balanced mix is the key to keeping your indoor plants happy and thriving.

6. Avoid Frequent Watering 

 

• Indoor plants generally dislike frequent watering, so it’s important to check the soil before doing so. First, examine the top layer of the soil—if it feels sticky or moist, there’s no need to water yet. 
• However, if the top layer appears dry, insert a stick deep into the soil and then pull it out. If the stick comes out dry and free of any soil clinging to it, this means the soil is dry throughout and it’s time to water the plant.
• Additionally, using oversized pots for indoor plants can also cause problems. In large pots, roots usually spread out near the top layer, where they absorb most of the water. 
• The lower portion of the pot often remains unoccupied by roots, leading to moisture accumulation. This creates a swampy environment that can result in root rot. 
• When roots begin to rot, plants like aglaonema, monstera, and areca palm may show signs such as yellowing leaves, leaf drop, and overall decline.

To avoid these issues, make sure indoor plants are not potted in containers that are too large for their root system.

7. Fertiliser Requirement 

• Indoor plants grow slowly, so they don’t require frequent fertilizing. 
• Feeding them with organic fertilizer once every two months is usually enough.
• Options like food sticks, diluted seaweed fertilizer, and Prime Plus can be used effectively. 
• Natural alternatives like onion peel water are also beneficial.
• Mustard cake and neem cake are good organic fertilizers as well, but they should be finely sieved before use. These fertilizers often contain small particles of mustard or neem, and if not filtered properly, they can release unpleasant smells and gases indoors, leading to discomfort or a feeling of suffocation.

8. Pesticides 

• If indoor plants are cared for following the methods shared above, there’s usually no need for pesticides, as pests are unlikely to attack healthy, well-maintained plants. However, if pots are kept in dark rooms or areas with poor ventilation, the risk of pest infestations increases.
• As a preventive measure, it’s a good idea to spray neem leaf concoction on your plants once a month. Be sure to take the plant outside before spraying and cover it thoroughly.
•  If neem concoction isn’t available, you can use a plant protector spray instead.
• In case a plant is already affected by pests, it will require proper and timely treatment. 
• Additionally, during the rainy season, it’s advisable to water the plants with a mild fungicide solution once or twice a month to prevent fungal infections.

9. Pruning Tips for Indoor plant

Only remove the dead or damaged parts of the plant—there’s no need for heavy pruning. During extreme heat or cold, some leaves or sections of the plant may show signs of stress. Simply trim off those affected areas to keep the plant healthy.

The post Indoor Plant Care Guide: Tips to Keep Your Houseplants Healthy & Green appeared first on Voice of Plant.