Last updated on August 19th, 2023 at 10:33 pm
Ahhhhh, the houseplant craze. All one has to do these days is scroll through Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter for just a few moments before eyeing someone’s photo of their newest houseplant! While social media is ablaze with houseplant obsession, here at my rural home on California’s Central Coast, it also wouldn’t take someone very long before entering the front door to find an equal obsession with houseplants!
Admittedly, I came into the houseplant game a little later than most. I’m certainly not anywhere near the levels of Homestead Brooklyn or Houseplant Journal – talk about houseplant goals! 🪴
But, now that I’m definitely part of the houseplant-obsessed group, I couldn’t be more motivated to add to my current brood. It started with a Trader Joe’s Monstera Deliciosa. I saw her that day and she was the only one left, so I decided to name her Mona The Monstera and bring her home with me. There are about a gazillion reasons you should become the proud parent of houseplants: they add a little of the outdoors inside (which is always lovely!), they create a sense of calm and give you something to tend to, and they actually clean your air inside via their photosynthesis and phytoremediation processes! There is a houseplant out there for everyone: small, large, light-loving, shade-loving, etc! Anyone can join this group of green thumbs!
Want to become part of the group? Intimidated but interested? Curious about adding some organic greenery to your interior? Read on, friends! This post will cover the basics for you and hopefully inspire you to become a #houseplantgroupie like muah!
So, where does one start?
I would suggest you take stock of your interior space:
- which rooms are the brightest?
- what time of day does the light hit each space?
- where would a houseplant look good in each room?
- what about space for hanging houseplants?
- can I ensure my pets don’t knock them over OR that the plants won’t harm my pets?
After you have determined the 👆 you’re all set to get yourself your very own houseplant(s)! While different houseplants do require different watering schedules, fertilizing timing, and light, I don’t want you to be intimidated! Houseplant care is absolutely manageable! I definitely spend less time on my houseplants than I do my gardens outside, that is for sure! And once you spend just a little bit of time learning about each plant’s needs, you will be well on your way to becoming a houseplant nerd like the rest of us out there….
Choosing The Right Houseplants!
I want you to start off with success, readers! So choosing the right houseplant(s) is critical to not only ensuring victory over the care of your first houseplant but also the motivation to add more to your collection!
Based on already taking stock of your interior spaces, make a list of what you are looking for in each space and note where each houseplant will go:
☘️ How many tall houseplants are you looking for?
🌵 Where do you want hanging houseplants – and, how many?
🌱 What about tabletop houseplants? Where and how many?
🌿 Finally – make a list of how many of each sizes you want and where in the home they will reside
Once you have done that, it is time to go houseplant shopping, friends! The absolute BEST!
The number ONE piece of advice I would give houseplant newbies is this: READ LABELS! It is super important that you take the time to read the labels attached to each houseplant so that you can then cross-reference your already made list of what’s needed for your particular space. This is what I did when I first decided to go back to Trader Joe’s to acquire more houseplants. I also checked out my local nurseries as well as big box stores such as Home Depot and Lowe’s. Heck, these days you can even acquire houseplants easily online!
Here is a listing (with links through Amazon, should you choose) of my favorite low-maintenance houseplants:
- SNAKE PLANT (Sansevieria)
- Succulents of all kinds (Jade, ZZ Plant, Aloe, Croton, Bella Palm, Ponytail Palm – just to name a few!)
- Monstera (also called the Swiss Cheese plant!)
- Pothos (also called Devil’s Ivy)
- Philodendrons
- Cacti (Christmas Cactus is a great option, here!)
- Dieffenbachia
- Fiddle Leaf Figs (Ficus Lyrata – some folks have issues growing these, so I’d recommend researching well!)
I Can Eat Houseplants? 🤔
Haha, yes! There are actually edible houseplants! Soooo many of my friends are shocked when I tell them this! Okay, okay: I jest! But seriously, there are lots of different herbs and dwarf citrus (for example) that do really well inside year round! One of these days I am going to bite the bullet and finally attempt to grow a banana tree! All in good time….
Here’s a listing of edible houseplants (haha) that I have personally grown with ease and little care:
- Basil
- Chives
- Rosemary
- Micro Greens
- Mint
- Dwarf Meyer Lemon
- Dwarf Orange
- Dwarf Lime
- Dwarf Blood Orange
Of course, a lot of gardeners who grow their own food start seedlings indoors – some require grow lights as well. I am spoiled here along California’s Central Coast and can grow pretty much anything from seed via direct sow. But for those of you in more extreme weather climates, starting your veg inside is always as option, too!
Light Exposure
You won’t be shocked to read that plants need light to survive. They get their energy from light through the photosynthesis process, so all houseplants will require some form of light. This is where the above advice regarding READING LABELS is so critical! Based off of your personal interior space and the light in each space you wish to house a houseplant, you will choose accordingly.
Now, that’s not to say if you fall in love with a particular houseplant but its light requirements aren’t perfectly matched with your interior spaces light that you shouldn’t still try! You never know! But, in order to really set yourself up for success, reading the labels and doing your best to provide the required light per the label is pretty important….
Let’s discuss what those labels mean.
FULL SUN / BRIGHT DIRECT LIGHT:
This shouldn’t be too hard to figure out! Plants who’s labels require full sun or direct bright light want just that: full sun beating down on them for the better part of each day. For instance, I have a south-facing backyard and there is a sliding door that faces my backyard. I have always placed full sun loving houseplants in this spot, but you will have to be committed to checking water levels pretty regularly. Examples of houseplants I have grown successfully in a south-facing, full sun space are:
🌵 Cacti of all kinds!
🪴 Succulents of all kinds!
I have actually successfully grown some other houseplants in this spot, such as Kalanchoe blossfeldiana (Widow’s-thrill), Aucuba japonica (Spotted laurel/Japanese laurel), Pellaea rotundifolia (Button fern), Pilea peperomioides (Chinese money plant), and Tradescantia zebrina (Spiderworts/Inchplant) but I am someone who is home all day and has the time to ensure their care. If you notice yellowing leaves or any signs of sunburn, move them to a spot with indirect light. If you are not home a lot or work long hours, I wouldn’t risk this as – in my experience – most houseplants don’t like direct sun beating down on them most of the day!
BRIGHT & INDIRECT LIGHT:
This is absolutely ideal for almost all houseplants! They flourish in bright, indirect light! What does that mean? It means a room that is bright, with lots of windows, skylights, or french doors/sliding glass doors. Many people say, for example, that fiddle leaf figs don’t like to be right next to a south-facing window.
I, on the other hand, have one currently placed in our master bedroom right up next to south-facing french doors and it is very healthy and happy! I think as long as your houseplant receives direct sun for only a few hours each day, you’re good. So play around with each plant’s location and carefully monitor their leaf structure to see where they are happiest.
Here are some houseplants that will thrive in bright and indirect light:
☘️ Monstera
🌱 Ficus (all types!)
🌿 Spider Plants
🪴 Prayer Plant https://amzn.to/3iW7x0Y
🌵 Parlor Palms
☘️ Elephant’s Ear (this one is on my list to gift myself with this month!)
🌿 Pothos (all types!)
LOW LIGHT:
Every house has areas of moderate to low light. For me, it is my front entry! I hope to someday have one of those tubular skylights installed because I really hate how dark it is! So unfortunately I cannot have any houseplants in my entry area. But there are other areas of my home with moderate to low light where I have successfully grown happy houseplants!
I have healthy houseplants near my bedside, hanging in north-facing corners near a window, and in areas not so close to any windows! So, there’s hope!
Here is a listing of some houseplants that will tolerate low or moderate light:
- Pothos (all types!)
- Sansevieria (Snake plant)
- Calathea
- Ivy
- Chinese Evergreen
- Dieffenbachia
- Philodendron
- Ferns (all types!)
- ZZ Plant
See? There are lots of beautiful options! One of my favorites to grow and enjoy which isn’t listed above is Anthurium (Flamingo-lily or Laceleaf) – but I have to put it up high away from our cat, Charlie – any lily species are toxic to cats!
WARNING TO ALL PET OWNERS: many houseplants are poisonous to our furry, four-legged friends! Personally, my cat has never tried to eat any of my houseplants – but that doesn’t mean any cat , dog, bunny, etc WON’T!
If your pet seems interested in any of your houseplants, make sure to give a loud, firm “NO!!!” and you may even want to spray your pet with a water bottle if they are insistent in getting close to your plants!
Another option to dissuade your furry friend from digging in any houseplant soil is to cover the top with rocks! It looks nice AND is an easy and practical way to keep curious paws from digging. A good majority of my own personal houseplants are housed inside woven baskets, which also ensures that Charlie doesn’t get near the base of my plants! I can also highly recommend this basket that comes lined! I love mine! Obviously, keeping your houseplants up really high also helps – but some kitty’s will still jump up out of interest! Keep a close eye on them and discipline your pet(s) whenever they get close!
The levels of toxicity vary, but again – DO YOUR RESEARCH before bringing any houseplant into the house if you have pets!
Pots & Containers
This was, perhaps, the hardest area for me to get a handle on when I started collecting houseplants! I know, you wouldn’t think so, right? Why, you might ask? Well, first of all: pots/containers for plants generally aren’t cheap! There is a cost involved, which is why I have always leaned heavily towards baskets! And if you cannot find a basket with a plastic interior liner – then just do what I do and use a plastic garbage bag inside!
The other issue I initially had was watering without spilling water everywhere and making a mess! Honestly, some of my plants I just remove from their hanging planters and set in my kitchen sink to replenish with water or fertilize. Others I have used the nesting pot method, which is simply keeping the plant in the plastic container it came in (with drainage holes – important!) and then nesting that pot into a nicer looking ceramic one. This way, none of the furniture my plants sit on are damaged and water doesn’t leak out!
[bctt tweet=”The most important thing to know is this: all houseplants MUST.HAVE.DRAINAGE.” username=”A Substantial Life Blog”]
I have tried to keep houseplants alive without drainage holes, and usually they either die OR at the very least they never truly look like they’re flourishing. So, the drainage holes are essential! There are lots of options out there from: old or vintage plates (for an eclectic look), plastic trays for nearly nothing, separate saucers or drip pans, or anything that will “collect” the water. Just be sure to regularly dump out any standing water so your houseplants don’t rot!
I’d also add that you should create space between any ceramic or stone pots and the “nested” plastic container. Again, using rocks is cheap and easy! I have also heard that using cork board really helps protect any furniture since some ceramic or stone pots “sweat.” I haven’t used cork board yet, but definitely plan on giving it a try soon!
Regarding the sizing of your pots/planters, there is a general rule of thumb:
⇒ Smaller houseplants should do fine remaining in small pots. I personally give my smaller houseplants about an hour or two of outdoor sunshine (not direct full sun) about once every 2 weeks. They seem quite happy with that!
⇒ Larger houseplants (fiddle leaf figs, elephant’s ear, rubber tree, monstera, etc) will generally need to be “potted up” about once a year or so. If you want your larger houseplant to grow larger and taller, you will need to pot it up into a larger container so the roots can keep growing and the plant grows along with the roots. The bigger thing I’d point out is that you don’t want to jump the pot sizes TOO much; gradual sizing up is best.
As for some quick-reference tips regarding potting up, here are some I’d point out:
- Pot up gently! Don’t pull too hard on any stems and take your time
- Turn the plastic container on its side, gently pushing some body weight down on it while moving it back and forth on its side. This loosens the entire plant from its container – I use this method whenever transplanting outdoor plants as well!
- Try to disturb the plant as little as possible, with special attention to roots and soil structure
- If it is “root bound” (the roots are encircled within each other) than gently unfurl the roots with your hands in order to entice new growth
- If re-using an older pot, it really is worth it to clean the pot with soap and water. Some gardeners suggest using hydrogen peroxide as well, although I’ve never done so and never had disease or pest problems with the soap/water method.
- I usually add a small pebble or rock over the drainage holes (again, I do this for outside plants, too!) simply so clumps of potting soil don’t drain out
- Add new potting soil to the pot! Don’t compact it too much because you want there to be water retention.
- Water thoroughly
- Fertilize your houseplant(s) about 4 weeks after initial potting up
Watering
Almost everyone has a tendency to over-water their houseplants. I’m TOTALLY guilty of this, too! The biggest thing I’d stress is this: stick your finger about 1 inch down into the soil. If it’s dry, water your houseplant. I’ve stuck to this method and all my plants are thriving!
I do have some hanging houseplants that are north-facing that never seem to dry out, so for those I simply remove them from their hanging planter(s) and set them outside in the indirect sunshine for a few hours until they’ve dried up a bit. This always seems to bring them back! I’d say just try to focus on getting the roots wet (not soggy!) and keep to a schedule!
On that note, sticking to a regular schedule is probably the most important factor in watering your houseplants! It creates the habit, and I also set a reminder on my Alexa Echo so I don’t forget! I just go around the house to do the “finger test” mentioned above and keep a mental note of which plants need watering. I do this once a week. Then, I fertilize once a month! It’s that easy!
It’s normal for the top of the soil to “cake up” but still always perform the “finger test” because you might find the soil underneath is still wet! I made this mistake when I first started my houseplant obsession and in turn was over-watering. Don’t make that mistake! I also highly recommend using a chopstick (or some type of long, pointy tool) and stick it into the soil in various spots. This allows aeration and allows the water to distribute to the roots in a more even fashion.
I like the particularly long spout on this watering can.
Maintenance
The great thing about houseplants is that – generally speaking – they are very low-maintenance! Besides regular watering, really all you need to do to maintain your houseplants health is to remove any yellowing leaves and “pot up” when necessary! I mean, that’s totally do-able, right?
The only other advice I’d throw out there is to stake your houseplants that seem to need it (fiddle leaf figs, for instance, usually need a stake along the main stems) as well as somewhat regular dusting of the leaves. Again, this is really more pertinent for your larger house plants! Admittedly, I don’t “dust” the leaves of my houseplants as often as I should!
How do I dust the leaves? Well, I simply take a moist paper towel and slide any dust residue off each leaf. It is actually kind of therapeutic! This is also a good time to visually inspect the health and look of each of your plants! I usually take this time to also remove any yellowing leaves (usually towards the base of each plant) so that all the energy can go into producing new, fresh, green foliage!
Well, dear readers – I think that sums up the basics of houseplants and their care! Sure, we could go into pests (really, not much of a problem there that soap & water in a spray bottle can’t fix!) and other deeper subjects on houseplant care, but I don’t want to overwhelm you! Just get yourself a few houseplants and give it a go! Trust me, it can be addicting….in a good way! Cleaner indoor air, the beauty of foliage in your home, and the little maintenance you have to provide really makes houseplants a no-brainer!
I hope this inspires you to grow plants indoors and provided you with the information you need to care for them! I’d love to see photos of your houseplants, so tag me #asubstantiallifeblog or @asubstantiallifeblog over on Instagram or Facebook or Twitter with your own collection!
Don’t forget to share, Pin, or leave comments if you have any specific questions!
Always Here,
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