Plant care for the plant killer!
I will show you how to take care of a plant even if you are usually a plant killer!
Plant care is so important to having healthy plants in your home. Did you know having house plants can have so many therapeutic benefits? Plants work to purify the air you breathe as they take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen.
They’re great for people with allergies too. Sounds amazing, right? Well, the trouble is if you can’t keep a plant alive then what’s the point. Plants can be finicky and hard to care for.
I’ve definitely killed a plant or two in the past and it’s so upsetting because plants aren’t cheap. I have them in almost every room in my house and it would be quite pricey if I had to keep replacing them.
So, I knew it was time to do some reading and learn how to care for my plants. I’ve started implementing 5 key tricks to plant care that has saved my plants lives and my wallet.
Since I’ve started using these 5 tricks my plants have been thriving and I’ve gone from a plant killer to a plant lady. Join me on this journey for a green thumb! Your plants will thank you for it!
1. Know your plant so you can care for it
It’s so important to know your plant so you can care for it. What kind is it? What temperature does it like? How often does it need to be watered? Does it like direct sunlight? These are a few important questions that you need to find the answers to if you want your plants to thrive.
All houseplants are not the same and require a different kind of attention. For instance, the fiddle leaf plant is very popular, but is very high maintenance! It’s so important to learn plant care for your fiddle leafs!
It LOVES sunlight and needs to be right by a window where it’s streaming in. It also needs to be watered once a week and doesn’t like cold water or cold weather.
If it’s in the sunroom over the colder months it may not survive. Or if you forget that you’ve put it on your front porch overnight. Again, it probably won’t survive.
I found that my fiddle leaf did the best when I watered it once a week in my shower. I would let the warm water drizzle down and saturate the soil. All plants are different and knowing as much about it before you buy is essential.
2. Water Water Water
You guessed it, you have to water your plants to care for them properly. Who knew?! It’s an obvious trick but you’d be surprised that this is the number one reason why houseplants die is die to lack of water.
I find that picking one day every week where I water my plants helps me to remember to water them. Use #waterwednesday or #thirstythursday to help you remember to water them on a specific day once a week. I also use a cute watering can that I store on my built-in bookshelf as decor. It works as a visual reminder to water my plants!
3. Feed you plant!
Some plants need water and need to be fed to be cared for. Generally, house plants only need fertilizer when they are actively growing which is generally between March and September. Try to fertilize your house plants 1 to every 3 months over this time frame to help them grow! Plants generally experience a period of rest over the winter – so no need to fertilize over the winter months!
4. Stones on your soil?
Ok so, this one might be new to you, but it’s so important for your plant’s soil to stay moist. In order to care for your plant properly, you may need to add stones on top of the soil. If you live in climates where it’s tough to keep them that way, you might want to invest in some pebbles or small stones to place on top of your soil. This creates a barrier and essentially keeps moisture in.
Also, If you have cats it might help to deter them from using your larger plants as a liter box! We went through this phase and let me tell you… It isn’t fun!
5. Are you drowning your plants?
Just as important as watering your plants is… not drowning your plants is equally as important in plant care! Make sure to not over water your plants. Really the goal is to keep them moist – and not oversaturated with water. Be sure that you have drilled holes in the bottom of your pot so the excess water can drain through.
Most pots come with pre-drilled holes, but some don’t so it’s important to double check and add them if not. Try putting those round plastic trays under your pot to catch the excess water as it drains out. I like to use baskets when decorating with plants. I’ll either put a plastic shopping bag at the bottom of the basket or a plastic tray to help protect my basket from water damage. I’ll then insert my pot in the basket.
Simple tricks that actually work!
My 5 tricks are simple ones – but honestly, they were ones that I wasn’t implementing before. Since I’ve learned how to care for my plants I’ve kept them alive! After reading about what types of plants I have, what kind of sun they like, how often they like to be watered, and what fertilizer is best, my plants have been happy as can be!
And as a bonus, I’ve been able to keep plants in my house for longer than a season without having to rebuy. Which I like and of course my penny-pinching husband does too. I know that if you start using these tricks you too will go from plant killer to plant lady!
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Thanks for reading along!
