How to Take Care of Indoor Plants
Indoor plants are a lovely way to liven and warm up a room. Plants also produce oxygen, which will provide cleaner air indoors! Here’s how to keep indoor plants healthy.
Light
Plants need light to survive. Although household plants need less light than normal plants, it doesn’t mean that they will do well in dark rooms for months and months. Depending on the variety of indoor plants that you have, you can opt to any of these options:
Take out the plants for a few hours everyday to absorb sunlight.
Place your plants near windows to get sunlight.
Purchase artificial gro-lights for your plants.
Remember to rotate your plants regularly so all sides get to bask in the sunlight, or else you’ll end up with a very asymmetrical plant! You can also make the plants used to getting less sun exposure by gradually giving them less days or hours in the sun. Keep an eye out for yellow leaves as they’re the sign that your indoor plants aren’t getting enough sunlight.
Soil
indoor plantsWhen having potted plants in your home, make sure that they are planted in sterilized soil, which is available in most gardening stores. Sterilized soil is a sure way that critters, fungi and other viruses that are bad for plants and your household in general.
Re-pot your potted plants after every year, because the nutrients will gradually drain from the soil. Make sure that the top layer of the soil does not become hard and if it does, loosen with an old spoon and replace with more sterilized soil.
Water
Use distilled water or rainwater when watering your plants. Tap water actually contains chemicals like chlorine that can cause damage to your plants. If you can only use tap water, leave it standing overnight to allow the chlorine to dissipate.
Keep the indoor plant’s soil moist, but not wet. Water until water seeps out from the the hole in the bottom of the pot. This drains away excess fertilizer and salt in the soil. Wait until the soil is completely dry again before watering your plant once more.
Fertilizers
Indoor plants grow at a much slower rate than outdoor plants, so they do not require as much nutrients as outdoor plants do. A balanced, slow-release fertilizer with a balance of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus would be ideal. Put fertilizer in after every two weeks or even longer.
Temperature
When keeping indoor plants, make sure that you have a controlled temperature range. Plants like to keep warm in 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit in the daytime, and 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit at daytime. Be sure that you check the temperature during days with extreme temperatures, or during summer or winter.
Humidity
Humidity is a surprising factor in your indoor plant’s well-being. During dry season, take a sponge and wipe the leaves of your indoor plants. Do this once a week, and this will also keep dust away! Just make sure that your indoor plants can take it. Some plants like African Violets do not like their leaves getting wet and may cause damage.