House plants are great additions to any home. They are easy to care for and come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Some people even give indoor plants as gifts to plant parents! But, did you ever have a houseplant that died within just a few weeks or months? Plants could die due to neglect, or lack of knowledge and proper care. If you want to know how to keep your house plants alive longer, there are plenty of easy ways to help them thrive and grow.
How to keep house plants alive much longer
These hacks will help those who haven’t got a solid green thumb yet. Get your houseplants off to a good start, so you can keep them alive for years.
1. Use the right soil to help plants grow:
Initially, you must test your soil for its texture (sand, silt, or clay), as well as to determine its acidity, i.e., pH levels. Ensure the soil has enough nutrients and an appropriate pH level, depending on the needs of your house plant. This test will help you know, right at the outset, if your plants have a better chance of surviving. Try DIY home tests or use any soil test kits. Did you know that club soda can help neutralize pH levels and prevents soil from becoming too acidic or alkaline?
2. Water your houseplants right:
Avoid overwatering houseplants. Warm water can help the soil to retain its moisture much longer. So, you won’t have to water your best house plants as often — which can cause root rot in your houseplants. Cooking water helps to fertilize indoor plants, as well.
3. Pot succulents in cat litter:
This hack is an excellent way to pot succulent cuttings without the need for potting soil! Make sure you use a clay-based cat litter as those clumps of clay make this method work best! Just fill a pot with cat litter and then poke holes in the bottom of each pot, to grow your succulents.
4. Try the sponge method:
Fill a bucket with warm water and some dish soap, and let it sit overnight in your garden or on the patio near your houseplants. It will kill most pests like aphids, mealy bugs, or scale insects, right on contact. This tried and tested method can get rid of ants as well.
5. Rub houseplants with mayonnaise:
This one’s for people with many houseplants inside their homes. You need to dust the leaves regularly and rub them with mayonnaise at least once every month. This will keep your indoor plants from getting bugs, dust mites, or facing moisture issues inside the home, which can cause mildew on your furniture or carpet, if ignored.
6. Add coffee filters to flower pots:
Coffee filters are great to cover the top of a flower pot, when not watering your best house plants for a few days. When you water them, lift the coffee filter off, so it doesn’t get wet. Then place it on again after watering, so the excess moisture doesn’t drip into the soil below it. This helps control root rot or mold growth, which can be fatal to your plants!
7. Use honey to nurture cutting:
One of the best ways to propagate cuttings is by using honey. All you need to do is dip the cuttings into honey and place them in a warm spot to encourage rooting. The sugar content in the honey helps the root system develop more quickly. You can also add some water to the honey before dipping cuttings in it, which will help prevent damage to the leaves during this process.
8. Learn about pinching, deadheading, trimming, and pruning:
You need to learn these four essential crafts of gardening – pinching (removing ends of plants with fingertips), deadheading (removing spent flowers/ blooms), trimming (cutting off leaves), and regular pruning (cutting stems with scissors or shears). These will help you maintain the overall shape of the plants at home, by removing dead or dying parts. It also allows new growth to emerge from the base of your houseplants and prevents them from becoming lanky and unsightly over time.
9. Other simple household anti-pest hacks and fertilizing tips:
Use orange peels, coffee grounds, or eggshells to keep those pesky pests away. Herbs can keep mosquitoes away. Cinnamon powder added to seedlings helps to prevent fungal diseases. If you place baby diapers in the pot, they provide high moisture-retaining ability. Citrus peels are a great addition when you have to sprout new seeds. Club soda added to soil helps plants grow faster and greener; alternatively, you can try lemon juice or apple cider vinegar instead of soda, as per your plant needs.
10. Gardening #101: Sunlight, water, and fertilizer:
And finally, check the frequency and quantity of sunlight, water, and fertilizer that your indoor plants get. The first thing you need to consider is the amount of sunlight that house plants should receive. This is important because if they do not get enough sunlight, they will not thrive and could die.
You should also make sure that you water them in the right proportion and at the right time, as well. If you water plants too much or too little, or water them at the wrong times, it can kill them quickly. It is also crucial that you do not over-fertilize your plants (especially refrain from fertilizing in winter) because this can also be dangerous to them.
Now that we’ve shared our hacks and tips for taking care of houseplants, let’s give you some reasons to grow plants in your home.
Benefits of having plants in your house
House plants help to (quite literally) breathe fresh life into our living spaces. There are many more diverse benefits of having plants at home like:
- boosting your mood,
- enhancing your memory,
- cleaning up the air indoors,
- upping the oxygen levels in closed spaces,
- reducing your risk of sickness,
- offering exposure to nature and greenery (especially for those staying in cities)
- as a hobby, you spend time loving and nurturing your houseplants, while refreshing your mind.
In addition, they add a calming aesthetic and natural beauty to our homes, which is another one of the many benefits of having plants in your house.
Easy house plants to keep alive
And if you are just getting started on home gardening, we recommend you begin by picking from easy house plants to keep alive, which include:
- Hoya
- Ficus
- Red Aglaonema
- Boston Fern
- Coffee Arabica
- Moth Orchids
- Anthuriums
- Sansevieria
Here are some of the other best house plants for new plant parents, as they are easy house plants to keep alive.
The gardening hacks, health benefits, and easy-to-grow indoor plants listed above are so good, that they will change the way you garden forever. And so, we leave you to explore and nurture your green thumb!
