Did you know a third of all houseplants sold die within three months? At Indoor Farmer we love our houseplants, so we put together a few tips to help you keep your houseplants happy, healthy and thriving!
Tip 1 - Watering
Watering is the number one issue most people have with their houseplants! It can be easy to over water or under water your plants. All houseplants have different watering requirements so it's important to implement a proper watering schedule based on the specific needs of the species. Most houseplants need a well-draining soil that helps avoid over watering and many customers use a mix including coco coir to help avoid overwatering. We highly recommend using a Moisture Meter to know just how moist your soil is. A soil mix specifically designed for your type of plant will yield the best results. Travel alot? Automated watering systems like the Blumat JR will keep your plants thriving until you return.
Tip 2 - Lighting
It's important to know how much light your specific species requires for proper growth as Houseplants can vary widely in lighting requirements. With some species thriving in low light areas and some species requiring more light for proper growth and flowering. Placing these plants in a well lit area by sun facing windows or underneath grow lights can have a huge impact on their overall health and growth. Check out our houseplant collection to see our collection of lighting options for houseplants.
Tip 3 - Pot Size
Paying attention to the size of your plants pots can have a huge impact on their growth. It can be easy to let your plants overgrow their pot size causing them to be root bound and really slow down growth. A few key signs your plants are ready for a new pot will be stunted growth and too frequent drying of the soil. It is important to not transplant up too dramatically in pot size. Most houseplants will only want to be transplanted into pots a couple inches larger in diameter than their current pot. Check out our fabric & plastic pots collection for your next transplant.
Tip 4 - Fertilization
Like watering, it can sometimes be difficult to know when to fertilize your plants with different species requiring not only different fertilizing schedules but also different fertilizer recipes. For example, orchids typically prefer more nitrogen for leaf development, but when they start to flower, more phosphorous will benefit their blooms. We recommend using fertilizers that are designed specifically for your type of houseplant. Check out our houseplant nutrients collection for all our options.
Tip 5 - Dust Free Leaves
Keeping your plants clean not only means keeping them free from pests but keeping them clean from dust! Probably the one area that is most under estimated is the negative effects of accumulating dust on the leaves. This basically chokes the stomata of the leaves causing your plants to have a hard time “breathing”. They also aren’t able to photosynthesize as much light as this is done through the leaves as well. This will not only have them looking healthy and vibrant but will encourage better growth and gives less chance for disease. To clean your plants, we recommend gently spraying with room temperature water or for plants with broader leaves, you can use a damp cloth to wipe off dust and dirt from the foliage. Try a pair of microfiber gloves for easy dusting of your plants!
Tip 6 - Using Plant Aid Apps
There are many plant apps that can be incredibly helpful for keeping your plants healthy. Some even letting you take a picture of your plant and being able to diagnose plant issues in real time. Some of these apps are subscription based for certain features. But a great one we enjoy at Indoor Farmer is called “Nature ID”. This app will give you everything from watering schedules, feeding requirements, lighting requirements and more based on the species of your plant.