How to Keep Indoor Plants Alive

How do you feel about plants? Having indoor plants in your home or office makes you feel calm and relaxed.

Did you know growing indoor plants in your house could influence your health?

Taking care of these plants poses a problem for too many plant enthusiasts; they don’t know how to keep the plant alive and healthy. As you know, plants are living things, and you’ll need to meet their basic need for them to survive. Contrary to their counterpart, they get most of their needs from the environment.

For proper blooming, these plants need good care to adjust to the new environments.

1. Light ☀️

Before shopping for your favorite indoor plants, make sure you select a spot with adequate lighting. Every plant’s label contains the light requirement that guides you on what plant to buy. For example, if the designated area doesn’t receive much light, choose a plant that needs less light.

Furthermore, light is vital in interiors for plants to produce food, grow, and survive. However, the window curtains, wall color, roof overhang, time of the day may affect the lighting.

Ensure your plants receive adequate light. If not, supplement the natural light with artificial light such as fluorescent. Or increase the number of hours the plant gets light to 16 hours.

2. Temperature 🤒

Interior plants thrive well at a temperature of 58 degrees. It’s because most of these plants originate from sub-tropical and tropical areas. Plants need high temperatures for respiration.

But for plants inside a room, you’ll need to regulate the temperature to sustain the plant. If the plant lacks enough light to make sugar, it’ll eventually die. So, if you want to see your plant blossom, make sure you provide the correct temperatures.

You can do this through:

1. Increase photosynthesis and sugar production by raising the light levels.

2. Or lowering the respiration rate by reducing night temperatures to allow more sugar for the plant to grow.

However, not all indoor plants have matching temperature requirements.

3. Water 💦

Watering is a crucial skill in plant care. However, most people find it hard to balance the water, and this kills the plants.

Why is this so? Too much water suffocates the roots, while too little causes stunted growth.

For proper watering, consider:

Plant size:

Smaller plants need less water compared to larger plants.

The size of the container:

If the container you’re using is small, you’ll need to water your plant frequently.

Plant type:

Every plant has its unique moisture requirement. So pay keen attention to the information provided on the label.

Light intensity:

Transpiration occurs under high light. Plants that are under low light transpire less compared to those under high light.

Soil moisture content:

The water present in the soil will determine how many times you’ll water the plant. If the amount of moisture is high, you’ll need to reduce the times you water your plants.

4. Nutrition🍴

The grievous mistake many interior gardeners commit is over-fertilization. When you add more fertilizer to the soil, the soil water becomes salty and burns the roots. If you see a whitish crust around the plant, it means you’ve overdressed the plant. To avoid feeding your plant with too many nutrients, consider these factors:

Light intensity:

Plants under higher light intensity need more nutrients for growth and production.

Plant type:

Like other living things, some plants need more nutrients than others do. So it’s upon you to provide the required nutrients.

The volume of soil:

If you use more soil during planting, you’ll need to do more dressing and vice versa. As the plants grow, always apply a small amount of dressing. New growth means the plant needs more nutrients.

5. Soil 🌱

Soil provides minerals, anchorage, and water. So before repotting your plant, it can hold water and nutrients well. Also, check if the soil PH ranges within 5.0 to 6.5.

If you can’t prepare the right mix, get a professional who will assist you in the preparation. Or buy one from a certified store.

Indoor plants require unique mixes because they’re no longer growing in their habitat.

Conclusion

You can go green with indoor plants. You don’t need a large area to accommodate the plants. But to sustain them, you’ll need to provide them with their basic needs.