Indoor plants are an excellent ally to give life and a more natural atmosphere to our homes. Its presence helps us give a pleasant aesthetic touch and maintain a healthier environment, whether it is indoor plants with flowers or those that do not have flowers, such as ferns.
Keeping indoor plants healthy is easier than many think and you just have to follow a few basic instructions so that they continue to accompany us in their best form. If you want to learn how to get durable indoor plants, keep reading us in this article in which we tell you how to take care of plants at home, offering you various tips and tricks as a practical guide.
How to take care of plants at home?
Each indoor plant species has its specific needs and care, but all plants share basic needs: irrigation, light, temperature and substrate. The first three are always very specific to each plant species, while the substrate can be more of a more general aspect, but with a few exceptions.
Considering the appropriate frequency, the necessary contribution of light, a climate according to which the plant needs, and a good substrate, your indoor plants will always show enviable health. Therefore, we recommend taking into account these aspects to take into account when caring for indoor plants:
- Watering the plants in pots and with a dish.
- Light and location for indoor plants; always away from radiators and air conditioners.
- Pot substrates appropriate to the species and its size.
Water indoor plants
This is the most important point in the care of the vast majority of plants, whether they are indoor or outdoor plants. Most plants appreciate frequent and not very abundant watering that maintains a certain humidity level in the substrate, always without flooding or flooding the plant. However, it is necessary to consult the plant species’ specific water needs before you have to water it.
How to water succulents indoors: Some plants, such as succulents, or other species adapted to dry climates, are very resistant to drought and will be able to tolerate spaced watering. They tend to be vulnerable to excess moisture, leading to a fungal attack or root rot. These plants usually need watering when the substrate’s upper layer is completely dry and not before. You can check it by digging a finger into it.
How to water tropical indoor plants: they need a constant level of humidity. These plants may need to be watered even more than once a day and may even require water to be sprayed on their leaves to cool them and give them moisture.
When watering, the ideal is to use rainwater or weak mineralization, although many plants tolerate tap water without problems. If you use it, you have to let it rest overnight so that its minerals settle to the bottom and thus, the excess of these does not fall on the plant’s soil.
Also, water with a watering can with fine holes and trying to wet the substrate and not the plant itself. By following these tips for watering indoor plants, you will save yourself many fungi and rotting problems. This is especially important when learning how to care for flowering houseplants, which you should always avoid getting wet.
Light and location for indoor plants
All plants need light to carry out photosynthesis, although the degree of incidence of this that they require is highly variable. In general, an indoor plant will not need too many hours of direct sunlight.
Even so, placing indoor plants near a window or balcony is always a recommended option for them. Just in case, check the specific light requirements of your plant species to see which ones will do well in semi-shade and which ones need more light.
Something similar happens with the location and the climate. Even when we talk about inside the home, the local climate influences the temperature. Some plants need certain temperatures to thrive properly, and some don’t tolerate drafts, while others do. For all this, it is vital that when acquiring a plant, you inform yourself well about the species’ needs and ask all your doubts to the professional who attends you.
Substrate and pot for indoor plants
Most plants need a light substrate enriched with organic matter, which also offers good drainage. We recommend a universal mix with a part of peat, a part of worm castings, and a part of coconut fiber, to which we will add vermiculite and perlite on a gravel or pebble base at the bottom of the pot. It is a universal mixture that works on most plants, although some, like succulents, may require more specific substrates. Also, keep in mind that, as humus is very nutritious, you only have to add fertilizer or organic matter in the warm months according to each plant’s needs.
In potted plants’ care, it is also very important that the pot has drainage holes, which help us avoid puddles. If you put a plate underneath, always empty it ten minutes after watering.
Care for indoor plants in winter
In winter, many plants need to go into vegetative rest to rest and return to growth and flowering activity in the warm months. Normally, it is necessary to avoid putting them near heaters, radiators, or air conditioners and considerably reduce watering and fertilizer intake. In this way, you will allow your indoor plants to enter the state of vegetative rest they need. However, make sure the plant species you have needs it before you start reducing these aspects of its care.
Care for indoor plants in summer
In summer, unlike in cold months, indoor plants’ needs for water and nutrients multiply. Ensure that its leaves do not turn yellow due to dryness or too much sun and add organic matter or fertilizer to the substrate or in the watering. If you see that your plant begins to turn yellow.
