My new favorite obsession has been growing my indoor plants collection. So far, there’s been some excellent growth in a few plants that are finickier to grow. I’ve been experimenting with indoor herbs as well. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced gardener, indoor plants add an excellent touch to your home. It is calming and it’s beneficial for oxygen exchange in the home. However, there are some issues you might want to be aware of before you start.
Having overwatered these succulents after purchasing them, their leaves turned crispy and brown, then fell off. Now I only water these once a week and with minimal water.
Don’t Over-water Your Plants
Sometimes it may feel like we’re helping the growth of our plants, however over-watering is a real issue and can deplete the roots of oxygen. Pores inside potting soil help aerate the plants. If you’re unsure of how often to water your plants, use a general rule to water plants every 10 days. I water my plants every week in the evenings. If you own succulents and other desert species, it’s highly recommended that you water them less than more.
I put this monstera plant in the line of sunlight for about 5 hours today and the leaves started to wilt.
Place Plants Near the Window but Not in Direct Sunlight
In my early, inexperienced days I would place plants right in the sunlight thinking that this would help plants grow better. However, many of my plants wilted and on some plants, the leaves fell off! This was demoralizing to me, but realizing that plants do better in indirect sunlight has been effective in protecting them from scorching. Some plants may require a few hours in direct sunlight but certainly don’t leave them in the sun for the entire day.
Don’t Bring Outdoor Plants Inside your Home
One of my brilliant ideas a few years ago was to bring some garden flowers into the home. I purchased some seedlings from an outdoor farmer’s market and potted them indoors. I didn’t change the soil and after a few weeks my home was swarming with baby fruit flies. There’s nothing worse than getting a bug infestation in the home and, needless to say, I will not be bringing outdoor plants in again. Vice versa, many indoor plants do not thrive well outdoors with the fluctuations in temperature.
Buy Planters with Holes at the Bottom
Plants need proper drainage of water and without proper drainage, water accumulates at the bottom. The top of the soil becomes dry and that may trick you into thinking the plant needs more, however the plant may already be soaking in water. While it may be tempting to buy pots without drainage holes (for aesthetic reasons), it certainly does more harm to the plants than good.
Some of my planters have no aeration at the bottom and it makes it challenging to predict how much water is in the bottom of the pot.
