We all know the thrill of buying an indoor plant. Whether your new leafy friend is for the office or your enjoyment in the house, it’s a welcome splash of colour! However, it won’t stay a healthy green if you neglect to care for it. And, unfortunately, caring for it is the hardest part. Are you overwatering the soil or underwatering? Is your plant receiving enough light from the dim window and your fluorescent overhead bulbs? It’s understandable if you’re unsure. We’re here to help.
At Aztec Plants, we’ve collated 5 tips to actually keep your indoor plants alive! Keep reading, and prevent your desk from resembling a graveyard.
1. Sort A Watering Schedule
Believe it or not, caring for your plants too much can be the cause of their demise! With a watering schedule, you’ll avoid drowning your leafy friends in more water than they can manage. One watering session per week generally suffices, while cacti may only need your attention once a fortnight.
You can also figure out a rough estimate of how much water you ought to use! Calculate the capacity of your plant pots, and only add water that equates to one-quarter of the pot’s volume. This way, you’ll avoid oversaturating your soil.
2. Switch Up The Plant Pot
Naturally, it’s tempting to keep your plant in the pot you’ve bought it in. Transferring soil and roots can get messy, but it is critical in keeping your indoor plants alive. If your plant’s roots are prevented from stretching out during growth, the bottom of your plant won’t support the weight of leaves or flowers.
A large pot leaves more room for growth, so go big or go home! Roots will expand to fill the amount of space offered as long as they receive sufficient nutrition. Plan to repot your plants every year around spring or summer, and replenish the soil with nutrients and fertilisers during the transition.
3. Prioritise Exposure To Daylight
Only the most resilient plants can thrive with no daylight, and they aren’t the pretty types you’d display in your room. Where possible, position your pots to face the window and absorb all available sunlight. If daylight isn’t an option, invest in an LED grow lamp to illuminate your indoor leafy friends.
Tropical indoor plants have more needs you’ll have to address. You may need to create a mini-greenhouse to achieve their ideal resting temperature, as your office or home will be too cold alone. Avoid exotic plants if you can only meet minimal maintenance requirements.
4. Tend To Plant Leaves
Stems and leaves will develop on their own with nutrient-rich soil, water and sunlight. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t tend to your plant! Remove dust from your plant whenever you’ve noticed it’s collecting, and you’ll increase the amount of sunlight each leaf absorbs. Straightforward, right?
Another task you can quickly fulfil is cutting away dead leaves. Both office flowers that have withered and yellow leaves inflict unnecessary straining on your stem. Make an effort not to overdo your plant trimming and only target lifeless patches, or you could affect its ability to photosynthesize.
5. Keep An Eye On Insects
Aphids and spider mites adore attacking houseplants while leaving a mark of disease. Insecticidal soap is available for you to wash down your leaves! If there are a noticeable number of pests on your plant, treat your leafy friend to a bath once a week until they disappear. Rubbing alcohol handles waxy insects.
Pests such as fungus gnats are particularly attracted to overwatered plants, and we’ve already taught you how to avoid this problem. Wait until surface soil has dried before you rewater, and you ought to be right as rain! Contact us at Aztec Plants for further advice on maintaining your indoor office plants.