You didn’t decorate your windowsills, tables and dressers with houseplants just to watch your efforts (and money) wilt, shrivel or yellow away. Keeping your indoor garden healthy and beautiful requires upkeep and care – but what kind and how much all depends on the type of plants you choose.
A decorative reservoir (like this hollow squirrel) slowly releases water to a houseplant’s soil when needed.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
For an easy care plant, try growing a snowball cactus. This houseplant likes full sun and well-drained, sandy soil.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
The type of plants you choose for your indoor garden determines the amount of time you spend on upkeep and care.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Caladium is a fast-growing plant that requires moderate care. Give it indirect sun or partial shade.
Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Some houseplants, like cacti and succulents, require minimal maintenance. Others, like African violets and orchids, can be a bit more demanding. In terms of care requirements, plants fall into three categories: low, medium and high maintenance.
Plants in the low-maintenance group generally do well in most situations, even with low humidity, inconsistent watering and spotty fertilizing. With the exception of cacti and succulents, most low-maintenance plants can get by on low light, and pruning usually isn’t required. Plants that fall into this category include a variety of easy-to-grow favorites like aloe, Billbergia, cast-iron plant, Chinese evergreen, Dieffenbachia, pothos and Sansevieria.
Medium-maintenance plants usually require medium to bright light, regular watering and fertilizing and (in some cases) additional humidity. Pruning is sometimes necessary. It’s a large group that includes Anthurium, coleus, croton, dracaenas, various ferns, ficus, peace lily, peperomia, ponytail palm, prayer plant, purple velvet plant, spider plant, umbrella tree and zebra plant.
High-maintenance plants have narrow and specialized requirements in terms of light, humidity, watering, fertilizing, pruning and even potting medium. Many are flowering or fruiting plants that require constant (sometimes daily) attention. Plants that fall into this category include African violet, banana, begonia, citrus, fuchsia and some orchids.
Knowing the proper care requirements for each houseplant growing in your indoor garden is an important step toward plant health. But even if you’re not exactly sure what those specific requirements are, don’t worry – your plants can help give you an idea of what they need. Use their clues to help keep your indoor garden alive and well.
Light
Proper lighting – both in intensity and duration – is critical to plant health and growth. Plants require high, medium or low light. Giving a plant too much light or an insufficient amount of it leads to plant challenges.
Indications of too much light: Leaf drop, yellow leaves, wilting, brown or yellow spotting, flower bud drop
Indications of insufficient light: Yellow leaves; leggy, spindly growth; failure to bloom; flower bud drop; less and smaller new growth; loss of variegated markings; unusual color on foliage
Humidity
Most houseplants tend to favor humid conditions.
Indications of too much humidity: Downy mildew
Indications of inadequate humidity: Sluggish growth; yellowing leaves; brown leaf tips and margins; leaf curling; leaf drop; flower bud drop; dry, brittle leaves
Soil Fertility
The ideal soil for houseplants drains readily and provides airspace for plant roots, yet is nutrient-rich and able to hold moisture. Soils that are low in fertility can lead to plant stress and challenges.
Indications of inadequate soil fertility: Root-bound plants, black leaf spot, soil compaction, salt buildup, improper drainage, incorrect pH levels, less and smaller new growth, soggy soil, fungal disease
Watering
Proper watering – when and how – is critical to plant health and survival. Too much or insufficient water can lead to plant disease or death.
Indications of overwatering: Brown leaf tips and margins; yellowing foliage; leaf drop; wilting; brown or yellow spots on leaves; flower bud drop; soft stems; soggy soil; fungal disease; stem, crown or root rot
Indications of insufficient watering: Brown leaf tips and margins; leaf drop; wilting; dry, brittle leaves; flower bud drop; rolled up leaves; less and smaller new growth
Fertilizing
Plants require various minerals to manufacture their own food from sunlight and soil nutrients. Properly fed plants have lush and thick growth. Under- and overfeeding can lead to plant challenges.
Indications of overfertilizing: Brownish or black spots on leaf margins or tips, yellow leaves, leaf drop
Indications of underfertilizing: Yellow leaves, overall yellowing or blanching (as a result of an iron deficiency), less and smaller new growth, failure to bloom, flower bud drop
Temperature
In general, most houseplants do well in average home temperatures ranging from 65-75 degrees F. Some sensitive plants, however, react to too-low or too-high temperatures and suffer in drafty locations. Some plants require a change in temperature to promote blooming (usually a cooler period in the winter months). Just remember that plant location is key. Windowsills, for instance, can change temperatures drastically throughout the year, depending on the season.
Indications of temperatures that are too high: Yellow leaves, wilting, failure to bloom, sun scorch
Indications of temperatures that are too low: Leaf drop, brown or yellow spotting on leaves or stems, flower bud drop, pale spots on leaves
Keeping an eye on your plants and the environment they’re growing in will help your indoor garden continue to thrive. If your houseplants aren’t looking their best, inspect them closely and look for clues as to what they might be lacking. With a few adjustments, your indoor plants can be back to breathing life into your décor.
