House Plant Care Basics

As houseplants are living in an unnatural environment (indoors), instead of in their natural habitat, we need to give them extra care to get the best results.

They will require all the elements outdoor plants do - such as their need for good nutrients, water, ventilation, light and a suitable climate. Without this balance they will soon wither and die.

It is vitally important that potted plants have top quality soil that drains well - as well as drainage holes in the bottom of each pot.

(Photo credit: SheepGuardingLlama)

As with outdoor plants they will need soil that is light enough for their roots and to hold water and air but not so light as to allow the nutrients to wash through and not be made available for their roots. One thing that will not be as much of a concern as outdoor plants is their need for support against winds. This can allow you to use lighter soil; however you will still need to ensure the plant is getting the nutrients it needs. This might sometimes require additional feeding that is over and above what you would give an outdoor plant.

Getting good potting mix for your indoor plants can make a noticeable difference to their condition as the soil that we get from outside can sometimes have diseases or insects in it. Organic indoor potting mix is readily available in different varieties to suit the requirements of various indoor plants.

The environment can also affect plants, and air pollutants such as smoking in the house will affect the plant growth and result in poor health just as it does to the person smoking.

Plants will also benefit from having their leaves cleaned, as there can be a buildup of dust when growing indoors and not having the rainfall to wash them clean, and this can prevent light from getting to the leaves.

You can buy inexpensive moisture monitoring kits and also small units designed to release water into the soil when dry soil is detected. For a more sustainable indoor gardening practice, catch rainwater in containers to use for watering your indoor plants.

If there is an opportunity to do so, it is a good policy to put your indoor plants outside in the sun for a few hours every so often to get some extra light and fresh air - or put them out in the rain for a good washing and soaking.

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