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General Houseplant Care

Houseplant - Growing plants indoors is probably one of the most inexpensive and easy ways to add a new element to your home. They provide us with numerous benefits that go beyond simply being an aesthetic addition to a home. 

Houseplants improve soil quality, keep pests away, save energy by reducing demand on grid resources, and provide cool, fresh water when needed. One of the most important functions a houseplant can perform is regulating water flow through its environment.   

General Houseplant Care

Growing houseplants is an easy way to get more plant life into your life. Some people just like the idea of a plant, while others enjoy the actual blooms and experiences that come from growing them. 

Regardless of your reasons, you should learn the basics of how to care for your indoor plants so you can enjoy more stunning results. Even if you’re just starting out and would rather give plants a chance than deal with messy, unconventional growing methods, this guide will help you get started.


Light

Light is an important part of indoor houseplant care. In order to provide the right amount of light for your houseplant, make sure to check the tag on the plant when you purchase it. If the plant is given to you, ask the person giving it to you what kind of light it needs. 

Outdoor plants need more light than indoor plants do, because they are exposed to more light in the elements. Some indoor plants will do fine with regular light while others need a bright light during the day. Most outdoor plants will do fine with regular light during the day, but if you want them to bloom better or appear healthier then you should have some additional source of light

It should be easy to tell what plant needs what kind of light because each flower has specific colors associated with it that help create the best lighting for it.

Generally houseplants need either high, medium, or low light. Beyond this, a houseplant may need direct (bright) light or indirect light. 

  • Bright or direct light – Light that is bright will be light that comes from a window. The brightest light will come from a south-facing window. Indirect light– Indirect light is light that comes from a light bulb or is sunlight that has been filtered through something, like a curtain. 
  • High light houseplants – If the indoor houseplant care instructions for a houseplant call for high light, this plant will need five or more hours of bright light, preferably near a south-facing window. High light houseplants need to be within 6 feet (2 m.) of a window. 
  • Medium light houseplants – For proper houseplant maintenance of medium light houseplants, they should be exposed to several hours of bright or indirect light. This light can come from a window or from overhead lighting. 
  • Low light houseplants – Low light houseplants need very little light. Typically, these houseplants do well in rooms that have light but no windows. That being said, low light plants need light of some kind. If a room has no windows and the lights stay off most of the time, the houseplant will not survive.

Water

You have two options when it comes to watering house plants: watering when the soil is wet and watering when the soil is dry. When the soil is wet, some plants can be left unattended and will carry the water to their leaves instead of their roots or stems. Watering when the soil is dry also works but some plants will not accept the water and will instead snap off their leaves or die. 

All houseplant care instructions should be included on the plants themselves as well as on the care label provided. This will make it easier for you to follow the instructions as you water the plant from seed. 

In most cases, simply watering a plant every week or two will be sufficient. If your plant is frequently struggling to keep its soil moist, you may need to consider adding activated carbon (also known as copper-based fertilizers) to improve its nutrient absorption.


Fertilizer 

Fertilizer for houseplants is incredibly important. It has been shown time and time again that overwatered and under-fertilized plants are less healthy and rapidly die. Overwatered means leaving water sitting in your potting mix for more than 24 hours. Under-fertilized means overwatering your plants when they aren't full grown and they could still use nutrients from older leaves, petals or buds that have been pulled from the plant.

Fertilizing with slow release fertilizer is beneficial for all types of plants, including indoor ones. Slow release enables your plants to absorb nutrients more efficiently, keeping them healthy and increasing their yield. However, it takes more time for your plants to acclimate to the new level of nutrients being delivered into their systems. 


Temperature

When selecting the right temperature for houseplants, you want to consider several factors. First, it should be comfortable. You don’t want your houseplant to be uncomfortable because it is harmful to your health. Second, deal with the weather conditions as much as possible. 

When there’s a chance of rain or if it snows, the temperature may drop slightly, potentially damaging your plant. If there is a possibility of natural disasters such as lightning strikes or hurricanes, then stay indoors and keep your houseplant away from direct sunlight and proceedings that could hurt its health.


Last Tips

To maintain the health of your outdoor plants, you should take these steps to keep them healthy. Keep the outdoor area clean and mowed, keep trees and other plants away from power lines and running water sources, and remember to inspect the soil weekly for fungus or fertilizer deposits. 

Do not overwater your plants as this can cause them to become stressed and slow down their growth. Some houseplants will grow faster and larger if kept in indirect sunlight instead of direct sunlight.

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