Some Basic Indoor Plant Tips

 Keeping Indoor Plants

    So, first thing's first, basic tips for indoor plants. I know, the basics are boring, but what's important is that we keep them fresh in mind for when things go wrong. Sometimes, the simplest solution comes from going back to the basics. 

    What are some of the basics? Here's a list below:

• Water quantity doesn't matter as much as frequency. If you want to drown your plant's soil and only mist once a week, that's fine! Just so long as you schedule when you're doing to flood them again. Once a month bottom waterings are just as effective as daily top soil soaks, sometimes even better than for some of the water hungry plants!

• Always look at plant care labels, and look for 1. Level of Sun 2. Drought Hardiness 3. Water Requirements and 4. Common Plant names. Finding the right level of sun and knowing common plant names help a lot in not only identifying future issues, but also being able to share what kind of plant you have! If you can't find a common name, create a tag with the common and scientific name so you know!

• Quarantine new plants, or rinse them off before placing them! Mites, aphids, even gnats love to spread from plant to plant if you don't rinse them off and quarantine them! And if you're super nervous, mix one part rubbing alcohol to two parts water and spray off your plants and repot them in clean pots and soil. The solution will kill bugs and new soil will discourage establishment of a new system.

• Repot regularly, especially if you notice your plants growing out of their pots or spreading roots out on top! This is more common with succulents, bamboo, or any vines you might have. Usually, going up two sizes from the pot they currently have will give them plenty of room to grow until next year! (Or within the next four to six months, knowing some plants.)

• DO NOT PLANT NON-NATIVE PLANTS OUTSIDE! I know, I know, I apologize for the caps, however, it is important to keep your plants and your yard separate. Don't go planting non-native plants out in your yard simply because you're tired of taking care of them. They can choke out wildlife and could take over your yard quickly if not in proper raised flowerbeds, and we all would rather hear birds chirping and see cute little bunnies (away from our veggies, naturally) than a wall of bamboo we have to trim down and rip up every year because it's highly invasive in the Northern American region. 

• Orchids are air plants. Flowers can be pressed, and you should get what makes you happy! I'm serious! Preserve flowers if you'd like, keep a journal of your plants, and take a weekly monitoring of their progress, if they have diseases, and what you might learn about them! Orchids are air plants, and are happy is very rocky, easy draining soil. I had an orchid that bloomed twice because I forgot to water it for months, and it was a very happy plant. The ice cube trick is a lie, you can mist twice weekly and it'll be just as happy with some rocky soil. If there isn't any soil, go ahead and mist once weekly and let dry and watch how happy your orchid gets. 

And that's all the basic tips I can offer! 

 I'll have more in-depth tips for specific plants, propagation, pest management and outdoor plants in the future! In the meantime, happy planting!! 😁