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If you are struggling to keep your houseplants alive; this post is for you.  If you’re anything like me (or who I was), learning to keep your plants alive did not come easy.  Or maybe still isn’t easy if you’re reading this.  But don’t fret.  My first plants (which were gifts) I killed. This include a cactus which is L I T E R A L L Y supposed to be the easiest thing to keep alive.  Wrong! It took a lot of persistence, and a lot of reading and researching to get where I am.  And while I am not an expert, I now have about a dozen house plants that have successfully been living (and healthy!) for over a year.  WOO HOO!

In this post, I’m going to break down some tips and tricks for keeping your green babies alive. I want to help you get to the next level of actually enjoying the process!

First, you need to name your plant.  Yes, I know that it might seem silly but you need to bond with your plant if you want to keep it alive. Saying hello to it by name will help.  Second, identify what kind of house plant you have and what the needs of that plant are.  This was something I didn’t do for my early plants.  I used to think that all any plant needed was water and sunlight.  Though, yes, that may be partially true.. what I didn’t understand was that some plants need more while others need less of those two things.  So, to break this down as simply as I can; there are two different kinds of houseplants:

1. Those that are of a succulent variety. (or succulent characteristics)

2. Everything else.

For the first category, these types of plants may include (but are not limited to): snake plant, any cactus, jade plant and aloe vera.  These types of plant need very little water! (My problem is that I always wanted to water them and too much water will kill your plants.  This probably seems very obvious to some, but I struggled with it).  Succulents also typically do well without very much sunlight. In fact, some with even get a sunburn (brown spots) with too much direct sun!  Don’t get me wrong, they do still need sun, but they will do just fine with indirect light.  These plants also do best with sandy soil for proper drainage (think of it as they don’t like wet toes). You can with a mix of regular potting soil with equal parts sand or purchase a cactus blend. The right drainage will keep any diseases away and your plants will be happy.

For the second category, aka everything else, these types of plants include (but again not limited to): peace lilly, fiddle leaf fig, ivy, pothos, monstera.  Non-succulent do need more regular watering (as in, they don’t like it when their roots dry out) and while many do enjoy basking in a south facing window others need indirect light. They typically do best with fertile soil.

Though again, this is general information and some do well with less water and less sun, but to keep it simple, these are my two categories.  Your best option is to research your specific house plants and read up on their individual needs.

So how do you get better? How do you know when to water? 

1.       Set a reminder on your phone.  For me, I set a weekly Sunday evening reminder because I knew I would be home.  When it went off every week, I would check all my plants and determine if they need watering and only water those that actually needed it.  By getting on a consistent schedule, my house plants beamed with happiness. They were no longer being over watered because I forgot when I had last watered them.

2.       When you do water them, give your plants just enough water so that the water comes out from the bottom of its planter.  This should be roughly the same amount each week or each time it needs water.

3.       Get a moisture meter!! This was a life saver (literally) for my tropical plants and succulents.  By testing with a moisture meter you (A) don’t have to dirty your finger and wonder if your finger feels wet or not, and (B) the meter clearly tells you if the soil is dry.  Plus you can stick the meter down further than you can with your finger and not mess up your manicure.

TIP: Some counties in California (and maybe elsewhere) offer a free moisture meter for your household.  If you live in an area that doesn’t, don’t worry, these only cost around $10 and are worth every penny. If you want to purchase one, I recommend this one here.

Once you know when and how much to water, make sure your plant is in a good place.  As in, it gets the amount of sunlight it not only deserves, but needs.  This goes back to doing your research.  If you find your plant is not doing so well, and you think you have the watering cycle down, try changing the light by moving it closer or father from a window. You may even try adding in some humidity to your routine by spritzing it with a spray bottle on mist.

Fertilizer is also key in for keeping your plants happy and healthy.  Fertilizer helps your plant get energy to prepare new growth.  And besides, if you’re a plant mom, don’t you want to see your plants grow up big a strong? The best part about growing plants is when you start to see new growth. But if you notice the new growth is producing smaller (or weaker) than normal sized leaves, this is a tell-tale sign that your plant needs fertilizer. Speaking of growing up, plants typically do best when they are re-potted every year.  This means new soil and a slightly larger pot. Here’s a tip for cacti or other sharp plants - roll it in a newspaper and tape it up. Your hands with thank you!

Lastly, don’t be afraid to trim your plants and use sharp shears.  Sometimes if your plant is stuck in a rut or has perhaps survived some mis-watering or disease, you will want to trim off all the dead or sad looking leaves.  This will stop your plant from sending it’s precious energy into repairing those leaves and instead allow more energy for building it’s root system or adding new growth.

My real experience comes directly from the plants I personally have around my house.  In this next section I’ll briefly talk about some tips for each of these! 

Great for Beginners:

Pothos – An easy plant that is forgiving if you forget about watering.

Peace Lilly – My oldest plant - we’ve been through a lot together.  If he needs water, he will start to droop and let you know! Very tolerant of different environments.

Snake Plant – This guy loves to be dry!  I check him each week with my moisture meter but it’s only about once a month that his soil dries out. TIP - Be sure to never disturb the root ball and only water or check moisture on the outside of the plant and not directly on top of the root ball (in between its leaves) as this may kill your plant.

Great for Intermediates:

Cactus – He is also dry loving but needs a little more water than my Snake Plant.

Christmas Cactus – He needs a minimal level of care but does love some humidity.  Instead of watering each week, I mist the leaves with water to keep this guy happy.

Jade Plant – She’s still relatively easy, but succulents and me aren’t always best friends.  I keep this little guy in my kitchen window for the great afternoon light and she gets water about every week.  She does best in sandy soil.  Being a succulent, she also enjoys humidity.

Great for when you want to level up:

Schefflera – This lady is a little finicky.  If you don’t want dropped leaves constantly on the floor, be sure to water him consistently and let his roots dry out slightly between watering.  She enjoys humidity and lots of sunlight.

Fiddle Fig – I have two and they are probably the most difficult of all my house plants.  We have definitely had our ups and downs.  Fiddle Figs have a tendency to get fungal diseases if you over water and don’t let their roots dry out.  If you have experienced this or are still struggling, check out my post on How to Diagnose and Cure your Fiddle Leaf Fig. What saved my Fiddle Fig was E X T R E M E L Y consistent watering (same amount each time) and around the same time each week.  Adding fertilizer to his routine (I fertilize the first week of the month during the spring and summer) which really helps to drive new growth.  My favorite fertilizer is this one to the right by the guys at the Houseplant Resource Center.

My 6 tips on how to become a successful plant parent are as follows:

1. Know your plant.  Determine what category of house plant you have and do your own research on it’s specific needs for soil, water, and light.

2. Name your plant.  Bond with your plant and it will survive.

3. Set a reminder on your phone and water consistently.  Using a moisture meter will greatly improve your odds of knowing if your beloved plant needs any water.

4. Make sure your plant is getting adequate sunlight.  This may mean it isn’t in the “perfect” spot for you.. but if you want to be a successful plant mom, you must make sacrifices.  You can also try moving plants around every month or so until you found that particular plant’s sweet spot.

5. Add fertilizer to your routine.  And remember, as your plants grow you may need to re-pot your plant into a bigger home.  For most, this is done every year but look it up because it also varies depending on your plant.

6. Don’t be afraid to trim your plant’s dead or sad looking leaves! Just like you needing a haircut to stimulate new hair growth, your plant needs the same.

I hope you enjoyed this post and perhaps learned something new!  If any of these tips worked for you or if you have any tips for me, I would love to hear about it.  Send me a photo and introduce me to your green babies! As always, don’t forget to subscribe to our content and follow us on social!

Happy Growing,

-Beth