12 Indoor Gardening Tips for Big and Healthy Houseplants and Garden

12 Indoor Gardening Tips for Big and Healthy Houseplants

Indoor Gardening Tips for Big and Healthy Houseplants

1. Don’t End Up Watering the Plants Too Much

One of the biggest reasons a houseplant dies is overwatering. It is important to remember that indoor plants require less water in winters.

It is always safe to run the index finger test to check if the top 1-2 inches of the soil feels dry before watering.

What matters is the frequency of watering, not the volume. Watering regularly can be harmful to indoor plants.

2. Think Before You Plan

Always be careful when choosing your houseplants and know their exact requirements. For instance, avoid growing a sun-loving plant in a room with low light conditions.

Similarly, do not place shade-loving plants near a sunny window or balcony without providing a screen.

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3. Refresh the Growing Medium

It will be a good idea to change the growing medium of potted plants once in 2 years. Amend the soil with an addition of organic matter like pine bark, vermiculite, peat moss, compost, manure, or perlite.

Also, turning and scraping the topsoil once a month will keep the growing medium from becoming hard while providing more oxygen to the roots.

4. Fertilize them Regularly

It is best for big and healthy houseplants to replenish the nutrient supply in the potting medium regularly. Feed your houseplants once every 2-4 weeks during the growing and blooming season, using a balanced liquid fertilizer, diluted to half of its strength. Do research on the exact fertilizing needs of specific houseplants and refer to the label on the fertilizer for instructions.

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5. Hold Feeding During Winter

Usually, plants enter into a dormant or in-active growth phase during the colder months, and they do not require any fertilizing. It is better not to feed them till spring or before you see any new growth on the plant, as it will do more harm than good.

6. Provide More Humidity

If the air is dry indoors, place dry pebbles and rocks in a saucer, fill it with water, and put the pot on it. It raises the level of humidity around the plant.

You can also group plants together or use a humidifier to enhance humidity levels.

7. Be Aware of Ventilation Needs

Some houseplants may need more ventilation than others, but all houseplants need air circulation to grow well. Make sure that the plants are near a window or a door where they get plenty of air circulation throughout the day.

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8. Let them Soak Up the Sun

All houseplants require sunlight to grow and do photosynthesis, but different houseplants need different amounts of sunlight. Most houseplants require indirect light than direct sunlight except for succulents and cacti.

Houseplants that grow best in indirect sunlight should be placed near a west-facing window or 2-4 feet near a south-facing window.
Place snake plants, philodendrons, pothos, ZZ plants near North-facing windows.
Rotate your houseplants once a week to ensure every part gets even light exposure.

9. Keep Your Plants Clean

Dust accumulation on the leaves reduces the chances for the plant to utilize a sufficient amount of light for the photosynthesis process that feeds the plant.

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10. Choose a Right Container

When choosing houseplants, choose a container that is a few inches wider than the plant’s root ball. When the plant outgrows the current pot, re-pot it into a new one that’s 1-2 sizes bigger than the old container. Also, avoid using too large containers.

11. Say Goodbye to Old Growth

Regularly prune the plants to give them a good shape by getting rid of the old, dying leaves to boost new growth.

12. Do Not Ignore the Pests

Indoor pests can multiply very quickly, and more than one plant can be affected before you know it. So, to have big and healthy houseplants, keep your plants bug-free. The best way to identify them is to look at the undersides of the leaves, buds, and stems.

Use insecticidal soap or neem oil solution to keep mealybugs, aphids, and spider mites along with other fungal issues at bay.

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