House Plant Basics

As houseplants are living in an unnatural environment we need to give them extra care to get the best results.

They will require all the elements of outdoor plants in 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 they have the best quality soil.
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.
This might require additional feeding that is over and above what you would give an outdoor plant.

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

Potting mix is readily available and in different varieties to suit the requirements of various indoor plants.

You can buy inexpensive moisture monitoring kits and also some small units that will release water into the soil when it detects that the moisture is getting too low.

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.

If there is an opportunity to do so, it is a good policy to put the plants outside in the sun for a few hours and also to get some fresh air.
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.

It is also good to catch rainwater in containers to use for watering your indoor plants.