3 Tips on How Not to Kill Your Indoor Plants

Spring is officially here, and we are so ready to welcome some warmer weather, longer days, and some much-needed greenery to make our days more vibrant. A great way to celebrate spring's arrival is to jump on the urban jungle decor trend and bring in some fresh indoor plants to lift the mood (not to mention the air quality) in the house. Want to keep those plants thriving all year long? Here are 3 fool-proof tips on how not to kill your indoor plants.

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Alright. We’ll admit it. Our thumbs aren’t exactly the greenest. So what’s a girl to do when she loves having fresh, living plants in the house, like this snake plant that has made our Makeful studio more cozy? Before you give up and buy plastic plants, we found out the top 3 mistakes most people make when caring for their indoor plants. It’s way easier than you’d think to avoid them!

1. Read the instructions.

It sounds super obvious, but honestly, we forget to do this all the time. Whenever you buy a plant, it will come with a little plastic tab stuck in the soil that tells you the name of the plant, and how to best care for it. You can get all the info you need here about how much sunlight your plant needs, how often you should water, and what kind of soil and container your new green buddy will do best in. Keep the tab in the pot so you (or a house/plant-sitter) can reference it whenever needed. If you need a little extra help, you can download an app like Plant Diary that can set helpful alarms and reminders for watering and caring for your plants. So easy.

Source: Mango and Salt

2. Start off by picking the best plant.

Knowing where you’re going to place your plant will help SO much in picking a plant that will thrive best in the given space. For example, if a plant is going to go in a bright window that gets a lot of sun, be sure to pick a plant that can handle the light and heat. If it’s going to go in a corner on the floor that doesn’t get a lot of sunshine, go with a plant that does well in shade. In addition to picking the best plant for the space, keep your schedule and your lifestyle in mind too. If you travel a lot or you’re not good at remembering to water, go with a succulent or drought-resistant plant that can go a long time without water. If you’re the kind of person who likens gardening to meditating, a more regular watering schedule is best. You do you!

Source: The Future Kept

3. Drainage

One of the biggest and most common mistakes that people make when caring for indoor plants is forgetting about drainage. We know, “drainage” is not the sexiest word, but without it, you run the risk of mold, rot, and lots of other gross stuff that will for sure kill your indoor plants. When you plant things outside, extra water just seeps into the soil around the plant. But inside, the water just sits in the bottom of the planter until it’s absorbed by the roots. To make sure your plants are draining properly, you can do a few things. First, you can get a pot that has a hole in the bottom and place it on a dish or plate to catch the extra water. Lots of pots actually come with these as a set like these terra cotta ones we upcycled! If you must use a pot without a hole at the base, you can fill the bottom with small rocks before adding soil to kind of trap the extra water so it doesn’t damage the soil or roots if you over-water.

Do you feel a little more prepared with knowing how not to kill your plants? Let us know if these plant parenthood tips help you out on the long run, and show us your personal urban jungle by tagging us on Instagram and using #BeMakeful!