Indoor Plants & Gardening Tips

Indoor plants are a great way to bring a little bit of nature to your home or office. They have many benefits, whether it be purely aesthetic, to act as a natural screen or barrier or to help clean the indoor air. When keeping indoor plants it is important to follow a few guidelines to ensure your plants remain in good health.

Light

Light is one of the first things that should be considered. How much light does the plant require and is it going to get adequate amounts in the position that I want. Choosing plants that require low to medium light is probably most suitable in most indoor conditions. Good choices would be Philodendron varieties, Spathiphyllum, Rhapis Palms or Sansevieria.

Plants will also naturally grow towards the light source so it is a good idea to rotate your plants regularly.

Watering

Watering is probably where most people go wrong with indoor plants and can be what makes indoor gardening a little tricky. People tend to kill plants with love thinking all plants need lots of water. Not all plants require the same amount of water, the position of the plant & the plant variety are definitely contributing factors when deciding how much water is required. As a general rule stick your finger into the soil about 2cm, the soil should be damp not wet and not dry. If the soil is constantly too wet it can lead to problems with the roots by not allowing enough oxygen into the soil. Again the plant variety definitely is a contributing factor, some like to be wetter and some like to be dryer so do a little research on the plant. Also the position of the plant matters so get to know the plant over a little bit of time, a plant in a window will drink more than a plant in a dark room.

Temperature

Different plants thrive under different temperatures however there are many indoor plants that survive within the average temperature range of indoor environments (generally 16 to 25 degrees).

Pot & Containers

Choosing a container that adequately allows the water to drain out of it is a must.

Fertilising

This is really based on the type of plant that you have, different plants need different amounts. In general plants that are active and grow quickly you should fertilise every 2-3 months, plants that are dormant you don’t need to fertilise at all.