So you're excited about being a new plant Mom or plant Dad. You bought your first plant and even one of our custom Grow Girl planters. Now you're not sure how in the world you're suppose to even keep this thing alive. In this quick guide for new plant parents, I'll give you the tools that you need for your houseplants to live long and prosper.
Houseplant Must Haves For New Plant Parents
Listed below are the houseplant musthaves for new plant parents should keep on hand. If you choose to have a few plants then these houseplant tools should suffice. I'm way past the point of having a "few". These are the items that I started with and once I became more experienced, I ventured into more plant care essentials.
Soil
Choosing the right kind of soil is not as simple as just walking into the store and picking up a bag of soil. Different plants have different soil needs. The same soil your cactus needs isn't going to be the same soil that your Alocasia (Elephant Ear Plant) needs.
Of course you can water your plants with a cup from your cupboard but a watering can helps get in tight spaces. This is important to make sure your watering your houseplants thoroughly.
Fertilizer/Nutrients
All living things need food to grow. Feeding your houseplants during growing season will reward you with lots of new growth. You can mix the nutrients into your watering can and feed everytime you water. Your needs may change based on if your plants are in soil or semi hydroponics. Below are my recommendations for both. Liquid Dirt is great for both!
Neem oil is a plant parent's best friend. Not only is it a pesticide and a fungicide, but it also leaves a nice shine on your plant leaves. Spray weekly as a preventative measure.
Pots
Choosing pots for your indoor houseplants is easy once you know the needs of your individual plants. For example, plants that prefer well draining soil like cacti and succulents will do great in terracotta pots. Terracotta pots absorb excess moisture so keep that in mind. Plants that like for their soil to be kept moist will appreciate plastic and ceramic pots.
A humidifier is a must for certain types of houseplants. Fiddle Leaf Figs and Calatheas for example require at least 50% humidity to be happy. Tropical plants like to be in environments most like where they originate from. You can find large whole room humidifiers or even small ones for smaller rooms or green houses.
You may not even realize you need a humidifier without having humidity readers. They can be placed throughout your home to indicate humidity levels. This helps you to adjust the humidity accordingly.
Moisture Meter
Sometimes trying to figure out when your plant needs watering can be a struggle. If you over care for your plants, you may want to invest in a moisture meter. A moisture meter uses 2 prongs deep in the soil to tell how wet or dry it is. The one I use has 3 functions: moisture, light, and soil PH level.
Grow lights are an important plant tool especially during the winter months. They help provide extra light when the days are shorter like in fall and winter. It's also helpful if you don't have the best lighting in your home.
