Tips for Healthy, Happy Houseplants

Houseplants are known to offer a host of benefits to their owners. Aside from adding bright, colorful décor, they also purify the air in your home and can boost your mood.

Although the conditions in your home may seem stagnant throughout the year, houseplants need specific care throughout the seasons to keep them thriving. Check out our top five tips for healthy and happy houseplants below.

1. Always test soil before you water. Beyond checking the soil’s surface for dryness, be sure you check about two inches below the surface as well. You want your plant to soak up most of the water stored within the soil before adding more—your plants roots need air to thrive as much as they need water!
2. Prune as needed. Keeping a close eye on your houseplants will benefit them in the long run. Watch for browning leaves or any new scraggly or leggy growth. Find the source and cut those areas back before they take up too much of the plant’s energy and cause further damage.
3. Dust your plants. Yes, you read that right. You might want to add your plants to your to-do list when it’s time to clean. Depending on where you’ve placed your plants, they can collect dust just as much as other surfaces in your home. Although this is often harder to detect than a dusty coffee table, gently removing any dust from the leaves’ surfaces with a damp cloth will ensure your plant receives optimal light to carry out photosynthesis.
4. Add humidity when needed. It’s easy to forget that indoor houseplants’ needs fluctuate with the seasons. Lower light and drier air in the winter can present challenges for your plant, even inside. If you have a humidifier, place it near your plants a few times a week to give them an extra boost during the dry season. Come spring, watch for new growth, as it should increase given the correct amount of water, along with boosted sunlight and humidity.
5. Share the love. If you have a healthy plant that has outgrown its space, make a few cuttings and share plant starts with friends or family. Or, simply place them in new areas in your home. Not sure where to start? Check out our houseplant propagation tips to get the most out of sharing your plant.

New to houseplants?

Here are some low-maintenance, easy-to-grow varieties: Pothos ivy (Epipremnum aureum), Cast-iron plant (Aspidistra elatior), Snake plant (Dracaena trifasciata) and Jade plant (Crassula ovata).