[Claire Halliday]

I don’t have the greenest thumb in town but someone who does shared some helpful tips with me … and sharing is caring (especially when it comes to restoring lush life to some innocent indoor plants).

Choose plants based on available light

Knowing how much light your chosen plant-friendly space gets each day is critical to the plant you choose to place there. If you’re not sure just by looking, figure out the direction your windows face and spend some time seeing how bright the light is, for how long, each day.
With this information up your sleeve, reading those helpful plant care tags at the nursery will have more meaning, so you buy your next indoor plant with a plan, rather than just because it looks pretty.

Most houseplants prefer bright, indirect sunlight, but there are plenty that tolerate low-light levels.

Some succulents and cacti can handle direct, brighter sunlight but, for any happy plant, a good rule of (green) thumb is to avoid under or over-exposure of light.

Choose plans to match your lifestyle
A busy schedule and regular trips away make giving plants the care they need trickier. And the last thing your neighbours want is a detailed list of which leaves to polish and which pot to fertilise each time you hook up the caravan.
If you do have time to spare, attention-loving orchids or ferns may be your perfect plant. If not, look for low-maintenance plants.

Watch the watering!
When it comes to indoor plants, under-watering is better than giving them too much to drink. Check your plant’s drainage too. Root rot is no fun for anyone!
If the soil looks dark and is moist enough to stick to your finger, your plant has enough water.
Plants need less water during the dormant winter growth phase, when sunlight is softer and sunlight hours are shorter.
To tell if your plants need an extra drink, look for wilting leaves or soil that is pulled away from the pot’s sides.

Sometimes, plants appreciate extra humidity
If you love tropical plants, create a space of high humidity, with brighter indirect light.
When its dry, in winter, grouping plants closer together helps create a more humid microclimate.

But when it comes to desert-dwellers, such as cacti and succulents, keeping the air dry is what they need most of all.

Skip the fertiliser
Feeding your plant is good for it – just not too much.
Houseplants don’t need fertilising as much as outdoor plants do. Fertilising is best added during the growing season ( from early spring-early autumn). Be sure to read the instructions to get the concentration levels right.

Repot when needed

Repotting isn’t always about transplanting your house-plant to roomier digs.
You can keep the same pot (if it fits) and simply refresh the potting mix every 12-18 months, to add extra nutrients.
If your plant has outgrown its home, choose a new pot that is only about 4-8 cm bigger than its current home. Your plant doesn’t want to swim in too much soil (and too much water) but it just needs a bit more room to grow.

What tips do you have for keeping indoor plants looking amazing? Do you have a favourite indoor plant?

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