Common Mistakes to Avoid When Growing Plants Indoors

Houseplants are great for brightening up your home, creating an inviting environment and providing positive benefits for your health and well-being. However, far too often, people make the same mistakes when caring for their houseplants. These mistakes can cost them the life of their beloved plants. In this article, we take a look at some of these common mistakes so you can avoid making them yourself. 

Too much water

Many novice plant owners assume that their plants need watering every day to keep them alive. This often isn’t the case as the watering needs of plants vary considerably; some need watering once a week, others every few days and some once every month. Watering a plant too often can result in the roots rotting and the plant eventually dying. To prevent this, check the soil before watering; if it already feels damp, you may not need to water your plant. Another approach is to make sure you understand how to care for each plant in your home, research how often to water them and set reminders so that you don’t water them too often. Some plants may also benefit from being misted more frequently than water, depending on the climate and humidity where they would naturally grow. 

Throwing away the care label

The care label and name of the plant give you all the information you need to make sure it thrives. You can research any additional information you need by searching online for the name of the plant. Unfortunately, if you throw away the name and care label of the plant, it can be hard to determine the proper care instructions. Some care labels can be ugly and ruin the aesthetics of the plant or the pot. Instead of throwing them away, remove them and attach them to a notepad where you can refer back to them when needed. Alternatively, you can write down all of the information on the label in the notepad as a form of plant journal. This way, you can always see the name of the plants you own and how best to look after them. 

Growing medium issues 

Soil is often the most popular growing medium for beginners; however, you can also grow plants using a range of other growing mediums and techniques, including hydroponics, clay pebbles, coco coir and rock wool, to name a few. Getting the growing medium wrong can result in your plants lacking the right nutrients to grow and flourish. Research the different ways to grow plants and the best growing medium for the plants you’ve chosen. You may also need to add plant food into the growing medium to help your plant get the nutrients it needs.

Too much or too little light 

You need to provide your plants with the right amount of light that’s optimal for growth. Too much light can cause sensitive plant issues, and too little could result in the plant dying. Find out the optimal amount of light for each indoor plant; this way, you can cater to their needs. Alternatively, if you have a very sunny windowsill that you want to fill with plants, seek out varieties that will do well in this position and avoid any indoor plants that prefer the shade. Depending on the climate and position of the sun, you might also need to move the plants to different areas of the home in order to give them the best chance of growing in all seasons. 

Cleaning the leaves

Part of your indoor plant care should include regular cleaning of their leaves. This will help them look more attractive and will aid with their growth and health. Include this as part of your cleaning regime so you don’t forget and leave your plants gathering dust. 

The most important thing to do in order to avoid the death of indoor plants is research. Find out the right conditions, watering schedule, pot size and level of light that each of your plants needs. Once you know this information, write it down somewhere so you can refer back to it when needed. This will help you take good care of your plants, ensuring they stay alive and provide great benefits for your home.