Do you love the idea of having plants in your home, but don’t seem to have much of a green thumb? Have no fear! Keeping a favourite fern, ivy or flower alive and well is possible. Many times, the setbacks budding gardeners face can be fixed with just a few simple changes.
Here are five common houseplant problems and ways to help bring your plants back to life.
Problem: Your plants aren’t getting enough light
The sunlight in your home may look plenty bright to the human eye, but for a plant it may not be enough. Plants need a lot of light to grow and thrive—more than they may be getting from the corner of the room. A plant in need of more sunshine tends to be floppy or pale, and may be shedding leaves.
What you can do
Getting your plants more sunlight may be as simple as moving them closer to a window. South and west-facing windows are best, as they tend to get the most afternoon sunshine. However, don’t move your plants around too much. Leaving them in one place gives plants a chance to orient their leaves towards the light. So, once you move them to a sunny spot, avoid rotating or moving their pot.
The plants you pick for your home may also make a difference. Leafy houseplants are often adapted to grow in tropical rainforests, where relatively little light reaches the ground. They may do well homes that aren’t especially sunny.
Problem: Your plants aren’t getting enough water (or they’re getting too much)
Forgetting to look after a houseplant is a common gardening mistake. But it’s also possible for people to love their plants a little too much! Under and over-watering can lead to dry, drooping or wilting leaves. It can also cause root rot—leaving a plant’s roots to sit in water for long periods of time.
What you can do
Regular watering is often good for plants, but if you start to slack off the plant might start shedding leaves. This doesn’t necessarily mean it’s dying—the plant is likely adjusting to these new “drought” conditions. Instead, try watering your plants less often, but soak them thoroughly when you do.
On the flipside, few plants need to be watered every day. Try waiting until the top 2.5cm of soil is dry before watering it again. Poor drainage may also be contributing to your watering problems and possibly causing root rot. Transferring plants to larger pots with better drainage can help. Also, if you place a tray under your houseplants, be sure to empty it after each watering.
Problem: A previously healthy plant is suddenly wilting
Maybe you’ve had a houseplant for a few years now, and it’s always looked great. It’s grown and thrived under your careful care. But lately it’s started to fade, even though nothing’s changed. What gives?
What you can do
In this case, a change may do your plants good. Plant owners often leave houseplants in the same pot they were originally purchased in. Over time, the plant’s roots use up the nutrition in the soil and become root-bound. Repotting your plants into a larger container every year can help avoid this problem.
Old potting soil can also be the culprit. Peat-based potting soils become more acidic as plants break them down. This makes it harder for water and oxygen to reach the roots, slowly starving the plant even if its watering schedule hasn’t changed. Repotting your plant in fresh soil could help.
Problem: The air in your home is too dry
We’ve already mentioned that tropical houseplants may do well indoors where they’re likely to be in low light. However, dry air in winter (or yearlong, in some climates) can damage plants. Low humidity increases heat stress in plants, causing them to lose leaves or develop brown streaks.
What you can do
Keeping plants in the most humid parts of your home may keep them from drying out. This may be a well-lit bathroom, where steam from the shower can provide added moisture. A windowsill in winter may also be a good place for plants. Humidity can be created as cool air passes into a warm room through the glass.
You can also choose houseplants that don’t need humidity. These include succulents, bulbs or most plants with woody stems. Clustering houseplants together could also help, as plants raise the air humidity around them.
Problem: Your plants look dead, but they might not be
Sometimes a plant that looks dead is far from it. Many plants are very resilient, and can re-grow after even after receiving poor care. Before you throw out a shabby-looking houseplant, see if a little TLC can help it spring back.
What you can do
Proper watering, repotting and making sure they get enough sunlight can help revive many dying plants. Pruning dead parts or leaves may also help. This helps plants send nutrients only on the healthiest bits, and may aid new growth.
Some background on your plant’s natural environment might also be in order. Plants from tropical areas often experience wet and dry seasons in the wild. This means that they might go dormant during the “dry” season, but will eventually perk back up after a few months. Similarly, poinsettias and other seasonal plants often go dormant, but can return and thrive year-round with proper care.
Grow your garden
Developing a green thumb might be easier than you think. With just a bit of knowledge and practice, your home could be a happy home for a wide variety of plants!
Pet owner? You might want to avoid these houseplants that can make animals sick.
About Author: Momentum Life is a leading provider of Life insurance and Funeral insurance in New Zealand.
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