How to Keep Indoor Plants Alive and Well

Many people enjoy having indoor plants but don't really know how to keep them alive for long enough to justify getting them. This is unfortunate because indoor plants are a great way to bring some of nature into a home (which is especially great if you live in an apartment without a yard!) The main thing that you need to do in order to keep your plants alive for a long time is to make sure that you've done your research into the kind of plant that you have. In addition to this, you need to make sure that you keep the plant at the forefront of your mind so that it doesn't accidentally get neglected.

The most important thing that you can do to keep your plants alive is to really get to know what kind of plant you have and what it's going to need from you. If you don't know what kind of plant you have, check the plant or the pot that it came from for a tag that identifies it. If you're unable to find this information, you can take a photograph of the plant and post it on gardening forums to have others point you in the right direction. Alternatively, you can take the plant or a photo of the plant to a local garden or nursery to see if an expert there can assist you in identifying the plant.

Once you've determined what kind of plant you have, you should do as much research into it as possible. Get any books that are available about this plant or the family that it comes from. Locate online reading material and encyclopedia material about the plant. You will want to learn as much general information as you can about the plant in order to know specifically what it needs from you. However, there are some certain things that you're going to be on the lookout for as you do this research.

You'll want to make sure that you know the basic information about the plants needs. This means that you should learn what kind of sunlight it requires (direct or indirect) and how much of it is needed. You will also want to know what amount of water it needs and whether there are any other nutrients it requires. Other things to consider are the size of the pot it needs (and whether this will change as the plant grows), the type of soil it requires and any special concerns there are regarding this plant. Make sure that you also know the temperature that the plant needs to thrive and consider whether your home is generally within this temperature range.

Of course, knowing this information doesn't matter if you can't remember to water your plant and give it the proper amount of sunshine. For that reason, it's crucial that you try to keep the plant at the forefront of your mind. The single biggest reason that plants die is because someone forgets to care for them. A great way to remember to care for your plant is to create a chart with all of the information that you have learned about your plant. It would say how much water, food and sunlight is needed and would have a place for you to check off when you've met those needs each day or each week. This can be placed on the refrigerator, as a calendar item on your computer desktop or anywhere else that you will notice it daily. By studying your plants specific needs and meeting them steadily, you should be able to keep them lasting a long time.