Gardening Tips on Indoor Plant Care

The initial step is to choose an indoor plant that you will care for. Once you've chosen houseplants that add the blossom and accent to your inside rooms, you need to keep them healthy and beautiful. With a little preparation and some indoor plant care tips, you can keep your houseplants looking lively as ever.

Next is to pick the right soil for your indoor plant. Potting soil and garden soil are different learn to mix your own. Choosing a potting media that is best for the plant you choose. Specific blends are available commercially for all different kinds of indoor plants. Sterilization is essential to remove any bacteria that can be in commercial soils. Make sure to spread the soil on heatproof baking sheets and place in a 180-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes, then cool completely.

Pick a location for your indoor plants' light exposure. Make sure you choose houseplants that will thrive on the amount of light you can provide. Natural light is best, and depending on the type of plant, indirect but constant light from a window will keep indoor plants consistently healthy. Avoid direct sun contact which can damage the leaves and your eventually your whole plant. Be aware of your house plant's condition and observe about its daily light by moving the plant away from strong heat.

Indoor plant care also involves watering the right way. Over-watering and under watering kills most houseplants. To know if your plants' soil need watering, you need to feel it with your finger. Insert your index finger up to the first joint into the soil. If the soil is damp, don’t water it. Small pots should be watered when the top inch of soil feels dry to your finger. Larger pots of 6 inches should be watered when you feel dry soil at the 2-inch mark. Water from the top over the soil and stop to see if it flows out the drainage holes. Most plants like having their roots consistently moist, but not wet. Some plants prefer to dry out a bit between watering. Dump any water that accumulates up in the tray. Leaving water to be taken up by the plant can cause damage because of the salt content in drained water.

Proper ventilation and temperature also plays a role for your indoor plant care. Protect your indoor plants from the forced air from heating units or air conditioners. Flowing air can dry out foliage and prevent healthy blooms. About 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit is the optimum temperature for most indoor plants, although some species are more heat tolerant. Most indoor plants are tropical in nature and need more humidity than is found in the typical home environment. Rest the plant on a tray covered with pea gravel or place plants in a terrarium to encourage increased humidity.

Another indoor plant care tip is re-potting your house plant. When your house plant grows, it will require re-potting for more growth but there are other indoor plants that resent having their roots disturbed. Or their roots system may be small enough that they don’t require re-potting. One way to check if your plant needs re-potting is to turn it upside down. Tap the pot to release the plant and check its roots. If roots are all you see, then re-pot. Sometimes the roots will come out of the pot. You should either cut them off or re-pot the plant.

Follow these indoor plant care tips and you will be successful with your house plant care. If you notice problems with your houseplants, solve them before they get serious with a careful inspection of your indoor plants.