Healthy Houseplant Checklist

Choose the plants that best suit your room, then grow them using the appropriate pots, tools, and  materials.

Lighting conditions

If you’re starting out with indoor plants, you might be tempted to go outside, pick the best-looking plants, plant them in pots, and spend your day. However, it is important to choose carefully to ensure that your plants will live happily for a long time. This means getting plants suited to your home’s lighting conditions. This can vary from room to room, so decide where you will place the plant before choosing a specific variety.

Not sure what the lighting conditions are in your space? Take a moment in the morning, midday, and late afternoon to look at where you are planting. When does the sun shine? Also determine whether the light is direct sunlight, the sun is shining through the window into the spot or indirect light, the room is bright, but the sun is not shining directly through the window. Record this information and take it to your local nursery so the staff can help you choose plants that will grow well in your home.

Container options

Pots and saucers with drain holes. Classic option. When you water the pot, the remaining water drains from the roots and collects in the saucer below.

Cachepot. These are pots that are not designed to hold plants directly, usually because the containers are not waterproof or allow drainage. To use the cachepot, simply store the plant in the plastic pot it came in and place it inside the cachepot along with the saucer.

Hanging flower pot. A planter designed for hanging, usually including rope and hardware. Hanging glass pots are only used for air plants and do not require soil.

Plant stand. Some planters are designed with their own integrated stand, while others are built to hold a variety of planters. Using a plant stand allows your potted plants to receive more natural light and makes watering easier meaning you have to bend down less.

Container size

Houseplants need enough space for their roots to settle comfortably in their pots. If you are planting directly in a pot, choose one that is a few inches larger than the size of the pot. When planting plants in your new home, you will need additional space to add potting soil.

When choosing a flower pot, you can be sure to choose one that is just right for you. Make sure the pot is deep enough so that the plastic pot containing the plant is below the level of the rim. If you skip the transplanting step, your plants will not be able to benefit from the nutrients in fresh potting soil. Therefore, it may be wise to plan on transplanting into some pots if you are only transplanting them from a pair of larger plastic pots and a cash pot. Points of the future.

Gardening gloves

If you want to garden without gloves, by all means run over there. But if you want to keep your fingernails clean, a pair of simple gardening gloves is a worthwhile investment. Find gloves that fit snugly and allow you to feel what you are doing. Very thick leather gloves are suitable for handling thorny plants and are otherwise not needed.

Fill the pot with pebbles or other pot fillers

Placing pebbles, bark, or broken pottery in the bottom of the pot will help improve drainage and prevent plant roots from becoming trapped in standing water. Pot filler material can also be useful if you have a pot that is too deep for your plant. Placing pebbles on the bottom will reduce the weight of the top of the pots and prevent it from tipping over.

Potting soil

High-quality potting mix is worth every penny. This will help feed your new houseplant and keep it healthy. Certain species of plants, such as orchids, cactuses, and succulents, are best used with special potting mixes. So, choose your mixture with your specific plants in mind.

Trowel

You can use an old measuring cup or your hand as a trowel, but it helps to have a basic trowel in your kit as well. This useful gardening tool can be used to scoop or pound soil and remove plants from pots for transplanting.

Watering can

A large watering can with a round rosette is suitable for watering potted plants on the terrace, but indoor watering cans require a more precise watering can. The best watering can for houseplants is one with a long, narrow spout. Just as a kettle with a long spout makes it easier to brew pour- over coffee, this waterer makes it much easier to water small pots without splashing water on the floor.

Sharp scissors

To keep your houseplants fresh and healthy, it helps to occasionally prune off dead or dying leaves and spent flowers. Sharp, dedicated scissors are the best tool for trimming plants without damaging them. It’s especially important to keep pruning tools clean, as cutting plants can introduce bacteria and disease. An easy way to disinfect between uses is to wipe with disposable bleach wipes.

Potting zone

Whether it’s a dedicated plant room, kitchen nook, mudroom, or garage, setting aside space for your houseplants will help you organize and find what you need quickly and easily. Store potting soil, gardening gloves, tools, extra dishes and pots in cupboards, baskets or plastic containers. Cleaning will be easier if you have an outdoor terrace or balcony where you can repot or do other messy tasks. But if you can’t do that, prepare newspaper or a reusable wipeable tablecloth to cover your work surface.