How not to murder your indoor plants

Indoor plants are great—they make a space look aesthetic while bringing in an element of nature into your homes, they purify air, and many of them are fairly low maintenance. Greenery is known to have mood-boosting benefits and if you don’t have much outdoor space, indoor plants can be a great option.

But we know a lot of people who are always cribbing about how their Peace Lily doesn’t flower, or that their Fiddle Fig isn’t lush enough. Some even call themselves plant murderers. So, we thought we would come to their aid and find out some tips and tricks to get indoor plants thriving. It was something we could use some help with too. We spoke to some people who have happy plants at home to figure out what we might be doing wrong. Here are three things you should keep in mind for happy, thriving indoor plants. 

Choose plants based on light

The number one rule while getting plants for your home is to determine the amount of natural light your space receives and choose plants according to that. If you have south-facing windows, it will give bright light. If there are windows on the east and west, they will give moderate light while there’s low light from the north side. Most houseplants like bright, indirect light but some, like ZZ and Snake plants, can tolerate low light as well. If you don’t know which plant likes what type of light, place them where you like and then keep an eye out on them to see if they are thriving in the area.

“Consider placing them in well-lit spots for starters,” says Rajan KC, who works at a nursery in Khumaltar, Lalitpur. If you have a certain space where you feel the need for a plant or there is a particular plant you want to add in your home, research its light needs before you buy. KC says you shouldn’t hesitate to ask the gardener or the plant seller for information on how to take care of the plant you are buying. More often than not, they will be able to give you helpful tips.

Be careful about watering

Indoor plants are considered low maintenance mostly because they don’t need regular watering as outdoor, garden plants do. If you are confused about how much water your plants need, always remember that it’s better to underwater than to overwater them. Overwatering will lead to root rot and there’s often no saving your plants after that.

Make sure the soil is dry before watering your plants, says Sonam Lama, a primary school teacher, who has around 50 plants in her two-bedroom apartment in Kathmandu. She says how much water your plants need will differ around the year—they will need less water in the winter and slightly more in the summer. “If the soil is pulling away from the pot, that means the plant needs water,” she says.

How often you need to water your plants depends on various factors like how warm your home is, the type of plant, and the kind of pot. Plastic pots retain soil moisture longer than porous terra cotta containers, which let air pass through the sides. So be a bit mindful about the state your plant is in before frolicking around the house with the watering can.

Skip the fertilizer

Fresh soil has enough nutrients so if you have just repotted your plant, you don’t need to add fertilizer to it. Too much fertilizer can be harmful for houseplants as they don’t need as much fertilizer as outdoor plants do. When choosing to fertilize indoor plants, do so during the growing season which is early spring and monsoon.

If you make your own fertilizer from kitchen waste then you can use a fistful for each pot but if you are using store-bought fertilizer make sure to dilute it in water. “Always follow the instructions on the fertilizer packet and don’t just wing it,” says Rachana Karki. Her plants once shriveled from too much fertilizer and she had to replace around a dozen plants. Since then, she follows the ‘less is more’ rule when it comes to fertilizing indoor plants. “I’ve realized most plants do well with regular cleaning. I wipe down the leaves with a soft cloth after giving them a spritz of water every now and then,” she says.