By Kellie Phelan

3 tips for helping your houseplants thrive

Bringing plants in your home doesn’t have to be intimidating! There are a TON of plants that are super low maintenance and don’t need a lot of attention and care. Here are our best 3 tips to help you pick the right plant BB and keep it alive! Come learn this and so. much. more at our Ultimate Guide to Houseplants class on July 30.

1. Light

Depending on your living situation, the light you have access to in certain rooms may vary. It’s important to understand what kind of light your plant needs in order for it to be happy and survive. Most plants will fall under one of three types of light; High, Medium or Low.

  • High light is when there is direct sunlight hitting the plant.

  • Medium light is in a room with bright sunlight where the plant isn’t placed directly in the sun.

  • Low light can be either when a plant is about 10 feet or more away from a window or strictly fluorescent light.

2. Water

There are a few factors to take into consideration when it comes to watering your plant.

  • Lighting

  • The plant’s water preferences

  • The season

How much light your plant is getting will often indicate how much watering you need to do. Plants in direct sunlight usually need more water than those in low light or medium light positions. This can change however depending on the type of plant. Researching your specific plant’s needs will be important to understanding how much and how often you should water your plant.

Being in a place like Seattle, the winter months are a bit cooler and a lot less sunny. This will mean that your plant won’t need as much water as it does in the spring and summer when it’s full of sunshine and warmer temperatures. For a plant that may need a watering every day in the summer, once a week might be plenty during the winter.

3. Befriend your plant!

If after you’ve done all the research, have your plant in the right lighting, following its general water preferences and it’s still showing signs of unhappiness, there are a few tricks you can use to troubleshoot your plant friend.

Build a bond with your plant. Recognize what lighting or watering patterns are causing it to be unhappy. Some signs of unhappiness include droopy, discolored or fallen leaves. Yellow or brown leaves could mean you’re over or under watering. Are you letting the plant absorb some water before giving it more? Is the soil getting too dry between watering? If you’re noticing the color of the leaves are fading, you could be giving your plant too much sun!

We’re just getting started!

Come learn how to help them thrive on July 30 at The Ultimate Guide to Houseplants. Whether you’re new to the houseplant game or already have a small indoor jungle, you’ll leave this class with an understanding of what your plant wants, needs, and how to accommodate it. Every ticket also includes a new plant baby to take home!