Tip #31: Are you a fern killer?
Do you have a fern that doesn’t like to stay moist, or another houseplant that dries like crazy?
Put vermiculite in your potting mix. This will loosen the mix and hold in moisture. You can also use a self-watering pot. They work amazing with ferns! We show you how to take care of ferns and many other moisture-loving plants using self-watering pots.
Tip #32: Is water just sitting on top of the soil surface when you water your plant and takes forever to soak in?
You may have too much compacted soil.
This problem can be easily solved by poking a few holes into the soil with a chopstick from your Chinese takeout. You will improve drainage and aeration by doing this.
However, when repotting the plant, remember Tip #9 and make sure that you amend the potting mix!
Tip #33: BEWARE! Do you have a water softener in your home?
Do not use the water from your home’s water softener for your plants because it is toxic!
Calcium and magnesium are normally replaced with sodium in these systems and are toxic to plants.
Generally, rainwater is the best choice for your plants, so you can use distilled water or collect rainwater.
Tip #34: Choose the right plant for the right space.
Plants should be chosen based on the environment in which they are going to grow, not the other way around.
A friend of mine tried to grow a cactus without a window. That didn’t work too well. Conversely, if your window is super-sunny, you should not grow a peace lily there because it will burn.
Before placing a plant in its growing location, learn about its light requirements.
Tip #35: Do you have a windowless area and still want to grow plants?
It IS possible to grow plants in the shade, even in areas without windows! Please read this blogpost on plants that grow in shade.
In a windowless office that I used to work in, I grew a nice variety of plants, and some of them thrived.
Tip #36: Be sure to grow your plants in pots that have drainage holes.
Although this seems obvious, I have had to remind people many times that drainage holes are necessary in pots.
It is not impossible to grow a plant in pots without drainage holes, but it may be too much of a risk if you are not caring for it properly.
Tip #37: On a budget and still want plants?
Do you want to grow your own avocados once you’re done making guacamole? I found a quick and simple tutorial that illustrates how to grow avocados in a pit.
Tip #38: Grow your own ginger for cooking!
How many people know that they can easily grow their own ginger for cooking? It’s super easy, and I have done it multiple times!
Within a year’s time you will be shocked at how much ginger you have harvested. Learn how I preserve ginger by reading my blog post. I also posted a video on my YouTube channel showing my harvest.
Tip #39: Did you break your ceramic or terra cotta pots?
You can use all the broken pieces in your pot to plug drainage holes by saving all of the broken pieces. I use the pieces for this purpose.
Water will run through and the soil will stay in place. Whenever I repotted, I would use a piece from a broken pot to cover the drainage hole.
Tip #40: Time to repot and can’t get your plant out of it’s plastic nursery pot?
How about cutting it off with scissors? The risk of damaging the plant with too much pulling isn’t worth it if it won’t come.
The plastic pot should be carefully cut off with scissors or pruners.
Tip #41: Time to repot and can’t get your plant out of its terra cotta or ceramic pot? Take a hammer to it!
One of my prized Anthuriums that I have had for over a dozen years recently got a new home. The plant was growing in a plain terracotta pot, so I removed it with a hammer to avoid damaging the root system, thus repotting it safely.
I would have paid way more for that plant than an inexpensive terra cotta pot. It’s fun and effective to cover drainage holes with pot shards after taking a punch to the pot and saving it.
Tip #42: Don’t want to make a mess watering your hanging plants and getting water everywhere?
What if you took your plants to the shower or bathtub with you and watered them there?
Even if you take a portable coat rack and place it in the shower, just allow the hanging plants to drain for a bit before returning them to the growing location. It is even possible to install a ceiling hook over the bathtub.
Tip #43: Don’t want to bother mixing fertilizer solution every time you water?
Mix up a batch of fertilizer in some gallon plastic jugs, label them and store them somewhere handy.
Tip #44: Do you really find fertilizing annoying and you’d rather not bother with it at all?
I mainly use Osmocote on my outdoor potted plants, but you can use it on any plant.
Plants will be healthy and strong for months when you mix the dry spheres in your pots, or dig them into the dirt when repotting. Your plant slowly gets fertilized through watering it, so it gets its nutrients over time.
Tip #45: Don’t throw away those eggshells!
You can use eggshell water to supplement your plant’s nutrient needs for free. Find out how to make your own eggshell water and what it can do for you in this great post.
Tip #46: Still waiting for that lonely pothos cutting to turn into a giant plant?
Well, you’ll have to figure it out for yourself. Fortunately, I made a video in YouTube showing you exactly how I do this.
Tip #47: Do you have too many loose air plants and it has gotten really annoying to handle all of them and water them?
The air plants I had were too difficult to maintain, so I simply mounted them on a grape vine!
There are a lot of things you can use to mount your air plants. Grapevine, driftwood, etc. Watch my YouTube video on how I mounted mine. Be creative! It made it much easier for me to care for them.
Tip #48: Save your banana peels to make your own fertilizer!
Why not recycle all the things in your kitchen to make your own fertilizer and keep the landfills out of it?
Tip #49: Want to increase oxygen levels while you’re sleeping?
Sansevieria plants provide organic matter and oxygen to your body during the night, in contrast to plants that are meant to store carbon dioxide for the day.
Furthermore, they are used to low light.
Tip #50: Want to improve your indoor air quality?
Were you aware that NASA researched how to use different house plants to remove air pollutants indoors?
The air inside your home has the potential to be up to ten times more polluted than the air outside. The NASA study ranked plants according to indoor air quality. In my blog post, I am recommending 9 plants that I believe are the easiest to grow.
Put as many plants in your house as you can!
Tip #51: Struggling with low light conditions during the winter?
During the darker winter months, supplementing natural light is perfectly acceptable, particularly through the use of various grow lights.
I am not a fan of the purple LED lights that have become a craze everywhere. They do not appeal to me.
Tip #52: Want your vines to climb on your walls but don’t know how to support them?
Train your plants against a wall with Command hooks or clear fishing string!
My pothos is currently being trained in my office using command hooks. I used clear fishing string against the walls of a windowless old office I used to work in. I recommend reading my blog post on Pothos if you’re wondering how to grow your own.
Tip #53: Need to repot a cactus but don’t want to get pricked?
Use some bubble wrap, or even newspaper, to protect your fingers while you are working with the cactus.
Tip #54: Like the look of terra cotta pots but not a fan of water seeping through the terra cotta saucer and ruining your wooden furniture?
Water is no longer able to seep through the saucers because they are glazed inside and out.
Tip #55: Do you find it difficult to lift and move your large floor plants?
Plant caddies with wheels are the solution! I use these for my larger floor plants whenever I need to move them. Save your back!
Tip #56: Don’t want to collect rainwater but still want to use it?
I love taking my houseplants outside after a nice rain. Then I can bring them back inside again once the rain stops. Rain is great for plants!
Tip #57: Short on ceiling space for hanging plants and have a skylight?
The light from skylights is usually amazing. Hang up your art by hanging it around your skylight.
Tip #58: Disappointed with moss poles out on the market or can’t find any?
You can make your own! They are easy to make and much better than anything else on the market.
Tip #59: Did you just get a shipments of houseplants by mail and you’re not sure what to do with them?
I’ll give you the answer you’ve been wondering about. You should do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for a while.
Thank you for checking out these houseplant hacks. Comment below if you have any other ideas for houseplant care that didn’t appear on my list. I’d love to hear them!
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