Houseplant Care
Houseplants take in CO2 and release pure oxygen for you to breathe. They scrub out toxins, keep the air around you clean, and look great while they’re at it. So, breathe easy with houseplants from Kerby’s Nursery.
(Click to open a printable PDF version of the information below.)
Light
While houseplants don’t require high amounts of sunlight, they do require some sunlight. Most will thrive in a bright room or near a sunny window. The following are symptoms of a houseplant that isn’t getting enough light:
- Spindly growth as if the stems and leaves are stretching for light.
- Small new leaves.
- Lower leaves turn yellow and fall off.
- No growth or slow growth.
- Variegated leaves turn solid green.
- Flowering plants fail to bloom or bloom poorly.
If you see any of these symptoms, move the plant to a location with higher light and see if it recovers. Indoor plants can get too much light as well. Most prefer sunlight to be bright, but indirect.
Water
The number one reason that houseplants die? Over-watering. Houseplants want a good soaking and then need to dry out. Only water again once the soil is dry to the touch. This will often be one to two times per week. Keep in mind that symptoms of being too wet are similar to being too dry. If the plant is wilting, check the soil before you water to make sure it isn’t already wet.
Humidity
Most houseplants would typically grow in a humid climate, but our indoor environments are dry. To increase the humidity for your houseplants, try setting plants on a tray filled with pebbles that is about half full of water. As the water in the tray evaporates, it will increase the moisture in the air around the plant’s leaves and make them happy.
Feeding
Houseplants will thrive and grow with regular feedings of either Osmocote® Smart-Release® Plant Food (granular) or Espoma Organic® Indoor! Houseplant Food (liquid).
Cleaning Houseplants
You dust the dressers and tables in your home on a regular basis, and the same dust that settles on furniture can also block precious sunlight from getting to the leaves of your houseplants. Occasionally wipe smooth leaves clean with a cloth or sponge to remove dust and dirt. It will make the plants healthier and prettier.
Top 10 Houseplants
Everyone will have their own opinion on what makes the best houseplant, but below are some of Kerby’s favorites:
- Chinese Evergreen
- Hoya
- Peace Lily
- Cactus & Succulents
- Pothos
- Tillandsia (Air Plant)
- Snake Plant
- Z-Z Plant
- Philodendrons
- Spider Plant
And because sometimes you need something a little larger, here are our favorite indoor plants for a little height:
- Fiddleleaf Fig
- Dracaena
- Rubber Trees
- Bamboo Palm
- Ficus
Anybody can sell you plants, we make sure you succeed.