Community Corner
6 Tips For Happy, Healthy Houseplants ? No Green Thumb Required
Looking to spruce up your indoor space? FTD has a variety of eye-catching indoor plants perfect for any season.
During summer, flowers and plants adorn porches, balconies and gardens with lush, vibrant foliage. But as the seasons change, their beauty often begins to fade. Luckily, houseplants can thrive indoors all year long. With some basic care, they make a great addition to any home or apartment.
You don?t need a green thumb to keep a houseplant happy, either. FTD Flowers has some simple, easy-to-follow tips to help you care for your indoor greenery. And there?s never been a better time to purchase a plant: Right now, Patch readers get 15 percent off FTD Flowers' retail price. The discount is automatically applied at checkout.
1. Repot Your Plant After Purchasing
When you bring a plant home, remove the plant to check its roots and make sure it?s healthy. The roots should be white or tan. If they?re black, dry, mushy or appear moldy, the plant likely has problems, most commonly root rot or not enough space in the pot.
If the plant seems squished inside its planter or if the roots don?t look their best, there?s a simple fix. Make sure the pot is large enough for the plant, providing it with room to grow. If it?s cramped, you?ll want to upgrade to a larger pot. You also want to make sure that the planter has holes to drain excess moisture.
Before removing your plant to repot it, you will want to do the following:
- Layer fresh soil inside the new planter.
- Water the plant, ensuring it won?t fall apart once removed from its old container.
- Put your hand above your plant, so you can catch it when you turn it upside down.
- If you notice old roots, remove those before placing the plant inside its new pot.
- Gently place the plant inside the planter and pat down the soil.
2. Check The Soil Often
Overwatering indoor potted plants is easy to do, but an easy way to avoid this is to simply feel the soil, which will alert you to the need for water. There are three key ways to check if your plant needs watering:
- Dip your finger in the dirt ? up to the first knuckle (only in larger potted plants). From the feel (either wet or dry dirt) you?ll know if the plant needs water. This isn?t recommended for smaller plants, because it can disrupt their environment.
- Use a wooden skewer or wooden chopstick to dip into the soil. When you remove it, notice if the soil falls off easily, indicating dryness. If moist soil remains attached, your plant does not need watering yet.
- Check the weight of the plant. If it?s light, it probably needs water. Once you water, notice the weight of the watered plant for future reference.
3. Be Consistent With Your Plant Care
Plants thrive in stable environments. Moving them around from room to room can cause a disruption. While many plants are very adaptable, sudden changes in the amount of sunlight they receive can hinder growth and cause harm.
4. Refrain From Fertilizing
Of course you want to give your plant love, making sure it?s happy and healthy, and it seems fertilizing would make sense. Unfortunately, that?s not usually the case. Outdoor roses and some other outdoor plants require fertilizer because of their changing environments, but indoor plants only need fertilizer if they appear to really need a boost. Choosing the correct fertilizer can be too complicated and cause more harm than good for indoor plants.
5. Prune And Propagate Plants
Just as a haircut makes your locks look lovely, snipping off old plant matter will help keep your plant vibrant. For example, indoor mini rose plants and indoor bonsai trees require proper pruning to stay healthy. Pruning away dead or brown foliage allows a plant to grow stronger. But note: If you plan to prune more than one plant at a time, it?s important to clean shears so diseases don?t transfer.
If you have a plant you want to share with friends or family, one option is through propagation. With a ?cutting? of a plant part, such as a leaf, root or stem and through different methods ? depending on the plant ? you can start growing a new plant. Some desk plants, such as succulents, are easier to start through propagation. Once you have your succulent leaf cutting, wait a few days to ensure the piece has a callus where it was cut and then, depending on the type of succulent, place it in soil to begin rooting and growing.
If you prefer to give friends or family members a full, lush plant, consider houseplant delivery instead.
6. Prep Plants For Changing Seasons
During winter, plants need less water, but homes are often drier, which can harm them. A simple way to provide moisture in winter is to add humidity to the air. You can choose to mist plants or use a humidifier. You?ll also want plants in locations where they won?t be too warm or too cold. With just a few changes, your plants will be happily waiting for spring.
Whether you are new to plant care or an old pro, here are some great indoor plants from FTD Flowers to add greenery to your home!
Photo Credit: FTD.com
Wanderlust Zebrina ? As summer fades, the Zebrina?s colors won?t. With its colorful pop of purple and green-striped leaves, this plant is a lovely addition to any home. As its foliage grows, wanders and spills over, it adds movement to its surroundings.
Photo Credit: FTD.com
Elephant Ear Alocasia ? This stunning plant brings the lushness of a tropical summer garden inside, making a statement with its large, bold-green, arrowhead-shaped palm fronds. With its glossy look, the Alocasia is a popular plant that does best indoors in warm light.
Photo Credit: FTD.com
Golden Pothos ? Pothos is an easy-to-care for plant with speckled green leaves that remain vibrant year-round. It adapts easily to indirect light, making it ideal during fall and winter when there's more darkness. When it arrives, the plant will be about 8 inches tall and displayed in a white geometric planter. In time, its leaves will cascade and create a trail of green foliage.
Photo Credit: FTD.com
Fiddle Leaf Fig Plant ? A favorite of plant lovers, the fiddle leaf is known for its distinctive foliage. With its large veined leaves, it makes a statement and adds beauty to any home?s environment. It will do best with a consistent watering schedule and it prefers indirect light from a west-facing window.
Photo Credit: FTD.com
Succulent Garden DIY Kit ? These low-maintenance plants are a great choice for the first-time plant owner who wants a reminder of hot summer days. They love the sun and make a vibrant addition to any windowsill or countertop. This garden of five succulents will create a vision of complementary shapes and colors. The DIY kit includes the plants, soil, moss and the lovely wooden planter.
Photo Credit: FTD.com
Sun Burst Yellow Rose Plant ? With its cheery yellow flowers, this rose plant will add an uplifting feeling to your home ? even through the winter months. To keep the plant happy, place it in a sunny window and rotate it weekly.
Photo Credit: FTD.com
Fresh Garden Herbs ? For the cook who wants fresh herbs year-round, this set of three herb plants will make an outstanding gift. It includes sage, oregano and rosemary herbs in hanging planters, suitable for indoors or outdoors.
Photo Credit: FTD.com
Contemporary Succulent Trio ? A great gift for the friend who landed a new job or the student heading off to college, these succulents add a spunky pop of color with their white stripes and spiny texture. This trio of Haworthia zebra succulents can start their life outdoors and move inside in cooler months.
Photo Credit: FTD.com
Indoor Hawaiian Umbrella Bonsai ? The perfect plant to begin the bonsai journey, this Dwarf Hawaiian Umbrella Bonsai is fuss-free, easy to maintain and enjoys areas of low light. Only tropical bonsai ? such as this one ? will survive indoors. It has shiny, compact leaves and adds a bit of zen to the home or office.
Photo Credit: FTD.com
Crassula Jade Succulent ? Legend says that the cone-shaped leaves of the crassula hobbie bring its caregiver wealth and fortune. While they grow slowly in winter months, they continue to sprout and grow stems, brightening any counter, table or shelf.
Get 15 percent off FTD collection of Indoor Plants today!
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