Picking the Perfect Houseplant
Houseplants bring a bit of nature inside. Easier to care for than most pets, a houseplant can provide just as much joy to plant lovers. Having plants indoors helps to keep the air in your home and office a bit cleaner, they can relax you, and they make often cold spaces much warmer and more inviting.
These are a few of the reasons that houseplants are so popular. You can buy houseplants almost anywhere – in the supermarket, big box stores, even drug stores. Schools, churches and other non-profits often sell houseplants to raise money.
Some of us though, seem to have a revolving door when it comes to houseplants. Houseplants are often an “impulse” buy – they look so pretty on the shelf, naturally you want to take them home with you! They come into the home and before you know it, they’re going out – in the equivalent of a plant bodybag. What people often don’t realize is that it takes just as much planning to bring a houseplant into the home as it does to bring a pet in.
Here are some things to consider before buying a houseplant:
- What sort of light does the plant need? (HINT: read the tag or information spike)
- Can I provide a spot in my home that is appropriate to the plant’s lighting needs?
- What kind of growth can I expect from this plant?
- If the plant grows a lot, will I still have room for it?
- What sort of water needs does the plant have?
- Will I remember to water it, if it needs frequent waterings?
- Can I refrain from overwatering (probably the #1 killer of houseplants)
Seems like a lot, I know. But this sort of planning is the only way to ensure your new houseplant is happy and thriving a month or a week after you bring it home. You can actually get away with not doing too much research beforehand…IF you read the plant’s label. In this way, you can indulge in a new plant the next time your at the checkout line at your local supermarket, you’ll just be indulging smarter.
Also, be sure you pick a full and healthy plant to buy. If you buy a droopy plant with the idea that it may just need some water, you may be headed for disaster. Any number of problems can besmirch a plant in a store, do yourself a favor and pick the healthiest one you see.
Be ready to re-pot soon after you bring your plant home. Those selling plants notoriously pot the plants in the cheapest containers they can find, also for some reason, the smallest. Most likely you’ll need to repot into an appropriate pot. This is where some after purchase research comes in handy. Take the name of your plant and pop it into your favorite search engine. Find out the best type of pot – ceramic, terra cotta, draining, hanging, etc. – is most beneficial to the type of plant you’ve purchased.
If you’re not sure where to get the pot you need, check out some of our stores. All of them sell a variety of pots in myriad sizes, shapes, and materials:
Plants & Planters from Wind & Weather – Click Here
Books, Information & How To for Houseplants:
The Complete Guide to Houseplants: The Easy Way to Choose and Grow Healthy, Happy Houseplants
Buy houseplants:
Looking for houseplants? Windowbox.com makes it easy!
All Natural Houseplant Fertilizer:
Houseplants Alive!rAll-Natural Fertilizer