How to Keep Your Houseplants Alive

Keep Houseplants Alive Guide

Have you been struggling to keep your houseplants alive? Have you bought a beautiful houseplant, only to bring it to its demise? Keeping your houseplant alive does not have to be very difficult. I’ve put together this guide with all the tips that you need to know on how to keep your indoor plant alive and happy.

1. Choose the right plant

Get a low maintenance plant

A low maintenance plant, is by definition, easy to keep alive. It’s not very fussy and does not require a lot of attention. If you tend to neglect your plant, you want to get one that tends to tolerate neglect. The ZZ plant is a great choice if you cannot remember to water your plants. It actually prefers less water. You can get away with watering it only once or twice a month.

Pick a low maintenance plant if you struggle with remembering to water and to take care of your plant. Choose a plant that is hard to kill, tolerates neglect, and requires little water and/or fertilizer.

Get a plant that thrives indoors

Not all plants do well indoors. Choose one that lives in shade or indirect light. When you go plant shopping, look at the little tag that comes with the plant to determine whether the plant is suitable for indoor conditions. Ask someone at the plant shop to help you out if you’re unsure.

2. Figure out the best spot for your plant.

It’s best to figure this out before you go out and buy the plant. That way you won’t end up with a plant that does not suit your space. That will make it harder for you to keep it alive. So think about the spot you want to place your new houseplant before you buy it.

The best spot for your plant depends on three things: the size of the plant, the lighting, and the temperature.

The size of the plant:

If the plant is expected to grow tall, you cannot place it in a confined bookcase, for example. Find a location where the plant has plenty of space to grow. Otherwise, it will quickly outgrow that spot, and you will have to move it.

The lighting:

Plants need sun to grow, but the lighting requirements differ for each plant. The natural habitat of succulents and cacti is the desert. So it makes perfect sense that they will require a lot of sun.

If you got a succulent, place it somewhere bright that gets a lot of sunlight, like a window sill. If your plant thrives in shade, you can place it in a spot that is less bright, and does not get as much sun. This goes back to the first tip of choosing the right plant. Pick a plant according to how much sunlight you can give it in your space.

3. Figure out watering

Plants need water to stay alive. Remember, plants are a living creature. Some might tolerate a certain amount of neglect, but they still completely depend on you for their food, water and care when you bring them indoors. Each plant requires a different amount of water. When you pick your plant, research or ask at the plant shop about how much water it needs, and the best watering practices for your specific plant.

Do not over-water your plant to keep it alive

Be careful with over-watering! Most plants do not tolerate it. It causes many problems, including root rot. So make sure you know how much water your plant needs. If you drown your plant, you will kill it quickly.

What to do if you over-watered your plant?

If you over-watered your plant, it might die really quickly. So go ahead and gently remove it from its pot without disturbing the root too much. Place it in fresh new soil, in a pot that is well drained (see the next point) and only water when needed.

Do not under-water your plant so it stays alive

Plants do need water to survive. If they don’t get enough water they will wilt, dry out and die. I cannot stress this enough. The plant is completely dependent on you for its water. As much as it can handle not-so-perfect conditions, it still needs a certain amount of water and attention if you want it keep your houseplant alive.

4. Drainage

Make sure that the plant is in a pot that has drainage holes. As I have mentioned earlier, you don’t want your plant to be sitting in water. That’s what makes drainage very important.

A well draining pot is empirical to keep houseplants alive

Drainage holes allow for extra water to drain out of the pot when you water your plants. Place a saucer underneath the pot for excess water that runs out. If you want to place you plant in a basket or an a nice container that does not have holes, pot your plant in a plastic container with holes, and then place it in a bigger container of your choice.

5. Choose the right potting soil if you will be re-potting your plant

Most people choose to re-pot their plant when they get it from the nursery. It is possible to re-pot in a bigger container once you buy it. I find that many plants are already root bound when I buy them, and they appreciate re-potting. As mentioned above, the pot needs sufficient drainage. Soil quality and drainage is also important, so choose a suitable potting soil.

There are different types of potting mix depending on the needs of the plants. Make sure you get potting soil for indoor plants. If your plant is a succulent or a cactus, you want to get well-draining soil, that doesn’t retain a lot of water. You can find pre-mixed potting soil that is designed for succulents (like this one).

6. Work plant care into your schedule or routine

Finally, after you have figured out what care is required by your plant, make sure you can keep it up. Check on your plants every morning. Make it a part of your morning routine. Inspect the plants for any pests or diseases.

If you use a schedule to plan your day, then schedule a time for plant care. Designate a certain day, or two depending on the plant, to water it. This will help you not to over- or under-water your plant.

Read this next: 11 Fabulous Houseplants that Are Safe for Cats

Do you have any tips to keep houseplants alive? Share them in the comments