The Basics of Houseplant Care

When it comes to caring for plants, many people claim they "don't have a green thumb" and therefore cannot seem to grow lush, healthy houseplants. Yet everyone can be successful at growing beautiful indoor houseplants if they are sure to follow some very basic instructions for their care.
Watering Over watering is a common practice, but too much water kills most houseplants. Don't be fooled by a dry top layer of soil. To see if your soil is dry enough to water, try the finger test. Insert your index finger up to the first joint into the soil. If the soil is damp, don't water it.
Lighting Be sure you know the light requirement for the variety of plant you are growing. Check the label to see what your plant needs. There are some plants which require no sun,like Sanseveria and Aspidistra. They can be placed away from a window. Spider plants need semi-shade. You can put plants like these near a window that does or does not get sunlight.
Temperature Most houseplants can survive in cool or warm temperatures, but drastic fluctuations of temperature may not be good for them. Most plants cannot survive gas heating. If you have a plant that likes warm conditions, don't put it near an air conditioner in the summer.
Humidy Some houseplants require a humid environment. An easy way to maximize humidity is to put the pot inside a larger pot and fill in the gaps with stones or compost to keep in the moisture. Grouping plants together often creates a microclimate that helps keep humidity encased. You can also spray them with water once or twice a day, depending on the temperature.
Feeding Foliage plants will have high nitrogen needs. Flowering plants need K2O. Slow release N-P-K (nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium) fertilizers can be mixed with the compost. However, certain plants like cacti and orchids need special fertilizer. Feed plants during their most active growth period.
Re-potting Here is where many novice growers fall short. Some plants require re-potting for optimum growth but there are others that resent having their roots disturbed. Their roots system may be small enough that they don't require re-potting. One way to check if your plant needs re-potting is to turn it upside down. Tap the pot to release the plant and check its roots. Re-pots if roots are all that you see. Sometimes the roots will come out of the pot. You should either cut them off or re-pot the plant.
You can see that it doesn't take too much care to produce healthy, vibrant plants. Be sure to follow this advice at minimum to reap the benefits. Indoor plants not only add to the beauty of your décor, but also give lots of pleasure to the indoor gardener.

About the Author
Paula, a gardening enthusiast, publishes articles on various aspects of gardening and landscaping. She manages a webstore for people wishing t find affordable garden decor and outdoor accessories online.