Tips for Growing Healthy Houseplants

Any customer at a flower shop, or anyone coming into Fiesta Flowers Plants & Gifts, will always experience a calm atmosphere amid the many lush plants that make buying floral items such a rejuvenating experience. Although taking care of plants in-store is often done by experienced florists, you do not need a professional green thumb to enjoy a healthy plant. In fact, you need to simply remember three things: water, light, and nutrition.

1. Avoiding excess water

One of the easiest ways to ensure your plant has just the right amount of water is to use a vented pot. A vented pot will have a drop-down water tray that will allow excess water to flow through the soil and out the vents. If you use an enclosed pot, excess water has no place to escape. As such, it can pool. If it pools, the roots can become vulnerable to rot.

2. Just enough water

Although some plants can thrive on an occasional watering session, many other plants require a certain amount of water at a certain interval because they absorb water continuously through the soil. In either case, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the type of plant you are watering and get in the habit of watering it according to its needs until doing so becomes second nature.

That said, sometimes, as you learn to grow plants, you just cannot tell if the plant needs water. In this case, you can simply poke your fingertip into the soil. If the soil is grainy and dry, you should water the plant. If the soil feels more like moist and crumbly cake, it will need water in the next day or so. If it feels moist and clumpy, it has enough water. If you can see standing water in the divot, it has too much water.

3. Light

Lavender and coneflowers require direct sunlight. Peperomia, however, and other plants only require indirect light. In terms of sunlight, it is important to familiarize yourself with the light requirements of your plant. House plants that require direct sunlight should be placed near a window that receives sunlight for most of the day. Of course, as seasons change and the sun shines from a different direction or angle, it will be necessary to move the plants to different windows to ensure they can still receive plenty of light. Plants that require indirect light can be placed in the center of a room without access to a window.

4. Nutrients

An easy way to ensure your plants remain healthy is to simply poke a nutrient stick, also known as a fertilizer spike, into the soil. These types of sticks allow nutrients, such as nitrogen, to permeate the soil and keep your plant healthy. If you use one, you are one step closer to keeping your plants looking the same way they did when you saw them at flower shops like Fiesta Flowers.

5. Humidity

The best humidity level for plants is approximately 70 to 80 percent. This level, however, is usually not feasible for homes. For a better balance, you can keep the humidity hovering around 50 percent. Doing so will provide the right air moisture for your plants, and you will not feel as if you live in a jungle.

Shop online today for houseplants at Fiesta Flowers Plants & Gifts