I’m fairly new at the plant game (just over 4 years now). At that time, I met my partner… and then suddenly I was able to keep plants alive for the first time in my life. Coincidence? Maybe. But he also taught me a few lessons that helped me turn my black thumb into a green one. These days I have about 30 plants in my house. Luckily it doesn’t look like a jungle (yet).
Re-pot your Plant
I know this might be obvious, but it wasn’t to me (nor was it obvious to some of my friends who were doing the same thing). What I mean is, take the plant and its soil out of the plastic tub it came in. Buy a bag of soil. Re-plant. Water generously so that the roots take to the new soil. It’s best if the pot has drainage holes.
Water your Plants
Again, obvious. What I mean is, water it more than you think. Put your finger in the soil an inch deep. Is it dry? Water it! Let it drain. In the summertime, you’ll need to water it more often as heat will evaporate the soil’s water.
Got Light?
Most plants need a certain amount of sun for photosynthesis (remember 4th grade?). Some need less light than others. Google your plant and its care.
Here are some of my favorite house plants (aka: ones that I’ve learned to not kill):
Low-Light Plant
Snake Plants are great for low light as well as bright light. How versatile!
Bright-Light Plant
Purple Heart. The sun keeps the dark purple color poppin’. This is a more difficult plant to kill; it grows quickly in bright sunlight.
“Water Me!” Plants
These are my favorite plants. When they look sad, they need water, and they’ll perk back up to normal in no time: Garden Croton, False Shamrock, Chinese Money Plant
Some Tricky Plants
Air Plants
Oh boy. I’ve killed so many of these. I’ve tried spraying/misting them, but that never worked for me. My advice is to soak them for 20 minutes in water about every 1-2 weeks. In the summer I let them dry out in the sun.
Succulents
You don’t have to water them as much, so it’s easy to over-water, causing root rot. I am still working on mastering succulents. It’s like trying not to care too much for your plant baby.
Good luck and happy planting!