How to Care for Indoor Plants

Last Updated: October 23, 2022 References Approved

If you’ve ever had an indoor plant that’s quickly withered and wilted, you might believe that you don’t have a green thumb or you’re not cut out for growing plants. Well, we’re here to tell you that’s not the case! The truth is that anyone can be a good plant owner, and it really isn’t complicated, we promise. In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to care for your indoor plants, from watering to sunlight requirements to fertilizer.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Providing Your Plants with Consistent Water

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Keep potting soil moist, but not wet. If your soil is either too dry or overwatered, it can damage the plant’s roots and prevent the plant from growing. In some cases under or over watering your plant can also kill it.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Melinda Meservy
Plant Specialist
Expert Interview. 18 August 2020.} Plants with lush, thick leaves require more water than plants with waxy or leathery leaves.^{[2]
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Research source} There is no specific frequency that works for all indoor plants. Instead, what you must do is determine what kind of plant you have, and follow guidelines on how often to water it by doing research on its specific type.
- If mold starts to form on the surface of the soil or there’s standing water at the bottom of the container, you’ve overwatered your plant.
- Water your plant if the soil becomes lighter in color or cracked.^{[3]
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- Plants in the succulent family require periods of dryness between watering.
- If you notice standing water in or under the pot, empty it out, so that your plant is not sitting in it. Standing water can kill plants.
2
Stick your finger in the soil to determine how wet it is below the surface. If you poke your finger into the soil up to your knuckle, you can feel if your plant needs more water. If the soil feels damp, then you don’t need to water it. Over-watering can lead to rotting of the root which you need to fix. If it feels dry then it’s likely you need to water it. ^{[4]
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- Again, this varies from plant to plant. These conditions will work for most plants but not all of them.
- Signs of over-hydration include discolored leaves, lack of leaf growth, loss of leaves, and soft rotten patches.
- Signs of dehydration include slow leaf growth, brown and dried leaf edges, and lower leaves becoming yellow and curled.
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3
Use water that is at room temperature. 68° F or 20° C is the best temperature to keep the water that you’re using to water your plants.^{[5]
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Research source} You can use a thermometer to determine the temperature of the water, or you can leave the water out, after you pour it, and allow it to become room temperature.
- If your water is too hot it can cause root damage and plant shock, potentially killing your indoor plant.
- Water that is too cold causes dormancy in your plant, which will stifle any existing and future vegetation.
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Use a hand-held moisture meter to ensure hydration levels in your soil. Moisture meters are the most accurate way to determine how hydrated your plants are. The mechanism probes the underlying soil to give you a reading on how hydrated your soil is.^{[6]
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- You can buy a moisture meter online, in a home and gardening store, and certain department stores.
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Select a pot that has good drainage. The amount of drainage in the pot you're keeping your plant in is very important because over or under watering your plant can damage or kill it. Make sure that there are drainage holes at the bottom of your pot.^{[7]
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Expert Source

Melinda Meservy
Plant Specialist
Expert Interview. 18 August 2020.}
- Materials like plastic, metal, and glass will absorb much less water than ceramic or clay, so keep this in mind as well. ^{[8]
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- Make sure that there are holes in the bottom of the pot so that the water can drain. If you are using a cachepot (which has no holes), water can build up and kill your plant.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Caring for Your Indoor Plant

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Select an area in your house that gets adequate sunlight. Plants require sunlight in order to undergo photosynthesis.^{[9]
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Research source} The quality, duration, and intensity of light all affect a plant's growth.
- Avoid putting the plant in direct sunlight. Instead, give them plenty of indirect light by putting them in a well-lit room. Fluorescent lights can work as an alternative to sunlight for some plants.
- Give flowering plants 12-16 hours of light per day.
- Give foliage plants 14-16 hours of light per day.^{[10]
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2
Don’t move your plants around a lot. Plants acclimate themselves to their surroundings fairly slowly, so it’s best that you don’t move them around a lot.^{[11]
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Research source} This also includes putting it in a place where there would be a drastic change in temperature.
- Moving a plant suddenly from a darker area to a sun rich area will have a negative effect on the plant.^{[12]
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  Research source} If you want to move the plant, take it to the new area for an hour a day. Slowly increase the amount of time it is left in the new area until it has fully adjusted.
3
Increase the humidity in the room. Dry air may serve certain plants well, like cacti, but most plants require humidity, especially tropic plants. You can buy a room humidifier with a cool mist, and make sure it’s close enough to provide moisture in the air to the plant, but not get the foliage or flowers wet.
- A cheaper option to buying a humidifier is to fill a tray with pebbles. Add water just up below the tops of the pebbles. As the water evaporates, it will humidify the room.
- You can also fill a spray bottle with distilled water, and mist the plants to give them extra moisture.
- Wilting, browned leaves, and flower buds that develop poorly are signs that your plant is suffering from low humidity.
- Grouping your plants together helps raise humidity.^{[13]
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4
Fill your pot with a balanced, 10-10-10 fertilizer. Most houseplants thrive in balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer. House plants need the nutrients from potting soils and fertilizers in order to survive. If you don’t repot the plant, or add new nutrients to the soil, the plant will eventually die. The first number stands for nitrogen, second number for phosphorus, and the third for potassium.
- If you have a flowering plant, you can buy a fertilizer that is high in potassium.
- If you have a foliage plant, you should get a fertilizer or potting soil high in Nitrogen.
- Plants also require micronutrients that need to be replenished by adding potting soil or fertilizer in order to survive.^{[14]
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- Cacti or succulents require a special potting mix specifically designed to drain water efficiently. They also need pots with plenty of holes on the bottom. These prevent too much moisture from being held in the soil, which can kill the plants.^{[15]
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5
Regularly prune your plant. Certain plants must have their roots pruned at different intervals, so it’s important to read up on how often you should be pruning your plant. A plant that isn't pruned can grow out of control, and the roots from a plant can outgrow their pot or vase. Regularly prune your plant to keep it healthy, and to prevent yourself from having to replant.^{[16]
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- Cut off dead branches or stems that can attract bugs.
- Prune above the leaf node at a 45° angle to promote growth of a fuller more robust plant.^{[17]
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6
Do not tip tea or coffee into your houseplant. Putting coffee or tea into your potted plant will draw flies that can eat away at your indoor plant. Sugars make it a perfect breeding ground for these insects as well.^{[18]
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- While some people claim that adding coffee grounds is good for plants, doing this to plants that have a low acidic tolerance can actually kill them.^{[19]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Knowing Your Plants

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Learn your plant's classification. There are a variety of online encyclopedias you can find that will detail how you should care for the specific type of houseplant you own, including recommended humidity levels, sunlight exposure guidelines, and watering guides.^{[20]
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Research source} Since many houseplants differ, it’s important to find what is ideal for your specific type of houseplant.
- Most houseplants come with a tag that will have their common and scientific name. If it doesn’t, ask the florist you got it from. The scientific name consist of two parts the genus and species. For example, Spathiphyllum wallisii is the scientific name for peace lily. Many plant names like poinsettia and begonia are both common names and scientific names. If you see a x, third name or a name in quotation marks it's a cultivar, hybrid or subspecies (in easy terms, a special breed).
- Some plant types however will leave the plant stumped with general names like general foliage, assorted palms, or desert cacti. With reference and advice from a garden pro, you can learn to identify many genus (if not the exact species) by looking at them.
- If you were given a houseplant and are unsure of what type it is, go through the photos in a flower book, encyclopedia, handbook of house plants and find the picture that best matches your plant.
- Get the name of the exact species and cultivar to make sure you get the right plant. A genus can have a group of a million species and cultivars within it. Some species or cultivars are less difficult to grow in the house than others or the original species. Also there are many different sizes and growth rates. Some ficus species grow into huge trees over time and others are creeping vines. Same goes for the Philodendron and Anthurium groups.
2
Realize not all plants on sale as indoor or houseplants are long term residents. Many of the plants on the market as house plants do not really belong in the indoor environment. In fact many people unknowingly buy these species and it likely dies on them. The people get discouraged and never want to buy indoor plants again.
- Many flowering houseplants are annuals that (living on year then dying). Persian violet and ornamental pepper plants die after flower and need to be thrown out. Bromeliads die after flowering but will produce little plantlets, called pups, that can be separated from the mother plant and potted up or left on.
- Others such as mini roses, hydrangea, and living Christmas trees are hardy perennials shrubs or trees that really want to go outside and live there like their outdoor counterparts. Same goes for tulips, lilies, daffodils and other spring blooming fall bulbs.
- Many other plants are tropical shrubs, bulbs and perennials that, after a period of attractive bloom, go through a not-so-attractive period and need special pampering to return to their previous state. The very popular Poinsettia (sold around Christmas time), caladiums, and the vast number of summer/tropical bulbs like clivia, gladious and calla lilies are examples of this.
- Then there are others that don't keep their attractive looks over a year or two despite the best care and need to be replaced with new ones. Coleus, pilea, Herbst's bloodleaf, and rex begonias are examples of this group.
- Most plants sold in mixed species baskets or pots need to be separated. They are group for appearance and not the requirements of the species. This exclude desert plantings or tropical terrarium specialty plantings.
3
Determine if your plant is a green foliage plant or a plant that has flowers. Green foliage plants and flowering houseplants are different and require different nutrients, as well as different levels of water and sunlight.^{[21]
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- Most of the indoor plant species that the houseplant consumer runs into are a member of a large group called angiosperms or flowering plants. However, not all angiosperms produce attractive flowers or desirable blooms. Also, if kept indoors, many species never reach fruiting age.
- Angiosperms that are grown for flowers and or fruit include various species of jasmine, peace lilies, clivia, poinsettias, flamingo flowers, and amaryllis. Most orchids also belong to this group.
- Angiosperms that are grown for foliage include Chinese evergreens, marantas, calathea, spider plants, draceanas, English ivies, and the two popular groups of palms and ficus.
- In some cases, the species possess attractive leaves and flowers. The huge genus of Begonias as a great example of this. Others include cacti, succulents, and many cultivars bred to produce multicolor or variegated leaves.
- Gymnosperms are plants that don't produce flowers but produce seed cases called cones. The conifers, like pines and spruces, are examples of such plants. The popular "Christmas Tree," called the Norfolk Island pine, and its close relative the monkey puzzle, are also included. The sago palm is not a palm tree at all put a member of the cycad group, along with the "ZZ Plant." These take years to produce cones and therefore are foliage plants.
- Ferns belong to a group not related to angiosperms or gymnosperms. These guys as well as some plants, referred to as moss, produce spores not flowers or cones. These are also considered foliage plants.
- Some plants are marketed as something they are not. Some companies and florist will attach flowers to cacti or any plant to make it look like it's blooming. Lucky bamboo is not a grass or a bamboo species, but a species of Dracena or related plant. Some companies also will paint or dye the flowers or leaves of a plant in order to make the buyer think it's the plant natural colors. Dying flowers is no big deal but painting a plant blocks light the needs for to make food.
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Choose a plant that's easy to care for. Certain tropical plants require specific environments in order to thrive, while other plants like geraniums, areca palms, sago palms, pothos, and cast-iron plants are low maintenance, durable, and are easy to care for. Most cacti and succulents also offer fantastic shapes and variety of foliage and are easy to grow as well.^{[22]
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- Other good plants that require low light include the snake plant, dracaena, and spider plant.^{[23]
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- Chinese evergreen or painted drop tongue (Aglaonema), commonly seen in public displays, is another easy low light plant that only doesn't like cold damp conditions. It drops its lower leaves over time but can easily be rooted in water.

Expert Q&A
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Question

How often should I water indoor plants?

Melinda Meservy
Plant Specialist
Melinda Meservy is a Plant Specialist and the Owner of Thyme and Place, a botanical boutique offering plants and gifts in Salt Lake City, Utah. Before starting her own business, Melinda worked in process and business improvement and data analytics. Melinda earned a BA in History from the University of Utah, is trained in lean and agile methodologies, and completed her Certified Professional Facilitator certification. Thyme and Place offers indoor plants and containers, a fully stocked potting bench, and tips on plants to suit your space and lifestyle.

Melinda Meservy

Plant Specialist

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The soil should feel damp but not soaking wet. If you overwater your plants, then they could form bacteria or fungi.
Question

Can I bring an outdoor geranium inside for the winter?

Katie Gohmann
Professional Gardener
Katherine Gohmann is a Professional Gardener in Texas. She has been a home gardener and professional gardener since 2008.

Katie Gohmann

Professional Gardener

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They don't really like that and won't flower well. Instead, cut the stems down to 8 inches, and place the pot in a cool area away from frost. Moisten the soil just a little bit. Repot the plant in spring, put in a sunny place, and resume regular care.
Question

How do to know my plants have enough sunlight?

Katie Gohmann
Professional Gardener
Katherine Gohmann is a Professional Gardener in Texas. She has been a home gardener and professional gardener since 2008.

Katie Gohmann

Professional Gardener

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A general rule of thumb is to put plants in a sunny windowsill-but that is not the case for all plants. Most plants come with a plastic ticket stuck into the soil that will tell you how much light it needs. Whenever you buy a plant, keep its tag so you can reference it later. That being said, I would also recommend doing an online search for your plant and getting more specific instructions. Your success depends on how much knowledge you have about your plant.

Warnings

Some plants have chemicals in their leaves that can poison pets and small animals. Some of these include peace lilies, oleander and caladium.^{[24]
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Research source} Be sure to look up your prospective houseplants on the web and see if there are any concerns about this if you have kids or pets.

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