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Our Guide To Caring For Your House Plants!

We know that many people struggle to keep their houseplants alive, so we thought we would dig out the top tips, to help you achieve happy, healthy plants!

1.Water

Overwatering is one of the reasons many houseplants die, to avoid this be sure to find the balance between keeping the soil moist, but not saturated. Remember with houseplants it's always best to keep them on the dry side. Be sure to use water that is at room temperature, as if the water is too hot it can cause root damage, and too cold can cause your plant to become dormant. House plants also don’t need so much water in the winter, as they have a slower growth rate during the colder months.

Look out for our upcoming blog post with tips on how to tell when your plants need watering!

2.Sunlight

Place your houseplant near a source of light, either sunlight or an artificial source. Most house plants prefer bright, indirect light, as direct sunlight can be too harsh, which can lead to leaves getting scorched. However, some house plant species don’t need too much sunlight, which is good news if you are an urban gardener struggling to find sunny spots for all your indoor plants, but all plants need some.

3.Research

Be sure to research the species of plant you have, as some houseplants can have specific needs, this is where you will find out if your plant species is one that doesn’t need quite as much sunlight or water. There are many apps out there that can identify your plant species and tell you everything you need to know about caring for that particular plant. All you have to do is take a photo! 

4.Warmth

Houseplants thrive in warm environments, as many originated in tropical or subtropical regions, so try to place your plant in the warmer areas of your house and watch it flourish. Make sure you keep your plants away from cold drafts in the winter, if your plants get too cold they may become dormant. We find our house plants do best in the bathroom, and on our sunniest windowsill, as it gets indirect sunlight for most of the day!

5.Airflow

Airflow is very important when it comes to keeping healthy houseplants, make sure you open your windows often to allow fresh air into the room your houseplant resides in. Good air circulation promotes water evaporation, transpiration, and prevents condensation on their leaves and helps reduce the growth of fungal infections. As the plants are photosynthesising they consume CO2, this means that they need a regular supply of new CO2 into the room to stay healthy.

6.Drainage

Make sure your houseplant pot has drainage holes in the bottom, and that it is in either a plant pot cover, or it has a saucer underneath. This means that any excess water drains into there, instead of pooling at the base of the pot. Using a plant pot cover or saucer can protect your plant’s roots from rot, fungus and bacteria. After watering, if you see that there is a lot of excess water in the saucer or pot, be sure to empty it and give your plant slightly less water next time.

7.Humidity

Most houseplants originate in tropical climates so they like warmth and humidity, which can be difficult to replicate in our homes. If the air in your home is too dry it can cause their leaves to turn brown and shrivel. If you start to notice these issues on your plants, you can boost the humidity in your home by grouping your plants. When your plants release moisture to the air through transpiration, by grouping them you will create a more humid microclimate in your growing area, this will benefit all the plants!

You can also try misting your plants every so often with room temperature water, using a terrarium or even try a humidifier.

8.Rotate

When your plant is in a sunny location you must rotate it slightly every so often, this makes sure your plant grows evenly. I find the easiest way to make sure I do this is to turn my plants a quarter every time I water them!

Indoor plants also need stability, so try not to change your plant’s location too often. If your plant seems happy and healthy there's no need to move it!

9.Clean

Houseplant leaves can gather dust just like the rest of our homes. Be sure to use a damp cloth to wipe the leaves off at least once a month. If we leave the dust to gather it can block out sunlight, which then reduces the plant’s ability to photosynthesize, this is how the plant feeds itself, so is necessary for keeping your plant alive.

10.Repot

When your plant gets too big and the roots are filling up the pot it is in currently, it will need to be rehomed into a bigger pot around 3-6cm bigger than it is now.

Repotting can also refer to a change of soil once a year to give your plant fresh nutrients that new soil can bring. The best time to repot your plants is during the spring and summer months when your plant is in active growth. 

Please remember to send us any photos of plants you are growing from our indoor plant seed range. We love to see them all! 

Send them via email to hello@seednsow.co.uk, or use #seednsow on all forms of social media. Links to our social media pages can be found below, give us a follow!

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