What To Know Before Growing Houseplants

The allure of having houseplants is irresistible today, when so many people post pictures and videos of their gorgeous indoor gardens. However, what doesn’t always translate is how many hours and hard work it took to yield those results. You must learn a lot before growing houseplants.

It’s important to know that the quality of soil and fertilizer you use can largely determine your houseplants’ health. You must also consider that different plants have unique watering and sunlight needs, so you must group similar plants together in the same area. Start small with a few plants and lights, then learn from the trial and error of it all.

The last thing you want to do is buy dozens of plants only to learn that they’re all infested with spider mites. Carefully quarantine each plant before introducing it to your other houseplants. Follow along as we explore what to know before growing houseplants.

A Beginner’s Guide To Growing Indoor Plants

Growing houseplants isn’t necessarily difficult, but it comes with a learning curve. Everything from the watering schedule to the indoor humidity level can make a big difference in an indoor plant’s life cycle. That’s why we have compiled several important things to consider before growing houseplants, including:

1. You Get Out What You Put In

The phrase, “You get out what you put in,” is quite true in the world of growing houseplants. Unfortunately, some people learn this the hard way when they use subpar fertilizer and soil. Bad soil can significantly affect your houseplants, and they won’t likely grow as well as you’d like. 

Your plants may grow a little bit, but they won’t grow to their full potential if you use poor soil. Poor soil typically lacks key nutrients, which are necessary for healthy growth. You may notice discoloration, malformed leaves, and stunted growth if you use poor soil.

Subpar soil doesn’t drain as well, which can eventually cause root rot and mold. Look for light, fluffy soil with plenty of nutrients, and don’t hesitate to spend a little more money than you planned to.

2. Each Plant Is Different

Assuming that all plants require the same watering schedule, nutrition, sunlight, and soil is a big mistake. This is especially problematic when you buy plants from different regions, as where they come from largely determines a plant’s needs. For example, temperate plants have significantly different needs than tropical plants, like Hibiscus.

That said, different plants have unique needs, even within the climate groups to which they belong. This may sound too complicated, but figuring out a plant’s needs is easier than ever today. Reputable plant nurseries typically offer basic information about the plants they sell.

From there, it’s up to you to research the particular plant to ensure you can care for it. Pay attention to the ideal soil, watering schedule, and sunlight needs for each plant you bring inside. It's helpful to write down the information in a notebook or on your phone.

3. Pests Can Come Inside

If you’ve ever tended to an outdoor garden, you’re probably all too familiar with pests. Unfortunately, houseplants are just as susceptible to pest infestations as your outdoor plants. You may even inadvertently bring pests into your home after buying plants from your favorite nursery.

That’s because many plant nurseries buy plants from all over the country. You can protect your plants from pests by quarantining them before grouping them with your other plants. Separate your new plants from your established plants, inspect them, and treat them for pests as needed.

It’s also a good idea to thoroughly inspect plants at the nursery before bringing them home. Familiarize yourself with pests associated with the region the plant is native to. That way, you know what to look for and understand what can go wrong.

4. Lighting Is Everything

It doesn’t matter how often you water your plants if you have an insufficient lighting setup. For example, placing a shade-loving plant under bright lights for 8 hours a day can quickly harm it. Ideally, you should group your plants based on their lighting and watering needs.

This can help you save time and money, especially if you’re investing in a good lighting setup. Instead of having many lights throughout the house, you can strategically place a few of them. That way, you won’t need to spend as much on lights or spend as much time watering each day.

Group all your full-sun plants under your strongest lights, but don’t put them too close to the lights. Otherwise, you may scorch the leaves and discolor them.

5. Don’t Discredit Natural Light

It’s easy to assume that you can only grow houseplants with artificial lights. While artificial lights are quite beneficial, they aren’t your only option. That’s especially true if your home has plenty of sun-facing windows, which are like free artificial grow lights.

For example, you can easily grow pothos, aloe vera, and succulents on a windowsill. Of course, you must still research them to ensure you don’t give the plants too much direct sunlight. It’s also important to know that you can increase the natural light in your home to benefit your houseplants.

Paint the walls with glossy paint to reflect light throughout your house. You can also strategically place mirrors near your sun-facing windows to reflect light. The more you embrace natural light, the less you must rely on artificial lights.

6. Fertilizer Can Make A Big Difference

One of the biggest disadvantages that houseplants have is that they can’t access key nutrients as easily as outdoor plants. You must account for this and fertilize your houseplants to ensure they get enough nutrients. Ideally, you should look for fertilizer that contains potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus, which all encourage healthy growth.

That said, you can go overboard and fertilize your plants too much, which can backfire. Houseplants typically grow most actively during the spring and summer, which is the best time to fertilize them. During this time, you should fertilize your plants at least once a month.

Some people fertilize their houseplants every 2 weeks during the spring and summer, however, you should only do that if certain plants are struggling. There’s no reason to fertilize your houseplants during the fall and winter in most cases.

7. It Takes A Lot Of Work

Growing houseplants is undeniably fun and rewarding, but it takes a lot of work. After all, you must keep up with watering and fertilizing them while ensuring they get enough sunlight. Of course, you must also clean your plants and continually check them for pests and dead growth.

Ideally, you should dust and clean your indoor plants once every few weeks, if not more frequently. You must also prune your houseplants during the growing season (spring and summer) to remove dead growth. This may seem like a lot of chores, which is true, but it’s important to know these things before starting.

Some people neglect other important plant care, like rotating their houseplants. Rotating your houseplants every couple of weeks ensures each of them gets enough sunlight. Make a list of all the chores each of your plants needs and stick to a strict schedule to keep them healthy.

8. It’s Okay To Start Small

Houseplants have become increasingly popular since early 2020. You’re not alone if you’ve seen an impressive Instagram post highlighting someone’s lavish indoor garden. However, it’s a mistake to dive into the deep end and start big with your indoor garden.

Start small with a handful of houseplants to learn everything you can about your new hobby. That way, you won’t lose a big investment if you struggle to nail the perfect lighting setup. This is also a good idea because you’ll learn a lot about your home when you see how your plants grow.

For example, you may learn that the air in your home is too dry if your plants wilt despite getting enough water. In that case, you’ll learn to run a dehumidifier and keep the humidity at 40% to 60%. Keep it simple at first to learn these important things before you spend hundreds of dollars on plants and lights.

Summing It Up

The most important thing to know before growing houseplants is that plants from different regions have unique needs. Group your tropical plants to ensure you can give them plenty of light and water compared to your temperate plants. Research each plant’s needs to ensure you don’t overwater it or give it too much sunlight.

Related Guides:

• Do Houseplants Cause Mold?
• Why Won’t My Houseplants Grow?