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Indoor plants are a huge trend which is set to continue for years to come. It’s great because indoor plants help to filter the air in your home, remove toxins, they look great and generally just make you feel good!
But, not every indoor plant is suited to every indoor situation. Much like outdoor plants, indoor plants have different requirements in terms of water, light, humidity, pot size etc. if you get it wrong it can mean the death of your plant.
Generally speaking, we can sort indoor plant requirements into a few different categories. Hopefully by following some of these tips you’ll be able to find the perfect indoor plant for you and your situation.
Generally speaking, most indoor plants will love and do best in a bright, indirect light position close to a window but not getting direct sun on their leaves (which can burn).
However, If you have a dark corner in your home and want to fill it with a plant you really need to choose wisely. there are some varieties of plants that can tolerate lower light conditions – devils ivy (the common variety), snake plants, Zanzibar gems, Kentia palms, parlour palms and peace Lily’s.
On the other hand there are also indoor plants that require plenty of light so if you have a bright room some good indoor plant choices are: fiddle leaf figs, rubber trees, anthuriums, syngoniums, Rex begonias, moth orchids and monsteras.
Do you tend to give your plants too much love (aka water)? or are you someone who is away a lot or forgets to water?
If it’s the latter and you can be known to forget to water your indoor plants, look at plants such as snake plants or Zanzibar gems (both only need watering every 4-6 weeks and even less in winter), fiddle leaf figs, rubber trees, devils ivy, dracaena or anthuriums only need water once every week to two weeks depending on the situation. Some other low water indoor plants include string of pears, chain of hearts and even some succulents will survive inside.
For those people who tend to over water their plants, look at plants such as maiden hair ferns, Boston ferns, carnivorous plants (including Venus fly traps and pitcher plants) and lucky bamboo – all like plenty of water. One plant that ‘tells’ you when it is dry is the Spathiphyllum or peace lily. Peace Lily leaves will start to droop/ drop when they are getting dry so you really can’t go wrong with this one as long as you give it a good drink when this happens.
A great tool to use if you are unsure whether you are over or under watering your plants is a moisture meter. A moisture meter is a probe that you simply poke into the soil of your plant and it will tell you if it’s dry, moist or wet, taking away all the guess work.
There are many plants which don’t require a humid position or misting and will happily tolerate the normal conditions in your home.
However, there are a few indoor plants that if the air is too dry they can brown off on their leaf tips and not thrive. You can create humidity by misting your indoor plants a couple times per week, placing the pot on a saucer of water filled with stones, or by positioning them in a bathroom where the mist/ steam from your shower is enough to create that extra humidity.
Plants that need to have some humidity in their lives include all the calatheas – these are really popular plants due to their gorgeous leaf patterns and colours and will thrive in a bright humid bathroom or room with regular misting. Other plants that enjoy some humidity are ferns, palms and anthuriums.
With careful selection, depending on the position in your home, you can enjoy lush, healthy plants inside. They are a great mood booster and an easy decoration for inside your home.
I, for one, could not imagine my home without plants inside, quite simply, they make me happy! If you have a position inside your home where you want a plant but are unsure as to what to pick, come and see us at Barossa Nursery and we will find the perfect fit for you.
Happy (indoor) gardening!
