As some of you may know from my previous articles, I am obsessed with house plants. I started my obsession during the beginning of the pandemic, and have now accumulated quite a collection. Through my research for my plant babies, I have found some helpful tips and tricks that I thought I would share to help other aspiring plant parents. Through this article, I will be outlining what fertilizers, window location, and pots I recommend.
First, how to feed your plants to grow strong and healthy. I prefer the natural forms of fertilizers, but I don’t judge those that use store-bought. The best part about the ingredients I use is that they are already in your house. The biggest tool I’ve found to work would be coffee. You read that right, coffee grounds. There are many different ways to incorporate this into your plant. What I found easiest is to sprinkle coffee grounds on the topsoil, so when you water your plant, they get coffee every time.
Another aid in growth would be eggshells. By grinding up dry eggs shells and sprinkling them on top, adds calcium to the soil, allowing the plant to grow nice and strong. People also tend to use dried banana peels, but I also read this increases the number of gnats you get. Because of this, I don’t use this method. Another household item I use on the topsoil is cinnamon. This is an antibacterial that helps with reducing the mold that can grow.
A crucial piece in caring for plants is where they are located in your home. Even though most of the plants that I own can tolerate low light, I’ve learned they don’t love it. The closer they are to a window, especially a north-facing window, the happier they are. This might be hard for some of you depending on your location but anywhere near the window is best.
When it comes to the pots you use, there are a wide variety of options. Terracotta is a well-known kind of put, but it can dry out your plants faster due to the clay soaking up the water. This isn’t the end of the world but you will have to water those plants more often. Sizing also matters. You don’t want to use something drastically larger than the nursery pot because it will overwhelm the plant.
I hope some of the tips and tricks help you, new plant parents, out there. Make sure you do your own research and know that these are just things that have worked for me. Remember: fertilizer helps your plant grow strong, light can make a world of difference to your plants, and be careful when picking out pots for your new babies.