Plant care made easy with everything you need to know about the basic care and love of your newly purchased houseplant!
Moisture Meter
Why is it that caring for houseplants seems to come easily to some and others not so much? Houseplants in general are actually easier to grow than most people think. The rule of thumb on most houseplants is less is more. Over loving through overwatering is the most common cause of death of houseplants. Its ok to ignore them a bit and honestly they won’t be offended. If you are unsure on when to water then we HIGHLY recommend investing in a moisture meter; with it you can easily check the soil moisture weekly on all your plants. Often the soil looks dry on top but in fact the soil is still moist. Just remember that a moisture meter is not supposed to stay in the soil all the time: check your soil then remove and store your meter beside your watering can.
Calathea
PLANT BIO: Funky patterned foliage is on trend in houseplants. Also called the peacock plant because their leaves are so showy this plant is art in a pot. There are so many varieties of this bold beautiful plant its hard to choose just one.
LIGHT: Medium to low light these plants don’t like full sun on their leaves.
WATERING: Water enough to keep them consistently moist but not wet or saturated. Although they are fairly forgiving the leaves can get dry tips if they dry out too often.
FERTILIZE: Once a month in the growing season. Spring to Fall.
ETC: These plants work well in terrariums as they love humidity.
Ferns
PLANT BIO: Ferns are among the most beautiful and popular houseplants. Hard to resist with their delicate foliage, they work well in just about any interior design scheme from country to modern. There's a wide variety of ferns available in every colour and texture you can imagine. They mostly require the same care. Most ferns are renowned for cleaning the air in your home.
LIGHT: Most ferns grow best in medium to bright light, but away from direct sun, especially during the hot afternoon sun of west-facing windows.
WATERING: Ferns like consistently moist soil but not wet and soggy. They do not like to dry out. Brown crispy edges on fronds are the key characteristic of underwatering.
FERTILIZE: once a month with 17-5-17 all-purpose fertilizer with micronutrients
ETC: This group of plants love humidity making them a perfect choice for bathrooms. Misting them once a week helps keep plants happy and healthy. Ferns are a great choice for terrarium plantings. Perfect choice for people who love to spend time primping and caring for their plants.
Jade Plant | Crassula Ovata
PLANT BIO: Beautiful shiny leaves make this a hard-to-resist houseplant. The upright branches make an interesting structural statement in modern homes.
LIGHT: Bright light is essential but not full sun as the leaves will scorch.
WATERING: Overwatering is the number one way most owners kill their jade plant. Classic signs of overwatering are yellowing leaves that begin to drop off and stems turning mushy. Let your jade dry out between waterings.
FERTILIZE: once a month with 17-5-17 all-purpose fertilizer with micronutrients at half-strength
ETC: Jade plants love to be pot bound so repotting is usually unnecessary for years. If your plant needs repotting, always repot them in a lightweight potting mix with some sand mixed in for good drainage. Mature plants can flower in late winter which is magic!
Peace Lily | Spathiphyllum
PLANT BIO: Shiny wide green leaves with white hood-like flowers this easy-to-grow houseplant is on NASA’s list of top air-purifying plants.
LIGHT: Low light is best for Peace Lilies; they can even thrive in offices. Keep out of direct sunlight, yellowing leaves are usually a sign of too much light.
WATERING: These plants don’t like to dry out so try and keep them evenly moist. ( but don’t overwater, this is where a moisture meter comes in handy!) Once a week is a good rule of thumb. The leaves actually will tell you when to water which is amazing! If you see your plant leaves beginning to droop, then it's time to water. Although they require more consistent watering than other houseplants they do recover beautifully if you forget and the leaves are laying right over the pot.
FERTILIZE: They do not require much fertilizer, once every month or two at half rate is all they need.
ETC: This plant can be toxic to pets so keep them up high and away from animals or stay away from this houseplant if your pets are plant chewers.
Philodrendrons & Pothos
PLANT BIO: This popular group of plants is a classic no-fail favourite. Covering a wide range of species there’s a perfect philo for every plant lover. There are two types of philos; vining which have heart-shaped leaves and can be grown in hanging baskets or trained up poles and non-climbing which grows upright. They are often confused with Pothos which have similar leaves but pothos leaves are larger and have distinctive yellow or white variegated marbling on them. Both require the same care so they are both listed here together for care requirements.
LIGHT: Bright light to low light no full sun
WATERING: Philos & Pothos like to be watered about once a week to every 2 weeks but it varies depending on how warm your house is. Let the soil dry to about 2 inches from the top before watering.
ETC: These plants are great air purifiers working quietly in the background to remove household toxins. Pretty and practical and easy to grow!
Rubber Tree | Ficus Elastic
PLANT BIO: Easy to care for and fast growing. This is a great classic choice for a floor plant which can grow up to 8ft. Shiny broad leaves make an attractive accent to any indoor space.
LIGHT: Bright light is best but avoid direct sunlight for extended periods.
WATERING: water once the soil becomes slightly dry to the touch. Worst thing you can do is overwater these plants.
FERTILIZE: Once a month in the growing season. Spring to Fall.
ETC: Place in an area that is away from cold drafts which can cause leaves to drop.
Snake Plant /Mother in Laws Tongue | Sansevieria
PLANT BIO: This popular tough easy to care for tropical is a great choice for beginner gardeners. Just don’t love it too much by overwatering. They are the perfect tall slender floor plant in smaller spaces or in mixed planters with succulents. There are many different varieties and colorations of this house plant including both tall and dwarf types.
LIGHT: Bright light to low light no direct hot sun. This plant virtually grows anywhere!
WATERING:Go easy on water. Sansevierias store water in their leaves and are native to hot, dry environments. Water well once a month is usually perfect unless your home is very warm or you use a woodstove so then twice will do it. They don’t like to sit in water so make the pot and/or saucer are dry.
Spider Plant
PLANT BIO: The most well known and popular of all house plants is also considered one of the most adaptable and easiest plants to grow. Spiders send out long shoots with babies or ‘spiderettes’ which dangle down like spiders. These are easily cut off and rooted to pot up and share.
LIGHT: Bright bright light but watch full hot south windows as they may burn. They will grow in lower light situations but may lose their variegation.
WATERING: Spiders like it dry so watering only once every 10-14 days is usually fine. Make sure the soil is dry before soaking and let the water run right through the pot over a sink.
FERTILIZE: Do not over feed, three time over the course of the spring/ summer is all they require.
ETC: Spider plants don’t have a lot of problems but brown tips often occur, this is often too much salt in the water that can build up in the soil. Try and flush the soil with distilled water every once in a while or water them with untreated water. Brown tips can simply be trimmed off.
ZZ Plant | Zamioculcas Zamiifolia
PLANT BIO: Trendy, chic and easy to grow! What’s not to love about this houseplant? Shiny green waxy leaves grow up the stem resembling a feather. These plants are so perfect looking people often mistake them for fake.
LIGHT: Medium to low light avoid direct sun
WATERING: Less is more when it comes to watering the ZZ. You can forget about this plants for months and it will still thrive. Recommended watering is once a month but more importantly only when the soil dries out. The onlyway to kill this plant is to overwater it.
FERTILIZE: They don’t need a lot of fertilizer so half strength once or twice a year all you need.
ETC:ZZ plant tolerates neglect, is drought tolerant, and thrives in low-light conditions.Great plant choice for offices and brown thumbed gardeners.
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