House plants to add your home this year
House plants you’d love!
Picture Source: Home Design Rev
We were inspired by this video from apartmenttherapy.com and we were inspired to look into the best ways to look after various house plants.
Here’s a handy list of house plants you can buy and look after yourself, especially if you haven’t got green fingers.
House Plants – Montsera
Also known as the Swiss cheese plant. Originally from the rain forests of Central and South America, they can grow up to 20 inches.
Care Tips: Store them in a place with indirect bright light and a room of average warmth. You’ll need to water it frequently while it’s growing. Make sure you let the compost dry out a little bit between watering and mist it with a spray bottle when watering, rather than simply pouring water over it. You can feed it with a liquid feed once a month to keep it healthy. If you notice water dripping from the leaves, that means it’s been overwatered, so it’s important that the compost does dry before you water it again.
Source: House of Plants
Snake Plant
There are up to 70 different species of snake plant, so do your research carefully before making your purchase. The plants originate from parts of Europe, Africa and Asia. They’re really straightforward to look after and you can leave them be for weeks and they’ll still look fresh. According to research, snake plants can be really good for the atmosphere in your home – cleaning the air and removing toxins.
Care Tips: Put them in direct sunlight to get as much light and heat. In winter, avoid watering them too much – let them dry out a bit between waterings to avoid plant rot.
Source: Gardening Know How
Air Plants
Source: NY Times
Air plants are also known as epiphytes, which means they can grow without dirt. Often, they attache themselves to rocks and shrubbery. They’re native to Southern US states, Mexico, Central and South America. Air plants that have silver foliage tend to be resilient and so can survive for longer without your constant attention. If the plants are greener, they could dry quickly. Store them somewhere warm, but away from direct sunlight.
Care Tips: They’ll need lots of air circulation, so hang them from the ceiling if you can. Water them once a week by placing them in the sink and rinsing lightly. Leave them to drain overnight before putting them back in their permanent place.
Source: BHG
House Plants Devil’s Ivy
It’s a tropical plant native to the Solomon Islands. It can grow to 20 or even 40 feet in its natural habitat, but in your house/flat it will probably grow to 8 feet if looked after well. Place them in a hanging basket so the look their best.
Care Tips: Put it near a window, but away from direct sunlight. Try using blinds or a sheer curtain if you’re going to place them near a window. If you notice that the yellow spots are starting to fade, it means that the plants aren’t getting enough light. Don’t place it near a vent or radiator and if you have pets, it might be a good idea to choose a different house plant. If you’ve got a cat, keep them away from your plants as devil’s ivy can be poisonous to cats.
Source: Homeguides
Fiddle Leaf Tree
Another tropical plant, this one’s native to West Africa, Cameroon and Western Sierra Leone where it normally grows in lowland tropical forests. It’s perfect as a house plant because even though they thrive in warm, wet conditions but they’re also resilient, so they can survive in less than ideal conditions too. Being large and leafy, they’d look best on the floor in a standing vase where they can have room to grow up to about 6 feet.
Source: The Spruce
Rubber Tree Plant
They can grow to 50 feet tall – which may be slightly inconvenient in your living room! To keep them a manageable size, you can train them to be houseplants by cultivating young rubber plants.
Care Tips: They need balanced conditions, i.e not too much light, not too much warmth and not too much water. House them near natural light, but away from direct sunlight. Here, sheer curtains will come in handy again. Light moisture is also better than direct watering. Try wiping the leaves with a damp cloth or using a spray bottle to mist the plant. if the leaves start turning yellow or browning, it means they’ve been overwatered so wait for them to completely dry before watering them again.
Source: Gardening Know How
Spider Plant
This plant is extremely easy to grow and look after. It is suitable for a wide range of conditions and the only thing you need to look out for are brown tips. They’re an excellent choice as house plants if you’re new to gardening. Similar to most plants, they need bright but indirect sunlight and plenty of water. Although, be careful not to let them get too soggy in order to avoid root rot. Similar to some of the other plants in this post, let them dry out before watering them again. Don’t place them near any heat sources because they prefer cooler temperatures.
Source: Gardening Know How
Succulents
Succulents are dormant in winter, so they can make the best house plants this side of the equator. Keep them as close to the window and possible, so they can get the sunlight they need to grow. If they start stretching, it means they’re not getting enough sunlight. If this happens, simply cut off the ends to propagate them. Learn more about propagation on the succulents and sunshine website.
Staghorn Fern
Like quite a few of the house plants featured in this post, they tropical plant also hails from South America. However, various species can also be found in natural tropical areas in Africa, South East Asia, Philippines, Australia and New Guinea. Like air plants, they’re also epiphytes which means they’re most decorative in your home as a hanging plant. Here, direct sunlight for 4 – 7 hours a day is needed. They’re tropical plants, so humidity is needed. You’ll needed to submerge the entire root system in water in order to water them occasionally. Water them less frequently in winter.
There you have it! We hope these tips are useful and you’re able to bring some revival to your home decor this winter by adding plants to revive your space.
Source: Plant Care Today