Beginners Guide to Houseplant Care

Anyone can grow healthy houseplants. No green thumbs needed. All you need is some basic plant care information and a few easy tips to learn how to take care of your plants.

Basics of House Plant Care Tips for Beginners

The majority of our houseplants come from tropical climates. Their specific needs might vary from plant to plant, but there are a few general plant care guidelines to successfully grow plants indoors.

There are some stubborn plant myths. Find out what they are! And read up on the 9 Reasons how caring for houseplants can be good for you. Just in case you need some convincing. 😉

Where to Buy Houseplants

Most of the popular plants in stores are specially selected to be able to survive in our homes.

They are usually chosen because they are fairly easy to care for. Plant sellers want you to succeed so you come back and buy more plants.

Your local grocery store or home improvement store might be convenient and cheap, but they don’t necessarily have the best quality plants. Usually, these plants don’t get the best care when in stock.

The plant nursery or any other specialized plant shop probably has better looked after plants. But how do you pick the right plant from all the choices?

If you are about to go out and purchase a new plant, start by reading Where and How to Buy Indoor Plants. Find out where to find the best houseplants and get all the tips to choose the right one for your home.

Best Houseplants for Beginners

Succulents are a great choice if you tend to forget to water your plants. They store water in their leaves and are therefore very drought resilient, and easy to care for.

I would recommend starting with ZZ plants, Pothos, Watermelon Peperomias, or Snake plants. These are great beginner plants that don’t need a lot of hands-on maintenance.

Or if you really don’t want to do much, get yourself a resurrection plant. You start with a ball of dry leaves, place it in some water, and in 24 hours it opens up and turns lush and green.

There are plenty of indoor plants that don’t need a lot of care. All of these are good options when you are just starting with houseplants. If you like the look of hanging plants, check out my favorites!

Plants Need Light

Look at the light situation in your home. All plants need light to grow, but some need more or less than others. It is important to find the right light for your plant.

Direct sun, bright indirect light, and low light are very different. 

Not enough light and your plant will grow leggy or not grow at all and slowly wilt away. Too much sun and your plant might suffer from sunburn.

Knowing the light in your home and the light your plant requires, sets you up for success.

If you don’t know what type of light your plant likes, or what type of light your room has, you will have to move your plant around to find out where it does best. Go slow doing this. Most plants don’t do well with sudden changes.

A good rule of thumb is that most houseplants like a bright window where they get a few hours of morning sun and bright, indirect light the rest of the day.

Protect your plant from too much sun with something like a sheer curtain.

As a general rule, green foliage plants don’t need as much light as flowering plants or plants with bright colored variegated leaves. Flowering orchids, for instance, need a lot of sun light. A rubber tree can handle a lot less. 

If you are running out of bright windowsill space, set up a plant shelf or use a special plant lamp.

When to Water Your Plants

The number one reason most indoor plants don’t survive is because of overwatering. Too much water can quickly be the end of your plant.

Overwatering means you are watering your plant too often, not letting the soil have a chance to dry out. Roots can rot when the soil is kept continually too moist. 

Exactly when to water depends on the growing conditions. Time of year, location of your plant, humidity, type of soil and pot, etc. The best way to know when it is time to water is to feel the leaves and check the soil. 

Stick your finger into the top inch of the soil. If it feels moist, don’t water but wait a few days and check again. If the soil feels dry, go ahead and water thoroughly.  

For full leafy plants like a pilea glauca, use a watering can with a long spout to get water onto the soil instead the leaves.

Or water from the bottom rather than the top. Bottom watering plants is an effective watering technique where the soil soaks up water from the bottom like a sponge.

If you are unsure if you should water or not, you can use a moisture meter to help you out and read up on How and when to water indoor plants for a quick refresher on houseplant watering. 

In winter, water less and don’t fertilize. Many plants go into dormancy and growth slows down. 

Also never fertilize if your plant is having issues. It will only stress out an already stressed-out plant. Analyze, adjust, and when your plant recovers, continue your normal care routine.

Going on vacation this summer? Watering will need some preparation. Find out how you can water your plants while you are away.

Indoor Humidity

Many popular houseplants originally come from warm and humid environments. In our homes, the humidity is much lower. Brown, crispy leaf tips are often a sign that your plant needs more humidity. 

Keeping the humidity high is especially important in winter when the heaters go on and the air indoors is usually drier. 

Occasionally mist humidity-loving plants. This will help temporarily. You can also group plants, away from radiators, or put your plants on a tray with water and pebbles in such a way that the bottom of the pot doesn’t touch the water. The water will evaporate and raise the humidity around your plants.   

The best way to raise the humidity is to place a small humidifier near your plants.. 

Read more of my tips to take care of indoor plants and other plant expert advice on hydroponic gardening on porch.com.

Repotting Plants

In general, repot your plants every two to three years in spring when they are actively growing. The soil will have lost its nutrients and will need to be replaced with fresh potting soil.

If your plant has outgrown its pot, repot it in a pot one size bigger than the original. Too large of a pot keeps the soil wet for too long for the roots to absorb.  

Clay terra cotta pots are porous. This causes the soil to dry out quicker. Whereas plastic containers hold moisture inside, keeping the soil damp.  

Make sure the new pot has drainage holes on the bottom. Without those, excess water has no way to get out and will drown the roots.  

Don’t repot a plant unless it needs it. Newly purchased plants do not automatically need to be repotted, and if your plant is flowering, definitely wait to transplant until after it finishes blooming.

In need of a repotting reminder? Follow the steps on how to repot your plants.    

How to Propagate Plants

Propagation is starting new plants from established ones. You can make new plants from the ones you already have. For free!

There are a number of ways to propagate houseplants. The most common way to propagate plants is to grow plants from stem or leaf cuttings.

Plant cuttings can be propagated in water or in soil. This type of propagation not only gets you more plants but also makes many plants branch out and grow back fuller and bushier.

But you can also grow new plants from seeds, by air layering, division, or by taking offsets.

Cactus and Succulent Care

Cacti and succulents are low maintenance and easy to care for, but their requirements are a little different than growing your typical houseplant.

Most cactus and succulent plants are native to sunny and dry locations where they go through long dry spells followed by heavy rainfall. With exceptions like holiday cacti and fishbone catus plants.

Succulents and cacti store water inside to be able to survive those dry periods. This means you don’t have to water them very often! Indoors, water only when the soil is completely dry, or when your plant is starting to shrivel.

Indoor succulents and cacti want as much sunlight as you can give them. So place your succulents near the brightest window of your home. If they start to grow leggy and stretch out towards the window, they are telling you they want more light.

Want to know more? Read up on the basics on indoor succulent care and how often to water succulents or cactus plants.

Houseplant Pests

Unfortunately, any indoor plant can become infested with plant pests. Our homes provide near-ideal conditions for plant pests to quickly grow, reproduce, and thrive.

It is important to keep leaves clean and dust-free and inspect your plant regularly for signs of bugs to catch a possible infestation before it becomes severe. Check under leaves and in axils where insects like to hide. 

Watch out for common pests like spider mites, aphids, mealybugs, scale insects, thrips, whiteflies, and fungus gnats. 

Read more on how to identify houseplant pests and how to get rid of them.

Indoor Plants Can be Toxic to Cats

It is important to know that some houseplants are considered poisonous. These can be toxic to your cat or dog if they would eat them.

It is quite rare for pets to get seriously hurt from eating plants. But is always important to research and find out what type of plant you’re bringing home.    

Pets being poisoned by plants is at number 8 in the ASPCA Top 10 Pet Toxins list. More pets are actually getting sick from prescription and over-the-counter medications, food, household cleaning products, and rodenticides than they get sick from eating a plant.

Find out if your plant is toxic by typing its name on the ASPCA site. It will tell you if the plant is poisonous or not. And for many of the plants, it will also tell you the clinical signs. Like vomiting and excessive drooling, so you know what to look out for if you suspect that your cat or dog has eaten from a toxic plant.

Our cat ignores most of our plants. As long as we keep the grass types like the spider plant and the ponytail palm away from her.

If you do bring in a toxic plant, such as a Fiddle leaf fig or a Monstera Deliciosa, and you have a cat or dog, make sure it is somewhere out of their reach. 

Learn more about the risks of toxic plants for your pets and whether or not you should be concerned. 

Plant Care Accessories and Supplies

Obviously, you need plants. But there are also some handy plant care accessories and supplies to make caring for your houseplants even easier.

I have listed all my favorite plant care accessories. All the best plant gift tips are in there too if you are looking for plant gifts to surprise plant-loving friends.

Easy Houseplant Care Guide

To make it even easier to care for your indoor plants, follow this houseplant care schedule.

Weekly Plant Care

Every week, do a quick overall plant check-up.

• Does your plant need water? Check the soil to see if it is time to water.
• Look at your plants’ overall well-being. Does it still look lush and happy? Inspect closely to be sure they are free of common plant pests. You want to catch them early before you have a possible infestation.
• Remove leaves that are yellowed, browned, or withered. These leaves will not recover or get their original color back. With the right care, new leaves will grow.

Monthly Plant Care

Every month, give your plants a spa day.

• Dust can accumulate on plant leaves in our homes. The leaf pores get clogged and the plant has a hard time taking in light. Occasionally wipe down the leaves with a damp cloth, or bring your plant to the bathroom and treat it to a gentle room-temperature shower.
• Make your plant look better by pruning. Remove any dead leaves and branches. Cut leggy growth back. Most plants will grow back fuller and bushier after a good pruning.
  Don’t throw away the cuttings. It is easy to water propagate your plants.
• Rotate or move the plant to a different spot if it needs more or less light.
• If you have a stretched-out succulent reaching for light, read How to Fix Stretched Succulents (and make more plants!). It explains why your plant is growing like that and what to do about it.

Annual Plant Care

When spring comes, get ready. Spring is peak action time in plant care.

• When the days get longer and lighter, most plants start their active growing period. This is when you might start adding (diluted) fertilizer to the water once a month to give your plant an extra boost.
• Spring is a great time to get the kids involved in plant care. New growth, flowers, pruning, and propagating make it more interesting than caring for plants during winter dormancy.
• Save your eggshells from breakfast and use them for their calcium. Read all about the 4 Ways to use eggshells in your houseplant care routine.
• If you need to repot your plant, do it during this spring growth spurt. The plant will have the energy to quickly recover from a repotting session.
• To find out if your plant needs to be repotted, check the roots. If they are coming out of the drainage holes on the bottom or circling the inside of the pot, it is time to move your plant into a bigger pot.
• If you are dealing with high temperatures, read How to care for plants during a hot summer, and get your plants through the heat. On the other hand, when it gets colder there are a few other winter plant care tips to remember.