Quarantine got you lonely? Can't have pets, but want something alive? 10 steps to curating an indoor jungle on a budget.
Welcome to the Plant Daddy KC blog! I plan to cover a wide range of topics from "Getting started with owning plants" to "Proper Care". I am on instagram @plantdaddykc and will soon have the Plant Daddy KC podcast up and running. Stay tuned!
So you want to own plants?
According to The National Post, "In the U.S., houseplant sales have increased 50 per cent in the last three years" (Bharti). House plants have been flying off the shelves in 2020, likely due to COVID and quarantine. The lovely green babies not only purify our air, but bring psychological benefits as well! Psychology Today reports that "being near indoor potted plants helps us to de-stress and restock our stores of mental processing power after we’ve depleted them doing knowledge work" (Augustin).
I don't know about you, but I could use some mental processing power this year.
Step 1: How much work do you want to put in?
Ask yourself, "Am I an attentive person?" This is the single most important question an aspiring indoor gardener must face. Here is the good news! You can still be successful EVEN if the answer is no.
There are a variety of plants that are persistent even in the face of neglect. The most common reason new plant owners give up is when they are unsuccessful, and this is likely due to common mistakes, or choosing finicky plants that require a bit of skill out of the gate.
In step two we will look at some plants that will thrive in lowlight and absentee plant parents when it comes to watering.
Step 2: Choosing plants
If you were honest and answered no to the question above, then I commend you. I want to start by throwing a few plant ideas your way that are darn near impossible to fail with. The key is building that confidence in plant care before moving up to the needier types. I am going to skip mentioning succulents as they are so commonly mentioned.
Snake plant: Sansevieria
Snake plants are tough. They can endure low light conditions, drought like conditions, and even (although it is best avoided) overwatering.
They are tough pointy leaves that make a great table or floor accent for the home. They look fierce and elegant. They also come in a variety of colors and shapes, so you can have a varied look throughout your home with only one plant. Later, I will also talk about how these bad boys are easy to propagate (multiply) and could score you multiple plants for the price of one if you are patient.
Devil's Ivy: Epipremnum aureum
Pothos, Devil's Ivy, or Creeper. No matter what you call it this lovely sprawling vine is a great addition to any aspiring plant parent. They look great in a hanging pot, on a book shelf, or trained to climb along a wall. Not only that, but it's fairly easy to keep alive. In fact, I often gift this plant to friends who are just starting their collection.
This thing is great for new plant parents for a number of reasons. It is hearty, fast growing, and trainable. These will prefer a bit more light than the Snake Plant, but a south facing window should do the trick. It also likes to dry out between waterings so a little natural neglect will only benefit you.
This beauty also comes in a variety of colors (one of which is Neon) and variegations (marble patterns on leaves). It purifies air and pulls out some toxins that are naturally occurring like formaldehyde. One negative to this plant is that it is considered toxic to pets, so if you've got a curious cat, or destructive dog take care to keep these drooping vines away from your furry friends (I have two dogs and a bunny and they do fine with ignoring it).
Now for some trickier plants
Fiddle Leaf Fig: Ficus Lyrata
The Fiddle Leaf Fig is a very "in" plant right now. You've likely seen one on any number of home improvement shows. It is technically a shrub, but can be curated into a tree shape, has broad green leaves and can reach well over six feet if given time.
One of the tough parts of keeping this plant happy and healthy is its light requirements. These things LOVE light. At my previous house small south facing window was not cutting it. Now, i have mine at an east facing window, and for the first time in my, nearly year, of owning it, it put out new leaves. So if your place is not bright I wouldn't suggest this plant.
FFF's also can be tricky when it comes to watering. They need to have the first two inches of soil dried out between waterings, but the rootball likes to have some moisture consistently. Not meeting the right balance means those gorgeous leaves fall off.
Split-leaf Philodendron: Monstera Deliciosa
Monstera plants have the lovely fenestrations that make for a striking appearance. Something to note though, if you buy a young plant, it will not have this look yet. The gaps are something you must earn by growing your plant to roughly three feet.
Being that these are tropical, they like some humidity and semi regular watering schedule. That means you need a humidifier near by or you can spritz them with a squirt bottle a few times a week. Lastly, you could do a drip tray with pebbles that you leave water in. Either way, this beaut is unhappy in drier climates.
Step 3: Where to buy plants
Now that you've chosen a few plants you want to try caring for, it is time to get out there and purchase them. This part can get pricy fast, so I wanted to offer some options to help you start your jungle on a #budget. Buying young plants is by far the cheapest route, yields the highest payoff for success, but requires patience and doesn't give you that full jungle look right away.
The first option is local plant nurseries. I very much encourage you to support local businesses if possible. That being said, this can be the most expensive option. Although, sometimes they will have sale plants that only have "cosmetic" issues like some brown leaves or scratches.
The second place I'd suggest is an IKEA if you happen to live near one. For some reason, people are unaware that they do sell live plants. They are always right before the warehouse section, and are often cheaper than a nursery for larger plants.
Third place I suggest is Home Depot or Lowes. They have similar prices to IKEA and offer some larger plants for a bit cheaper.
Last source would be to check facebook for a local plant swap group. Sometimes people give away cuttings for free and I'll cover what to do with those in the propagation section of this post.
Step 4: Where to buy pots
Planters and Pots are a necessary part of owning house plants, as the plastic nursery pots that plants often come in are not the best option for long term health. Many people want a stylish looking pot, but that can get pricey quick, and sometimes is actually worse for a plant depending on the material it is made of.
In my experience, simple terra cotta planters is the way to go. They are usually fairly cheap at Home Depot, and come with drip trays for cheap as well. The real benefit to terra cotta is its porous nature. It allows for excess water to seep out the sides of the pot and away from the roots, thus cutting down on root rot.
Ikea and local nurseries will also sell pots. They will have stylish (and most likely expensive) pot options, but make sure there is a drainage hole if you choose these.
Step 5: How to pot your plants
This is probably one of the most important steps in the process to set yourself up for success.
For new plant parents I always suggest having pots with drainage holes (otherwise there is a lot to do to avoid root rot).
First step is removing the nursery pot. This is the (usually back) plastic pot that plants come in when purchased. I usually transfer my plant into a permanent pot as soon after purchase as possible.
Then you need to open up the root ball. The plant will often have tight packed roots when repotting, and this can lead to plants not growing well if left in this state. So gently massage the roots by rolling that root ball between your hands until most of the roots separate.
Now you're ready to pot! Line the bottom of the pot with some smallish rocks. Then put a roughly three inches of well-draining soil (or cactus soil for succulents and cacti) down and spread it up the walls of the pot. Place your loosened rooted plant into the pot so that it is just below the lip of the pot. (If it is too low, simply add a bit more soil in the bottom of the pot.) Then top with an inch layer of fresh soil and pack down gently.
Now water the plant until it runs out the drainage hole and you're good to go.
Step 6: Watering Schedule
As you collect plants, you will need to develop a watering schedule. This will vary based on each plant's need, and the time of the year.
But it doesn't have to be complicated.
In the Spring and Summer I water my plants ever 1-2 weeks (feel the soil and if it is dry up to your second knuckle you can probably water again).
In the Fall and Winter I water every 3-4 weeks (same rule for dryness applies, but a little period of dryness doesn't hurt this time of year as many plants go into a rest period).
I just set one reminder on my phone for every few weeks and check the soil that day. I water everything that is dry, and circle back in a few days if something isn't.
Consistency and patience is key.
Step 7: Caring for sick plants
This is where new plant parents become helicopter parents, and with the best intentions, love their plants to death.
Here is my rule of thumb. If there is leaf yellowing and drooping, skip a watering. If the leaves then dry out and brown you know it is from lack of water. The difficult part is sometimes leaf yellowing is from OVER watering, so we think "Oh, must be thirsty" and water it some more until it is drowning. Then we keep doing this until it gets root rot.
So try the skipping a watering method first.
Step 8: Pest control
If you are planning on keeping your plants inside mostly, then you likely won't have to deal with mites of any kind, but If you want to own plants, accept now that you will have to deal with gnats. It has to do with the make up of the potting soil.
Potting soil, isn't actually dirt, it is a combination of different ground up materials that end up the consistency of dirt but with the nutrients plants will need to grow. Part of this means that will
be unseen fruit-fly larvae in every bag of potting soil (unless it says something on the bag about not having it).
Horrifying right? Wrong, there is an easy solution
I use these in several of my plants' pots and the gnats are no problem anymore!
Step 9: Propagating
I plan to cover this topic more extensively in a future post, but wanted to include it here because it is not as difficult as many think, and you can multiply your plants without spending any more money.
Propagating plants is a process of using part of an existing plant to duplicate it into multiple plants. This process varies based on the type of plant, but many plants are quite easy to propagate.
The easiest (in my opinion) is through cuttings. This involves cutting a section of the plant (behind a node if they are present) and placing them in water until they root roughly 1 inch. Then they can be potted in soil.
Boom free plants.
Step 10: Bask in the glory of your efforts
Now, if you have made it this far you are likely seeing some returns on those lovely green children of yours. If this guide helps you, please post a picture on instagram of your success and tag @plantdaddykc with your victory.
Lastly, sit back and stare at them, obsess over every new leaf, and be proud as they grow and slowly take over your living spaces. Good work plant moms and dads!