Practical Tips to Become a Proud Plant Parent!
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With millions of social media posts tagging plant life terms, it’s no wonder plant parenting has become as popular among millennials as pet parenting. But unlike many other modern lifestyle and fashion trends, plant parenting actually offers a world of benefits as one of many ways to go green at home.
Not only can indoor plants enhance air quality and temperature regulation, but they can also boost your mental health and mood, reduce stress, and even improve sleep quality. Beyond the many benefits of bringing nature inside, plant parents also enjoy the benefits associated with hobbies.
But plant parenting involves a lot more than creating cute posts for your Instagram; indoor plants demand a certain level of care, and you’ll need to learn how to take care of each type of plant you adopt in your home.
These tips will help you get started as a new plant parent.
Invest In the Right Tools
Before you start shopping around for the perfect plants to decorate your home, you will need a few essential tools. Otherwise, you’ll end up mourning quite a few plants in the near future.
Just as you would gather essentials to welcome home your baby or a new pet, you should do the same when bringing plants home.
A watering can, gardening gloves, potting mix, a spray bottle, pebble trays, drip trays, indoor plant fertilizer, soil moisture meters, gardening scissors, a humidifier, plant pots, and planters are all essentials that will make plant parenting a lot easier.
Choose Low Maintenance Plants First
Some plants are a lot more demanding than others, so it makes sense to start your plant parenting journey with low-maintenance plants that will thrive while you adopt a plant care routine that works.
Snake plants, spider plants, Swiss cheese plants, peace lilies, Chinese evergreens, and kangaroo ferns are just a few low-maintenance plants that are perfect for first-time plant parents.
Find The Perfect Place for Each New Plant
Some indoor plants thrive best in direct sunlight, while others prefer bright, indirect light. Other indoor plants find shaded areas a lot more pleasant. Unfortunately, you can’t place plants for aesthetic appeal only; a gorgeous fiddle leaf will wilt and slowly die without bright in-direct sunlight. So before bringing plants home, spend some time finding out what type of light the plant will need.
Learn What Each Plant Needs
While snake plants won’t need more than a weekly watering and fertilizer once or twice a year, Swiss cheese plants will need to be watered every couple of days, and peace lily plants prefer daily watering.
It’s crucial to find out how often you should water each plant and how much water is best. You won’t want to overwater plants or starve them of their most essential need. In addition to watering needs, find out the perfect soil conditions. Succulents prefer coarse with ample aeration, while snake plants can thrive in most soil conditions.
It might take some time before you see your plants sprouting new leaves and flowering as they should. But with the right tools and enough plant care knowledge, you can get on board with the plant parenting craze and take advantage of all the benefits associated with indoor plants.
*This article is based on personal suggestions and/or experiences and is for informational purposes only. This should not be used as professional advice. Please consult a professional where applicable.
