From choosing the wrong plant for your home to overwatering, there are several mistakes that often lead to the deaths of potted plants.
You’ve lost count of the number of times you’ve placed high hopes on a potted plant, but despite careful positioning and frequent watering, always ends up dying?
Well, you’re not cursed and you don’t need to have the special gift for your plants to thrive. Just know where you might be going wrong, experts say.
Gardeners’ World presenter Adam Frost and Clare Preston-Pollitt from the Royal Horticultural Society share their top tips for keeping your indoor plants alive and well.
Choose the right plant
Many of us choose plants that we think are beautiful, but ensuring that they are compatible with the conditions of our homes it’s critical to survival, says Clare, horticulture consultant at RHS Garden Bridgewater.
“I think a lot of people buy plants that they think are beautiful… they take them home and then watch them slowly wither away over the months,” he explains.
Often, this can simply happen “because it’s in the wrong place“, so don’t be afraid to move a plant around the house to give it a new life, he advises.
Clare says bright living rooms are ideal for monsteras, while warm, humid kitchens suit peace lilies.
She also recommends the boa constrictor for a bathroom, which receives a lot of humidity, and the castor bean plant for a shady room or hallway.
Do not overwater
A common mistake is overwater. Instead of assuming that all plants need the same amount of water, it’s important to learn each plant’s individual needs.
For common houseplants such as water lilies and chlorophytums, brown leaves are a clear sign of excess or lack of water. Check the soil moisture before watering again.
For others, like cacti and succulents, Clare says we mistakenly drown them by watering them unnecessarily.
Adam explains that these types of plants only need one slight spray of water to remain vibrant.
Clare suggests using a watering mat or watering globe that slowly delivers water to the plant.
According to Clare, the iron plant, Hoya carnosa and Saint George’s sword (above) are the most resistant.
These plants are very drought tolerantwhich means they can survive for a long time without water.
George’s sword and iron plant also tolerate darker areas of the house.
Water less in winter
It is important to adjust plant care throughout the seasons.
“In spring and summer, you can water more frequently,” says Clare, as the plants are in full growth at this time.
At the height of summer, some plants, such as monstera, can be watered two or three times a week. It is also important to fertilize them during this period, adding fertilizer to the soil to ensure they have enough nutrients.
But in autumn and winter, Clare says the treatment should be the opposite.
Leafy plants enter into a “state of semi-dormancy” as light levels decrease during these months.
This means that the soil does not need to be fertilized and the plants require much less water. Clare recommends wait until the soil is completely dry before adding more water.
It is also important to repot your plant to keep it healthy. Clare says it’s best to do this in the spring when the plants are growing and can establish roots more easily.
Signs that it’s time to replant include roots intertwining at the bottom and sides or coming out of holes. Plus, water overflowing through the toilet’s holes is a sign that it’s time to move to a larger pot, says Clare.
Keep your Christmas poinsettia warm
For many of us, our first experience with foliage begins at Christmas, when we received a poinsettia as a gift. But by early January, those red leaves are probably wilted.
The key with these festive little plants is to respect their Mexican origins to help them take root in our much colder climate, says Adam.
“They need callusr, they don’t like to be in places with drafts”, he states, but they should be kept away from direct sunlight.
They don’t need a lot of water, so only water when the soil is dry, he explains.
To avoid excess water, you can place the vase in a container of water every day before returning it to its original location, or spray water gently with a sprayer.
To make them last longer than your New Year’s resolutions, you should add fertilizer to your poinsettias monthly, advises Adam. In April, he suggests pruning the branches, before replanting in May.
From September onwards, they should be moved to a darker location for at least 12 hours a day, as this ensures the bracts turn red, ready for the next festive season.
