Water and Light = Houseplant Health

Healthy Houseplant

If you want your houseplants looking great, you need to know that the available light and how you water your  indoor plants relative to that lighting is more important than any other factor.
Forget the fertilizers, the re-potting, pinching and pruning and concentrate on learning how to water your plants properly. This alone, if done right, will make more difference than anything else you can do for your houseplants.
Watering indoor plants correctly can be tricky. Improper watering is the main cause of death with indoor plants. Usually this would be from over-watering but if you are not caring for your plants on a regular schedule, under-watering can be a problem. Advice that give you watering intervals, amount of water, etc. are really not reliable.
Having cared for thousands of plants as a Plant Lady, I know that the only way to determine if a plant needs water is to check the moisture level in the soil at regular intervals. Every plant is different and only you can tell if your plant needs to be watered. I know that you love your plants but too much love (i.e. water) can kill them! Read more about houseplants and light and watering correctly...

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Healthy Roots Healthy Houseplants

Healthy Houseplant

When caring for your indoor potted plants it is helpful to have a basic knowledge of plant functions. This can aid in determining what is needed to help keep your houseplants green, growing and gorgeous.

The root system is an important part, really the most important part, of the functioning of your indoor houseplants. Unlike an exterior landscape plant, your potted plants rely on you to provide the correct amount of water to the root system.

The leaves, stems and flowers are the most obvious parts of a plant. They are above the soil level and it is what we see when we look at a plant. I have been in the interior plant care industry for a few decades and have cared for and maintained thousands of interior plants in almost any kind of environment that you can imagine and I know that the most important part of any plant is the root system.

The way that your plant looks above ground is determined by the health of the root system,
the part of a plant that is not so obvious to most people.
Read more about watering your houseplants and a healthy root system...

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How to Have Healthy Houseplants

My English Ivy

Question: I have a black thumb with plants, what am I doing wrong?

Answer: Without a healthy and vigorous root system no plant will do well. Roots hold the plant in the soil and absorb the necessary water and nutrients through the root hairs that are located on the root tips. Plants help clean the atmosphere by filtering air through the soil.  The  roots exchange gases and also store carbohydrates for use by the plant when needed. Learn more about how to have healthy thriving houseplants...

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