Growing a Green Thumb
By: Macey Camp
Tags: Gardening, Plants, Houseplants

Do you have a brown thumb? Does everything living green thing you touch seem to wither and die? Are you all out of TLC to give after laying yet another houseplant to rest? Well, you’re not alone!

Many people struggle with knowing how to keep happy, healthy houseplants. Lucky for you, there is a solution that will turn your brown thumb green and fill your home with leafy plant goodness!

Do your research

Before you buy a plant, you need to do your research. Start with your situation. How much light do you have in your home? Do you have a basement apartment with one dimly-lit window, or a sun-room that gets hours of direct light a day? Are you good at remembering to water your plants, and can you even tell when they need water? These are all important questions to ask yourself that will help determine which plant is the right one for you.

Sunlight

One of the most important things that a plant needs is sunlight. We all remember learning about photosynthesis in high school and for those of you who don’t, sunlight gets turned into food for the plant. However, each species of plant has a different light requirement. Usually, when you purchase a plant, it will have a tag that describes the light and water requirements. Often, on plant tags you will see either ‘low light’, ‘medium light’, or ‘high light’ written on the back. But what does that mean?

Low light plants are usually plants that originated from the rainforest understory, where little sunlight is able to penetrate through the dense canopy above. These plants are perfect for basement apartments, mantle or coffee table decorations, and other places that don’t receive bright light. Just remember that low light doesn’t mean no light! If your low light plant looks like it’s taking a downhill turn, try moving it to a location that gets a little more light.

Medium light plants love bright, indirect light. Placing them near a west or southeast window will give these plants the rays they need to flourish.

High light plants require direct sunlight for most of the day. If you’re not sure what direct sunlight looks like, it’s probably the place where your cat hangs out to sunbathe. If not given adequate light, these plants will often stretch towards the light and become leggy and less compact.

Water

One of the trickiest things to get right for your plant is determining the right amount of water it needs. Once again, the best place to start is to look at the tag that came with your plant. It will often tell you if the plant likes moist soil or prefers to dry out between waterings.

One good rule of thumb is to do the finger test. Place your finger about half an inch deep in the soil of your plant. If you feel wet or moist soil, then you don’t need to worry about watering. If the soil is dry and stays dry the further you stick your finger in, then you need to water the plant.

The number one problem with indoor plants is overwatering. If you water too much, you can actually drown your plant by stopping air from getting to the roots. A good way to prevent this is to do the finger test and to use good potting soil. This potting soil works well for most houseplants, and this soil works great for succulents and cacti.

Buying your plants

Buying your plants from the right source can make a huge difference in the long-term health of your plant. Many places sell plants, but they don’t always provide the best care for each plant since they are hoping to sell them quickly. You want to buy a plant that looks healthy in every way. This means it doesn’t have yellowing leaves, leaves with brown edges, droopiness, or wilting. These are signs of an unhealthy plant that could already be on its way out.

Gardening centers are an excellent place to start looking for plants. They often have greenhouses that can support healthy houseplants all year long and these plants tend to be healthier. Another great thing about gardening centers is the staff are very educated on the plants they sell and can tell you if a specific plant will fit your needs and answer any questions you may have.

Once you get more familiar with different species of houseplants, shopping online is a great resource. You will often be able to find a larger variety of plants online that can ship to you from all over the country. I pay close attention to the reviews to make sure other customers have been satisfied with their purchases and the plants had arrived safely. My favorite sites to buy plants are Leaf and Clay Co. and ModestLeaf, as they have a great selection and deliver healthy and well-priced plants.

Good beginner plants

Now that we’ve talked about knowing how and where to select the right plant, let’s look at some excellent beginner plants!

Easy to grow

Let's talk about the easy-to-grow, hard-to-kill plants. These are hands-down the best plants to start with if you’re new to keeping houseplants. Not only are they easy to care for, but they will boost your confidence and make you feel like a houseplant master!

Philodendron

Pothos

Rubber plants

Mother-in-law’s tongue

Spider plants

Low light

Ahh…low light plants. I cannot say enough about how much I love plants that can sit basically anywhere in my house and still look beautiful. Plus, when all your windowsill space is taken up by other plants, you’re going to need to turn to these guys.

Pothos

Begonia Rex

Cast iron plants

Chinese evergreens

Swedish ivy

Low water requirement

These are some of the coolest plants around. I am obsessed with succulents and have spent lots of time hoarding every color I can get my hands on. Plus, if you are forgetful or travel a lot, having a plant that can go more than a few days without water is a huge bonus. Just remember, many of the plants that have low water requirements are desert plant species, which means they often have a high light requirement, so make sure you keep that in mind!

Cacti

Succulents

Jade

Kalanchoe

Aloe

Bromeliads

Embrace the new plant hoarder that you are

Once you learn how to care for houseplants, they can become very addicting. You might start with one, but soon you will have 25 and counting like me! Don’t worry though, not only do houseplants bring you joy, they actually have health benefits too!

So, go out and buy your 26th plant and put that newly grown green thumb to use!