A Guide To Indoor Gardening – For New Plant Parents

I am someone who has always dreamt of having a dream home with lush green plants everywhere. That's how I pictured my dream home, with lively aesthetics, something that would just boost my mood the second I would walk in!

As soon as I moved out of my parents' home and rented out a small apartment, I started bringing in new plants. And I was so invested in filling up space with plants that I didn't even give it a thought whether that plant was meant to be indoors or not, or am I taking care of it enough?

After a few weeks of filling up the entire space with plants of all sorts, I began to notice some changes. Some of them were doing fine (or at least I said this to myself), and the others weren't looking happy. The leaves had started to wilt and wither, oh no! Not a good sign.

As a new plant parent–obsessed plant parent, I wanted to know more about my babies and how to look after them. And most importantly, were they even meant to be indoors. After some research and discussions with some friends, who also happen to be awesome plant parents, I found out that most I was doing wrong – hehe, that happens when you don't study before going to the plant place!

I figured out that there must be many others, who might be looking for home & garden plantation tips, and my knowledge might be helpful to some of you guys. I will discuss the essential tips for taking care of your indoor plants and the most common plants for home gardening. Let's get started!

Watering Your Plants

Overwatering is the most common reason of indoor houseplants’ death. Doesn't it sound strange? They require water to survive, don't they? Yes, but they also need fresh air. When you overwater, or the soil is persistently damp, the amount of air surrounding the roots decreases, and the roots become strained. As a result, they are vulnerable to root rot.

Each plant has various watering requirements, which I'll go through below, but a basic rule of thumb is to do a soil test. Stick your finger in about a quarter inch into the soil, and if it's dry, your plant might need some water. The amount of water required will also be determined by how much light your plant receives. Plants grown in bright light require more watering than plants grown in low light.

Study the Light Setting in Your Home

When you pick up a houseplant, it will most likely have a tag indicating whether it prefers bright light, medium light, or low light. It is really important to have an eye out on this. If you only have poor light in your home, don't buy a plant labeled "bright light."

Choose plants that complement what your home has to offer. You may have a specific location in mind for your plant, but in fact, your plant will choose its own location based on its needs, which will require some experimentation and shifting around on your side.

What are bright, medium, and low light?

Direct sunlight is referred to as bright light. Place your plant in a sunny room with a southern or western-facing window that receives most of the day's sunshine. If you set your plant right next to a window (on the sill), make careful to screen the light because sunlight coming through glass can cause sunburn. Examine the shadows in the room as a test for the lighting. A well-lit room will cast a powerful, well-defined shadow on the wall.

Medium-light is indirect, partial, or filtered. A room with a South, Southeast, East, or even West window would be great for a plant with these lighting requirements. A plant with a medium-light tag does not require the full day of the sun as a plant with high light requirements does, and it can be placed further away from the window.

Low light does not imply that there is no light needed. A common rule of thumb that I've heard from time to time is that if a room is dark to read a book in, it's too dark to keep a plant in. Rooms with a north-facing window would be ideal for plants with these requirements. Rooms with South, West, or East windows can still function if trees, buildings, etc., shade the windows.

Make your plant comfortable first

When you bring a new plant into your home, you might want to shower it with affection (water) and repot it in a new pot, but please wait. It will take around a week for your plant to adjust to its new surroundings. The greatest thing you can do is place your plant in the location where you intend to keep it and then relax.

It's wonderful to repot your plant into a more attractive pot than the one it came in from the nursery, just like dressing up your little one in cute outfits, but your plant needs a second to get its surroundings. Place the plant (still in the nursery pot) inside the beautiful pot instead. I leave my plants like this until they outgrow their nursery pots. Key Point: Always choose a planter with appropriate drainage holes when repotting your plant out of the nursery pot.

That's it! These steps are pretty simple, I believe. Now, let's talk about the common and basic picks for indoor plants that are easy to work with and require minimum effort.

My Top Recommendation for Home Plants

Pothos (Epipremnum Aureum)

In my opinion, this is without a doubt one of the easiest plants to care for. There are numerous Pothos varieties, including the Marble Queen, Jade Pothos (pictured), Neon Pothos, Golden Pothos, etc. This plant is not fickle and may thrive in low light conditions.

I have the Jade Pothos, and I placed mine in bright indirect light, and it grew incredibly quickly. This is a lot of fun to grow. When the Jade Pothos is healthy, it will grow fast, and you may give your cuttings as gifts or propagate them in water to create an entirely new Jade Pothos plant. This plant needs bright indirect light or low light. And you can water these before it dries out completely, which means that you don't need to water them often.

Snake Plant (Sansevieria)

I think maybe this is the easiest to grow. Or perhaps I can't decide! Uh, I don't know. I would highly recommend this plant for those who have a brown thumb; it's that easy to look after this plant! I adore all of the snake plant varieties, and it's an excellent plant for home decor. I now have two, and they make a big statement in each room.

This plant is pretty self-sufficient, and overwatering is the most common reason for its failure. This plant grows slowly in low light yet swiftly in solid light. Allow drying thoroughly between watering. Water more frequently indirect light and less frequently in dim light.

Satin Pothos (Scindapsus Pictus – Exotica)

Although the Scindapsus Pictus is not a member of the Pothos family, it is usually referred to as a "Satin Pothos." By far my all-time favorite plant. This was the first plant I could maintain alive, and it was the source of my fascination. The foliage droops and adds a lovely touch to any decor.

This plant's care is mainly hands-off. It has made me joyful in a variety of settings where I have had it in my home. I always err on the side of under-watering this plant since I'm afraid of root rot.

Direct sunlight will scorch the foliage; therefore, it prefers solid indirect light. I hung mine in a Western window, and it played great, although I maintained a sheer drape covering the window at all times. Water thoroughly, then let the top inch dry fully before watering again.

Heart-Shaped Philodendron (Philodendron Hederaceum)

I have the happiest Philodendron Brasil in my workplace, which is the darkest room in my house. The best thing about Philodendrons is how adaptable they are to lighting conditions.

This plant will develop slowly in low light, but in medium light, it will generate many more leaves and expand swiftly. This plant is really simple to care for because it informs you exactly what it needs. When it is time to water, the leaves will start to sag, and once watered, they will pop back up.

This plant is in my workplace, which has three north-facing windows but is shaded by a huge tree. She is growing gradually!! When the dirt halfway down the pot is dry, water thoroughly.

Friendship Plant (Pilea Peperomioides)

For a reason, this plant is known as the friendship plant. The mother plant will generate "pups" that will grow beside it in the pot. When the pups are old enough, they can be repotted in their own pot or given to a mate! While many people may not consider this plant to be a beginner plant, I'd have to suggest giving it a shot. If you're familiar with succulents, you'll have no trouble with this one.

This plant needs to be placed in bright light. Allow drying thoroughly between watering. This plant is prone to root rot, so watering as needed and using cactus-type soil with adequate drainage are essential.