Most of you know we took a month long trip to Utah and California. We left my husband at home, someone has to take care of the house plants! Oh wait, he really didn’t even have to do that and it probably would have been better if I didn’t ask him too. We lost a few house plants from over-watering…bless his heart, he was just trying to follow instructions. Basically the less you do with house plants the better.
Pinterest puts out a forecast of home design trends they predict will be popular for the year. One of the trends they forecasted for 2017 was house plants. “Lush greenery that flourishes and climbs through your interiors has seen a 200% spike.” I personally have always loved having house plants, but I do a agree they are trending at a whole new level. (You can shop my Letterboard HERE).
Tips for Caring for House Plants (yes this is for Fiddle Leaf Figs too)
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Pick a spot for your plant to live, they don’t like to be moved around.
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Water on average once every two weeks. I am not the best at keeping track. But I consider Sunday my watering day. Pick one day and stick to it. If they are looking droopy the probably need a drink. Make sure to water evenly around the soil.
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Don’t let them sit in water. I like to water mine in my kitchen sink so they can drain well. Or if you use a planter without a hole on the bottom place some small rocks under the dirt so the water doesn’t sit on the roots. Also overwatering can lead to bugs. If you do get bugs cut back on the watering and replant them.
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Plant in a big enough planter so they have room for the roots to grow.
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Remember to dust your plants I just use a wet rag and clean the leaves. Coconut Oil also is great to rub on the big leaves to make them shiny and new:)
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I do leave mine in the plastic container they came in often and put them in baskets. I put a large garbage bag around the bottom so dirt and water doesn’t get everywhere. You can find some of my favorite baskets HERE. (As your plant grows you can buy larger sizes of the plastic containers they come in at Home Depot or Lowes).
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You can find miracle grow sticks to plant in your soil. I have done that before and they did help to bring a plant back to life. (A reader told me to use a couple in one plant, that is what she did and it worked).
- Also a Water Meter is a great way to check if your Fiddle Leaf Fig needs to be watered. I found one HERE. You want to keep your fiddle leaf fig around the 4-5 range dry/moist.
Main take away- don’t overwater! And don’t let plants sit in water. I went to a neighbors home and she said that they have had their fiddle leaf fig for years and years and they only water when they have extra water left in their cups after dinner!
My Top 5 House Plants- That Can Survive Being Home Alone
#1- Fiddle Leaf Fig-
I have had this little guy for about 2 years. I bought it at Shop Terrain for $20, well worth the use I got out of it. About 4 months ago it was looking sad. It had only one leaf. I almost threw it away, then I asked on Instagram what to do with it and someone said “put it in a room that you don’t go in and give it a a couple weeks.” So I put it in our upstairs bathroom and walked away. About two weeks later it had new leaves! The reason it ended up with only one leaf was because I moved it around too much. I picked up a Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree recently. I went with a smaller version, so it wouldn’t over power my little house. You can get lucky and find them at Home Depot once in awhile or order on Amazon HERE.
Watering Tip for Fiddle Leaf Figs- Water when the Top inch of the soil is dry.
#2- Heartleaf Philodendron- I have had this house plant hanging in our bathroom for close to two years. I rarely water this one. Maybe once every three weeks. Love how much it has grown!
#3-Philodendron– This house plant is new to me. I have seen them around and didn’t love them until I saw this one. The leaves are a little different than your typical Philodendron, I guess I just got a good one! I like how tall and wide it is.
#4-Aloe– I really like the look of this house plant. It adds a little contemporary modern touch to any room. I found this one at Home Depot!
#5 Swedish Ivy– I just picked up this Swedish Ivy plant about two months ago. It has done really well! I was worried about it in the bookcase but so far so good.
I want to know what you think of House Plants? Do you have any and what are your favorites? I have replaced all of my faux plants with all real plants. Not only do they add SO much to a space but they actually purify the air in your home.
And I have to share one more because I was just asked about it. This topiary I have by my kitchen sink is a Weeping Fig or Benjamin Ficus, found this one at Home Depot too.
You can read all about my favorite Succulents and creative ways to plant them HERE.
Beautiful! Our house is surrounded by trees, covered porches and has small windows. So it’s not very friendly for houseplants. We have had good luck with aloe and ZZ plants. I like the philodendron in your photo above and will try that one too. We use some realistic faux plants in the most cavelike rooms, but real is definitely my preference.
Thanks for sharing. I like philodendrons, too. There are so many varieties and colors. My current favorite is one that sports a lime-green leaf. I just moved it to an outdoor planter as the “spiller” for a pot of rosemary and an orchid. It gets morning sun, but afternoon shade. One of the best things I have done for my philodendron, is to trim it. They can easily get leggy, and trimming them will make the plant be bushier and fuller. Not sure why I have such a hard time cutting back plants, but I do. This year I have resolved to do it indoors and out and it is making a difference. Another fun indoor plant to try are African violets. I’ve had one for almost 8 years. I have repotted it, and it does like to be fertilized, but other than that I don’t do much with them.
thank you for sharing your plant tips! Love hearing this.
I love keeping Oxalis around my house. It is a shamrock! Also, since it’s just a clover, it means that it is edible (we don’t eat it), which means its a safe plant to have around cats who might try to nibble at it. Some other house plants are poisonous to pets (like the peace lily). What I love most of oxalis is that it is happy looking. It grows best in indirect sunlight, only needs to be watered every 1-2 weeks, and it grows these dainty white flowers from time to time. Oh, and in the evening, the leaves and flowers close up for the night! There are a few different varieties as well. I am leaving you a link below.
http://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/flowers-and-plants/houseplants/how-to-grow-oxalis