I love my houseplants so much. Most of my decor is in the form of a plant. I like that they add life to a room. NASA researchers have done studies on the best, and most efficient ways to clean the air in space stations. The conclusion, they recommend 15-18 plants for an 1800 square foot home. Basically 1 plant for every 100 square feet. Some studies have debunked that theory, and claim we need 10-100 plants per square foot of home. Either way, we need plants and that is math I can get behind. Plants can absorb toxins through their leaves and serve as a natural way to filter the air in your home. Sharing my top plant tips from watering, how to clean leaves, what plant food is best, avoiding bugs and more!

We are always looking for ways to make our home more toxin-free. So if I am told to get more plants, sign me up! We also never burn candles either, with the goal keeping our indoor air has pure as possible. Instead we make our home smell good with pure plant magic, essential oils and diffusers.

Watering Plants and Plant Food-

Every time I water my plants I add Plant Food (*code nesting10 for 10% off*) to the water. I get asked if I fertilize my plants, no, I just use Plant Food, which accomplishes the same goal. Fertilizer is often an artificial substance that contains chemical elements to improve growth and productiveness of plants. Plant Food has essential macro and micro nutrients that are all your houseplant could ever want.

I have very happy plants when I feed and water them weekly. Simply mix 1ml of Plant Food for every 1 gallon of water. Use it every time you water your plants for consistent nourishment and optimal growth. This 8oz bottle of Plant Food will fill 940 quart-sized watering cans and lasts 12-18 months for the average plant parent!

Citrus Fresh Essential Oil is amazing at purifying the air and it will help purify your soil. Not to mention Citrus Fresh smells amazing, mood booster as you water your plants! Just add a drop of Citrus Fresh into watering can before you water your plants, as needed. Citrus oils are also great to keep those pest away just like lavender and peppermint.

(Plant Pulley // Macrame Plant Hanger // Hoya Plant)

When I water my plants I leave them all exactly where they are in our home. I have drip trays under each plant (with felt pads under the tray) and the pots have a drainage hole. Watering plants can be a learning curve, I have learned to water until I see water come out into the drip tray, then I stop watering. If some water goes into the tray, it will eventually get re-absorbed or evaporates.

You really can’t over water your plants, as long as there is proper drainage. You can damage plants if they sit in water, so make sure that your plants have a drainage hole and the roots don’t sit in water.

There are always exceptions to the rules. I have a few plants that do not have a drainage hole, and they do pretty well, but they are the type of plants that can tolerate it. For example I have a Philodendron in a Grecian Bust Planter, without a drainage hole and it is doing well, but it is an easy to care for plant. Just do your research and get to know each plant when you bring it home.

Although I check my plants throughout the week, I typically go through and give them all a good look and water on Wednesday. Water Wednesday!

Sunlight and Grow Lights-

Plants need sun to grow and thrive, which seems obvious, but that doesn’t mean all plants will die immediately without sun. I do have a few plants in really low light areas, like a Snake Plant and Fishbone Plant, they look good, but aren’t thriving. Majority of our plants are near a window, or they are getting sun indirectly from a window.

We have several Pothos Jade Plants in both of my girls bookcase, perfect example of indirect sunlight, and they actually do better with medium to low light. I have turned some of the leaves yellow on a Pothos Jade, by accidentally sitting it right in the window, basically burned the leaves. Whereas I can sit most any other plant right in the window and they thrive.

PS- you can get all the details and shop our home HERE

Grow Lights-

I found a Grow Light Bulb a couple years ago around Christmas time, I wanted to put a plant in our basement to make room for a Christmas tree. Simply replaced a ceiling basement light with a grow light bulb and it kept my fiddle leaf fig alive for two months! In this windowless spot in our basement, I was able to put that umbrella plant on my cabinet all because of the Grow Flood Lightbulb in the ceiling.

**You do need to have a grow light on about as long as a plant would see the sun, about 6-10 hours for some**. I put a Grow Lightbulb in a floor lamp, over these snake plants. The lightbulb gives a nice warm glow, makes for a cozy spot too.

Cleaning Plant Leaves-

Once I tried coconut oil to shine my plants leaves, because I saw someone doing it, they looked really good, but eventually it was a bad idea. Coconut oil on the leaves, made the leaves burn that were by a window, and it also clogged the leaves!

Now, about once a month or twice a month, I use *Thieves Concentrate* (*new customers use code SHAREYL for 10% off*) mixed with water to clean my plant leaves. Our plants breathe and expel moisture through the leaves, and they can’t do that if the leaves are clogged with dust.

SHINY LEAVES

Use your everyday household cleaner to clean your plants leaves

16 oz spray bottle
One cap of Thieves Concentrate
Fill the rest with water
Spray directly on leaves to dust, you can wipe with a cloth or leave the leaves a little misted