As someone who has 25 houseplants in 350 sqft and many more on the balcony it saddens me to see apartments without greenery. You don’t have to overcrowd your windows like me but some greenery does make a huge difference.
This guide is for those who just want to keep their plants alive. If you are interested in plants as a hobby head over to gardenweb.com and read the numerous and lengthy posts by a user called “tapla”.
Some general points
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more light is always better than less. If the care tag says low light, all this means is that the plant won’t slowly die in low light. Keep in mind that everything more than a couple feet away from a window would be considered low light. Many plants tolerate full sun, but acclimatize them! My Aloe Vera got sunburnt because I put it in full sun after being in a dark IKEA which is quite ironic.
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you’re much more likely to kill plants by overwatering instead of underwatering. Never let the plant sit in water and make sure your pot has drainage holes. Water when the top inches of the soil are dry. Remember: When in doubt, don’t water. When watering, saturate the soil completely and let the water drain out.
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nursery plants have slow release fertilizer but that only lasts for a season max. Get the cheapest liquid fertilizer and fertilize according to the label.
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it is good practice to flush the soil every once in a while to prevent fertilizer and salt buildup. This will prevent brown tips.
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Repotting. It has to be done eventually. Either find a friend to do it for you or buy some soil (peat, coconut coir) and something coarse (perlite, lava rock, seramis, pumice etc.) and mix 1:1 to 1:2. Not the ideal soil but it’ll do. Never ever use pure peat, it’s so soggy and water retentive! Roots need air as well as water. Repot in a bigger pot with drainage, remove some of the old soil and don’t be afraid to cut circling, dead and inwards growing roots off.
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Every kind of work you do on the plant like repotting, pruning etc. do it during the growing season (June, July in the northern hemisphere) when the plant is the strongest.
Recommended plants
Probably the easiest plant in existence. It does fine in low light, super resistant to pests, does not need much water. In fact, I let mine dry out entirely. If you like how it looks, get one of them.
Another super easy plant. Can handle low light; in fact, this thing will survive weeks in complete darkness. Water sparingly, the sansevieria is super prone to root rot. I think it looks very striking. Combine with a white, cylindrical mid-century pot for maximum effect.
Peace Lilies are recommended everywhere but I wouldn’t consider them very easy since they are very prone to brown tips and refuse to flower sometimes. Also, I don’t find them very pretty. They are available everywhere; however, they are hard to kill and can do with less light. Water a little bit more.
The easiest vining plant along with the pothos. Can handle lower light if you get them unvariegated. Cut back regularly to promote fuller growth and stick the cuttings back into the soil. If you plan to use a container as big as mine, please use an even more porous soil such as the 5-1-1 mix (google it).
This one is super simple with one exception: it needs full sun. If you have a south-facing window, it’ll do great. In low light, the leaves will get huge and mushy and ugly. Water very sparingly; this is a succulent. Prune regularly to encourage branching.
This is not a beginner plant but they are everywhere in interior design magazines and websites. It’s the trendiest plant right now so of course I have one. Very finicky, needs lots of light, cannot deal with drought, cannot deal with too much water, the leaves get edema easily, prone to spider mites, fertilizer burn, root congestion, and so on. But it looks super pretty. If you are a beginner, I wouldn’t get a fig already in tree form. They are super expensive and you might kill it. Instead, get a smaller and cheaper one. If you mess up, just get a new one. Learn how to care for it and let it grow tall. When it reaches two-thirds of the desired height, chop the top off and let it branch out. Wait until each branch grows 3 leaves and again cut it back to two; repeat. Do not remove the lower leaves to make it look more like a tree; the plant needs them to thicken its trunk.
Phalaenopsis Orchids
Orchids are actually super easy. Place in medium light, drown the pot in lightly fertilized water for 10 minutes and let it drain. Repeat once a week. The orchid will continue to flower for many months (mine did for 5). Getting it to bloom again is easy as well.
I have many more plants like a coffee arabica, oxalis, calathea, cordyline fructiosa, croton, begonia rex, peperomias, asparagus etc. but this list will do. If you have any further questions, please ask.
