Margaret Murphy
Horticulture Educator for Chippewa, Dunn, & Eau Claire Counties
UW-Madison Extension
If you are thinking of adding a new houseplant to your home, here are some helpful tips on how to select plants and keep them healthy.
Before you bring home a new houseplant give some thought to where it is going to be placed. Like plants we grow outdoors, houseplants have preferred light requirements, moisture needs and temperature ranges. The type of light a plant requires is one of the most important factors to consider prior to buying and bringing it home. Does the plant do best in bright light, or will it do fine in medium or low light?
When it comes to temperature, the good news is that most houseplants can tolerate a rather broad range. Most foliage houseplants, for example, manage well with daytime temperatures around 70 degrees F and nighttime temperatures about 10 degrees cooler. Not too different from how many of us keep our homes. However, houseplants can be adversely affected by being exposed to temperature extremes. Avoid placing them near heat vents where they will receive blasts of hot air or too near windows or doors where they may encounter cold drafts this winter.
The moisture needs of a houseplant can be influenced by several things including type of plant, type of container, type of soil, time of year and level of relative humidity. If you’re like me, you find it easier to remember to water if you keep to a schedule such as watering on the same day every week. However, ideally, plants should be watered only when they need it. For most, this is when the top inch or two of soil is dry to the touch. If you are not sure of a specific plant’s watering needs and the plant label doesn’t provide it, you can look it up in a book on houseplants or on a reputable website. But no matter what the water requirements are for a plant, it should not be allowed to sit directly in water for too long. Remember to discard the water that drains through to the saucer.
With indoor plants, it is also a good idea to consider the humidity level in the house. Many houseplants favor a more humid environment than the average home provides, especially during winter. A tip to increase the humidity level around a plant is to place its pot on a tray filled with pebbles and water. Make sure to keep the bottom of the pot above the water line. Grouping plants closely together can also help create a more humid environment. Misting houseplants is not an effective way to raise the relative humidity. Misting would have to be done several times a day to be helpful, which is generally not practical.
Other things to consider when selecting a plant is to look for one with a well-balanced silhouette that doesn’t look leggy or sparse. Avoid plants that appear stressed or cared for improperly. Your new plant should not start off wilted or with damaged leaves or stems. Check the plant carefully for any signs of insects or disease. Remember that houseplants you buy at a store or garden center will be accustomed to a different environment than what they’ll find in your home. So, give them some time to adjust. Often plants will drop leaves or develop yellow leaves when first placed into a new environment. It is recommended to avoid fertilizing during this adjustment period to help minimize stress. If buying a houseplant now, keep in mind that most houseplants don’t need to be fertilized in the winter months.
Lastly, keep indoor plants well-groomed by removing dead leaves or stems. Some types of plants perform better if occasionally pinched back. This is usually best done in the spring or summer. Larger leafed plants may also need gentle dusting from time to time. Though houseplants can become infected with pests or diseases and should be periodically inspected for such; more commonly problems arise due to improper watering or fertilizing. Changes in temperature or light can also cause problems for houseplants. So, if you find a houseplant is losing its leaves or otherwise looking stressed, double check that it is receiving the proper amount of moisture, fertilizer and light and is not experiencing too much in the way of temperature changes throughout the day.
