Indoor plants need just as much care and attention than outdoor plants. Maybe even a little more, since the only water source they have is you. Here are a few professional plant care tips to help keep your indoor plants alive and well.

Tips for Indoor Plants

If you’ve ever tried to keep an indoor garden growing, you know it takes some time and effort. Unless your indoor plant decor is faux, any live plant will need the essentials: sun, food, water. The amount of each depends on the plant itself, but here are some general guidelines.

• Timing. Any new plant will need to adjust to its new environment. Whether you’ve bought a potted plant, sprouted seedlings, or have brought it inside for the winter, give it several weeks to adjust to the new surroundings. Some of the leaves may turn color and drop during this time, but it’s most likely trying to stabilize itself in an area with different lighting and temperature.
• Watering. Too much or too little can cause a plant to go into distress, so try to stick to a schedule. Not all plants require the same amount of water. Adjust the schedule during different times of the year when your heating or air conditioning system affects the conditions.
• Nutrients. Even indoor plants require a little fertilizer to keep them green and healthy. Like outdoor plants, you can conduct a soil test to gauge how much a certain plant needs.
• Pruning. Indoor plants can drop old leaves and grow new ones, and you should still watch for signs of leaf disease. Brown leaf tips may be pruned, and plants that start to grow too tall may also be cut back. It’s easy to grow a wide variety of indoor plants from what has been pruned—unless you’re cutting dead sections.
• Disease. Poor plant care often leads to fungus and other diseases that affect a part of or the entire plant. Proper lighting, watering, and fertilizing can help prevent many of these issues from arising. Even a light cleaning of indoor dust and debris can help the leaves stay healthy since there’s no wind or rain to wash it away.
• Pests. Just because a plant is inside, doesn’t mean it’s not susceptible to insects. Spider mites are one variety of insects that prefer foliage plants. There are insecticides, natural predators, and other biological controls that can help.

Professional Plant Care

While you may think you need to pay more attention to plants in an outdoor garden, indoor plants need the same type of care. From the perfect plant placement on a window sill or in a low-lit room to how to regulate the temperature throughout the year, there’s a lot to think about when caring for indoor plants. The specialists at Elite Tree Care can help advise you of the right plants for anywhere in or around your home. Contact us for more information or a plant consultation.

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