How not to kill your house plants: everything you need to know about caring for your indoor flowers and foliage

If you lack green fingers – or even green fingernails – our easy guide to choosing and nurturing your indoor plants will not only allow them to survive and thrive, but also infuse your home with positive vibes

House plants require a different environment to their hardier outdoor counterparts. Unsplash

There are five things a plant needs to survive: sunlight, appropriate temperature, moisture, air and nutrients. Some might also add “talking to them” as a sixth, but, ultimately, that’s between you and your foliage.

Five relatively easy steps, and yet one of the most common complaints about house plants is how quickly they seem to decline compared to their hardier outdoor cousins.

Contrary to this familiar gripe, green-fingered experts suggest indoor plants are actually easier to care for than outdoor plants.

“In my opinion, indoor plants are the easiest ones to care for precisely because they don't need much care,” says Jimmy James, founder of plantshop.me. “When compared to outdoor plants, indoor plants require less watering and fertilising. Most of the time, indoor plants expire because of overwatering and over attention.”

What defines a house plant?

"Most indoor plants originate from tropical and subtropical areas of the world, so in order for your plants to thrive, you need to replicate their home conditions as closely as possible," advises Munir Khan, division manager of plantscapes at Oleander Flowers.

Plants that require lower amounts of light, water and humidity are usually known as indoor species. Outdoor plants are also more inured to climate changes throughout the year and require more space. Indoor foliage won’t mature to their full size, with their growth dependent on the size of the container they’re potted in.

“In terms of watering, indoor plants need it only at regular intervals – once every three days or once a week. Some indoor plants need to be watered just once in 15 days,” says James. “Outdoor plants need to be watered daily, once per day in winter and twice a day during the summer season.”

"Humidity is hard to achieve in the home," adds Anita Chua, an enthusiastic amateur gardener in Dubai who shares her experiences of caring for over 200 house plants on her Instagram @urbanjunglehuset. "However, you can use simple methods such as grouping your plants together, misting them or placing a jug or bowl of water next to the windowsill."

Mastering the art of watering

"The number one cause of indoor plant death is overwatering," says Khan, "either by not knowing the moisture requirements of the plant or by not checking before watering."

There are certain things you can look for when it comes to watering. If you are overwatering your plants, the tips of the leaves turn brown and you’ll also get yellowing leaves which fall off quickly. The base of the plant stem might feel soft and pulpy to the touch. On the other hand, underwatering results in leaves that become crispy and brown at the edges and start to curl. You might also notice the lower leaves look more unhealthy than the top ones.

Drainage is paramount for indoor plants. Invest in pots with holes in the bottom for excess water to be carried away and consider adding a few rocks to the bottom to aid with this. However, if you have overwatered your plant, you will need to repot it, cutting away any roots that have rotted.

"Repotting plant in fancy pots without drainage holes will slowly kill them," says Chua.

Creating the ideal environment

"All indoor plants need a temperature range of 16°C to 25°C. The need for light differs from plant to plant," says James. "The rule of thumb to figure out the amount and intensity of light a plant needs is by the leaf size; the bigger the leaf size, the more light required for photosynthesis.

"Flowering plants have to be kept away from direct sunlight and in a place where the air from the air-conditioning unit isn't hitting the plant. It is advisable to either rotate the plant or change positions once in a while to let light reach all the leaves.”

Another factor to consider is the amount of time you can dedicate to your indoor plants. Those with busy schedules might want to consider hands-off house plants, such as succulents and cacti, while those who can spare more time to care for their leafy friends could try an orchid or fern.

In return for creating the ideal environment for your indoor plants, they can reciprocate by not only providing benefits to your mental health, but also by improving air quality in the home.

The easiest plants to keep alive

“Succulents are those plants that you can buy and forget about for the next 15 days before having to water,” says James. “They only have to fertilise once every two months and you’ll never have to change the pot."

Some succulents to consider include aloe vera, cacti and varieties of echeveria, crassula and haworthia.

Those looking to develop their expertise beyond surviving and into thriving can up their green-fingered game by seeking out plants that require a little more attention and care. Jones recommends choosing a tall indoor plant between 80 and 100 centimetres, grown plants that will only need watering once a week and won’t be so sensitive to temperature variations. Some popular options include fiddle leaf fig, ficus Benjamina, dracaena, anthurium, money plant and the ZZ plant (Zamioculcas Zamiifolia).

"Snake plant and Zanzibar gems are both fuss-free plants to have in your home and they can also survive in darker corners compared to other easier plants, such as rubber plants which need brighter light," says Chua. "If you prefer a tropical feel, monstera and palms are great options. However, they would require a bright location preferably a few feet away from the balcony door or window."

Khan says his pick of easy plants to care for: "Spider plants are often grown in hanging baskets and will reach 2.5 feet wide and up to three feet long. They need bright light but no direct sun, so they're perfect to put in a room with big windows. This plant is fun to have around because it grows 'baby spiders' (spiderettes), which can be easily propagated. It's also a strong air purifier."

Health benefits of indoor plants

"Keeping indoor plants helps me slow down," says Chua, of how they bring balance to her life. "It's nice to be on the lookout for new growth and leaves, and some of the philodendron plants can take months to unfurl. There's also a sense of contentment knowing that the plant is happy and that you are caring for them correctly."

Keeping house plants stretches back beyond the ancient Romans, Greeks and Egyptians, as well as ancient Asia where the Japanese art of bonsai originated from the even older Chinese practice of penjing, which translates as “tray planting”. In Europe, the Victorian age ushered in a growth in keeping house plants and, with it, an explosion in books and guides about caring for them.

In more modern times, a 2015 study in The Journal of Anthropology found that "active interaction with indoor plants can reduce physiological and psychological stress compared with mental work" and "promotion of comfortable, soothed and natural feelings".

"I find plants really fascinating, intriguing and captivating creatures," adds Chua. "They all have different personalities and I treat each of them differently through lots of trial and error. I also tend to name some of the larger plants we have. Plants are definitely an easy way to style up your home as they instantly liven up the space and are therapeutic to care for. To me, they are my stress-busters after a day’s work, and watching them thrive gives us a sense of joy and achievement."

"The colour green is associated with nature, calming us and giving us a feeling of ease and well-being," says James of the mental health benefits of keeping plants in the house. "Because of its strong associations with nature, green represents tranquillity, good luck and health. In my personal experience, green can also improve the reading experience."