Houseplants That Are Easy To Grow And Take Care Of

A houseplant is usually grown indoors for decorative purposes. They also offer a natural and inexpensive way to clean the air around the house. According to studies, a potted houseplant per one hundred square meters inside your home is required for them to be efficient air cleaners.

The main points to think of when growing and caring for houseplants are: water, soil, temperature, light, humidity, containers, and fertilizers. Most houseplants that are bought from stores come with instructions that are easy to follow for that particular plant. However, here are some general and basic guidelines when caring for your houseplant:

1. Water
- Be careful not to over-water and under-water your plants. It is very harmful for them.
- Check the moisture of the soil to tell whether it needs to be watered.
- Water only when needed. Once a week is enough.
- Be sure to completely soak the soil when watering.

2. Soil
- Use a good soil mixture. A good potting soil mixture supplies the plant with important nutrients, drainage and ventilation. Most soil mixtures contain a mixture of dirt, peat moss and perlite or vermiculite.

3. Temperature
- Almost all houseplants grow in tropical climates that range from 60-80 degrees. Night temperatures for houseplants must be duplicated, at around 10 degrees lower.

4. Light
- Eight to sixteen hours of lighting is ideal for most plants.
- Place plants near windows as much as possible.
- Artificial lights also provide good quality light for houseplants.

5. Humidity
- Humidity is important for houseplants, they thrive in 80% relative humidity. However, most homes are kept at the range of 20 to 60 % humidity so it is essential for us to increase that humidity.
- One of the most popular ideas to increase humidity is to make use of a pebble tray. Fill a drainage tray with pebbles or rocks, then fill the tray with water to the level of the pebbles. Set the houseplant on the pebble tray and always be sure to keep the tray filled with water.
- Other ways of increasing relative humidity are: buy an indoor humidifier, and group plants close together and avoid placing them in drafty areas.

6. Containers or pots
- It is important to consider proper size for your houseplant. A too small container may hamper the plant's growth while a too large one may cause root disease because of the surplus moisture that’s left in the soil.

7. Fertilizers
- Fertilizers provide nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium that enhances plant growth so it's important that you be able to provide your plants with fertilizers. Most fertilizers for houseplants can be bought at your garden store and have instructions with them.

Here are some houseplants that are easy to grow and care for:
- Orchids
- Spider plant
- Calla lily
- Rubber plant
- Butterfly palm