4 Easy Care House Plants That You Should Try

Are you a plant killer? Many people enjoy having plants around the house but unfortunately, they just don’t know how to care for them. In this article, I will cite four types of house plants that are easy to care for.

1. Ivy

The first type of house plant is commonly known as an ivy. There are several different varieties of ivies, and they are all hardy plants. Indoor ivies require little care. All you really have to do for the ivies is water them when they are dry, and give them some soil to grow in. My grandfather just sticks his ivy in water, which isn’t that great of an idea because the plant will not grow much that way. But it will survive.

Ivies can tolerate low light conditions, but tend to do better with brighter light. You can even grow ivies outdoors if you like. However, be careful because direct sunlight and high heat will kill the leaves on the ivy. The leaves will turn black, and it’s pretty gross. I guess you could say it’s a form of severe sunburn. Heat itself will not kill the ivy as long as you keep it well watered.

Ivies are also easy to germinate. Simply cut off the stem, and stick it in water for about two weeks. After two weeks, you should notice tiny white roots sticking out of the stem. And be sure you use a stem; just cutting off the leaf will not work. Anyway, after you see the white roots, stick the plant in a pot of soil. It will then grow and eventually flourish.

2. Peace Lilly

The next plant I will discuss is the Peace Lilly. Peace Lilies are commonly known as a funeral plant because they are popular plants to give away when someone dies. The Peace Lilly is also fairly easy to care for. Simply keep it watered and give it some soil.

You can fertilize the Peace Lilly if you like, but I tend to just keep mine watered once a week. Peace Lilies seem to do well with low light or bright light, and they can be grown outdoors as well. But keep them well watered and out of direct light if you choose to grow them outside.

It’s easy to tell when the Peace Lilly needs water because the leaves of the plant will start to droop. And if you are going to go away for a week or two, just soak the plant. Over watering Peace Lilies doesn’t seem to hurt them, at least in the short term. I was gone for a month once, and my dad watered my Peace Lilies for me. There was standing water in the pots, but the plants looked great.

3. Cactus

For those of you who can never remember to water house plants than you may want to try an indoor cactus. There are lots of different types of cactus plants, and they rarely need to be watered. In fact, if you water them too much, they may rot and die. This is one of the drawbacks to cactus plants. Watching a cactus rot and die is really disgusting. I don’t know why it bothers me so much, but it does.

So how do you know when to water them? Well, it’s complicated. Especially when you’re indoors because the cactus may not show any sign that it needs water. Generally, I just wait until the cactus starts to shrivel up; then I water it. Just a little water; don’t soak the cactus. Remember, it’s better that the cactus has very little water rather than too much.

As for the soil, make sure it’s a fast draining soil. Soil that is mixed with rocks would be great for a cactus. If the soil does not dry fast enough, the cactus roots are more likely to rot. What about light? Cactus plants seem to do well in any type of lighting, but bright light is probably best. The cactus will survive in the low light, but they will not grow much.

4. Succulents

A cousin to the cactus plant would be succulents. In my opinion, the main difference between these two types of plants is that succulents do not normally have thorns. The leaves on a succulent plant are usually full of water, which gives the leaves a bloated appearance. This is a good thing though because succulents will not require as much water as an ordinary house plant.

Since the water is stored in the leaves, succulents have a secondary supply of water to fall back on. Unfortunately, I’ve found that the leaves of the succulent plants tend to shrivel up and die once the water in them has been exhausted. So don’t ignore them entirely. Water them sparingly, but a little more than you would a cactus. Succulents can rot as well, but they’re not as bad as cactus plants.

In fact, if your succulent plant starts to rot, cut off a part of the healthy stem and let it dry albeit. When the place where you cut off the succulent is no longer moist, place it in some soil. You can also buy a special type of hormone that encourages the formation of new roots for the succulent cutting.

In a few weeks the succulent cutting should start to grow new roots. However, be sure you brace the plant with something so it doesn’t fall over. And make sure you use a fast drying soil, similar to what would be used for a cactus. You can find special soil for cactus and succulents at Walmart or even Target(the plants too).

Your succulent should be able to stand most forms of light. It will probably vary from plant to plant. But overall, most types of lighting are acceptable. Also remember to bring your succulents indoors in cold weather if you’re keeping them outside. A freeze will kill them.

If you’re one of those people who unintentionally kills house plants then try one of the varieties that I have discussed in this article. You may find that one of these plants can even tolerate your care. Good luck!