The right locations for your potted plants can make a significant difference.
Many of us learn how to garden for the first time with houseplants. Potted plants, particularly in colder climates, add color, beauty, and fresh air indoors when chilly temperatures and wintry weather keep us inside. No matter where you reside, the advice below will help you make the most of potted plants in your house.
How Much Light?
How much light a plant will receive where it will be grown should be one of the first factors to be taken into account while choosing and cultivating it. The majority of houseplants require bright, indirect light, such that from an east-facing window. As long as the harsh sun’s rays don’t touch a plant’s leaves directly, especially in the summer, south and west windows also function nicely. African violets and other popular flowering plants need a little bit more light than ferns or ivy that are kept primarily for their leaves. Light offers the extra vitality that flowers need.
The Most Important Requirement: Water
The most crucial—and frequently most difficult—aspect of growing healthy houseplants is watering. Instead of drowning them to the point where their roots can’t breathe, err on the dry side. In the summer, use water more liberally. It’s time to water when the top 1/2 to 1 inch of the pot is dry. Water the plant thoroughly until the water drains out the drainage holes in the container’s bottom.
Don’t Forget Plant Food
Another crucial aspect in developing outstanding houseplants is feeding the plants. Your houseplants’ roots are restricted to a pot, preventing them from foraging for nutrients in the nearby soil. You have the choice. In general, giving your houseplants a weekly or biweekly dose of plant food made specifically for them, like Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food, will result in happy, healthy, long-lived plants that add color and life to your home. The summer is a crucial season to feed indoor plants because this is when they are actively growing and will benefit from the nutrients.
PLACE GROW KITS IN A SOUTH-FACING WINDOW
South-facing windows will get the most direct sunshine all day for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere. The sun rises in the East, swings to the South, and eventually sets in the West, whether it is Summer or Winter. Your plants will receive all-day sunlight if you place them in windows that face south, allowing them to develop as strongly as possible. Not sure of the south’s direction? Check your phone; most modern smart phones now come with an integrated digital compass app! Note that if you reside in the Southern Hemisphere, your seasons and the course of the light are reversed, making north-facing windows ideal for plant growth.
The sun moves on a curving path that swings south from East to West. Although the sun appears lower in the sky during the winter, south-facing windows still receive a lot of direct light.
NO SOUTH-FACING WINDOW? THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS!
However, without the full sun of a south-facing window, plant growth will be substantially reduced. Your next best options are windows that face east and west. We advise using a grow lamp in addition to the natural light coming from an east or west-facing window. On this page, we sell one! Avoid putting your plants in a north-facing window as much as you can because there, only natural light will be able to support growth. See the image below; the plant on the right was grown in a window with a south orientation, while the plant on the left was grown in a window with a north orientation. What a difference, you say? A grow light in this scenario will significantly improve plant health and enable it to flourish.
Basil growing in a north-facing (left) and a south-facing (right) setting in “A Tale of Two Windows.” The most crucial determining element for good plant growth is light!
DETERMINE LIGHT INTENSITY WITH A QUICK SHADOW TEST
It might be challenging to calculate the precise amount of light your plants will receive without investing in a light meter. Fortunately, you may use a “shadow test” as a low-tech method to gauge your light intensity.
- Place your hand about 1 foot above the spot where your plant will be located at midday and spread your fingers widely.
- Look at the shadow your hand has made. Strong lighting produces well-defined shadows; weaker, fuzzier shadows may require the addition of a grow light.
Examine your shadow with your palm slightly over the site of the planned plant to see if it is being lit directly (as in the left image) or indirectly (on the right).
With this knowledge, you’re well on your way to growing strong plants! Still perplexed? Have more inquiries? As always, the growing specialists at Back to the Root are available to help you. Contact us, and we’ll help you develop!
Where should I put every plant I have?
9 Practical Methods to Increase Plant Density in Your Home
- Select a bookcase with no back.
- Place Them on Shelves Mounted to the Wall.
- Utilize Ineffective Stairs (If You Have Them)
- Directly suspend them from the ceiling.
- Make use of a clothing rack.
- Keep them near your upper shelves.
- Place a few on the window ledge.
Do indoor plants have to be near a window?
Houseplants are not only attractive and decorative but also provide many advantages for your home. Your indoor plants can boost your health, remove toxins from the air through air purification, and, if you have them in an office or classroom setting, they can help you concentrate better.
How can you maximize the potential of your plants? The positioning of your houseplants within the home is one of the secrets to keeping them healthy.
In general, plants can endure warmer or colder conditions, as well as short-term water surpluses or shortages. However, if you want the finest results from your plants, you must put them in an environment where they will have access to water, nutrients, and the proper climate to survive.
How then can you imitate their natural environment? In order to get the most success out of your houseplants, our guide will show you which plants to place where in your house.
Which rooms work best?
Your indoor plants all share the same trait. Each plant will require a different quantity of sunlight, but they all require it.
Place your indoor plants carefully; don’t just set them down. It doesn’t necessarily follow that a plant is best for your houseplant just because it matches the decor of a particular room in the home.
Consider the following: Which room in my home receives the greatest sunlight? What side are my windows facing? My heaters aren’t here. What is the inside temperature in my home on average?
With that, you can begin to determine which regions are ideal for placing your houseplants.
Types of plants
Your plants will need sunlight, as was already said. Some species will benefit from as much shade as possible, but others may require continuous partial or full shade.
Keep in mind that your plants do not require direct sunshine at all times of the day because this can burn the plant’s leaves and roots.
The majority of plants will thrive in a window that faces west, east, or south. Therefore, avoid placing too many plants in front of windows that face north.
Of course, some plants need full or partial shade for the most of the day.
For instance, flowering and foliage plants, including some fern and lily kinds, typically do well with both artificial light and little direct sunlight.
Therefore, if you position your foliage plant a few feet away from your South-facing window, it will be in the best possible position. Make sure your foliage plant is kept out of the midday sun or when there is direct sunshine in the room if your windows face west or east.
Large, thick, meaty leaves on plants have a tendency to thrive in the shade. These plants include, but are not limited to, jade, stonecrop, and zebra plant.
Plant care
Your indoor plants could require more maintenance than your garden. It’s always best to do a little study on your plants, whether it’s to find out how frequently to water them or what kind of environment they want.
Around 70F (20C) is a good temperature for most houseplants, however others only do well in colder climates. For instance, cyclamen like it between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit (10 and 15 degrees Celsius), and Cineraria much cooler. You may need to maintain a steady temperature of about 70 degrees Fahrenheit if you have a bonsai tree or other tropical indoor plants (20C).
When positioning your plants close to a heat source, exercise caution. The majority of home heating systems create an environment that is too dry for most potted plants. In the winter, central heating will produce a warm, arid environment. For indoor plants, this will be nearly inhospitable.
You can either periodically mist your plants with tiny water droplets or pack or group moss between the pot and its attractive container to create a microclimate around their leaves. The warning indicators will be seen when your leaves are completely dry or discolored and the soil appears to require watering.
What advantages can having a plant in your room offer?
Top 7 Health Advantages Of House Plants
- making you feel better.
- decreasing tiredness
- reducing anxiety and tension.
- increasing focus and productivity at work.
- increasing tolerance for pain and healing.
- reducing headache occurrence by raising air quality.
- reducing respiratory problems and dry skin caused by dry air.
Where in the living room should indoor plants be placed?
Since you want to keep the plants where they have the best chance of surviving, placement is just as critical as the plants themselves. This entails making sure they receive enough light and humidity, and aren’t too close to heaters, air conditioners, or vents.
Shelf Life
Don’t call them “the plant shelves” when you decorate your shelves with plants. Instead, think of them as shelves with plants added to them.
Plants that are placed in contrast to your books and trinkets give aesthetic texture. As they can hang down to lower levels, trailing plants are a shelf favorite because they draw the eye downward.
This is Going to Look Great On The Mantel
If your fireplace is just decorative, make it a place for plants to live. Make the base of the planter with larger plants, and the mantle with smaller plants (Modsy suggests a large philodendron or monstera.) To give your fireplace a more lived-in appearance, add more personal items like books, flowers, bowls, and artwork.
Small Table
Turn a table into a home for a plant if it is too big to fit on a shelf but not quite big enough to be left on the floor.
Plants make excellent centerpieces for dining tables, coffee tables, and end tables.
Window
Another excellent location for plants is near windows. They not only permit you to decorate from various angles but also provide a plenty of natural light.
For instance, set up a sizable plant on the floor in front of your window or hang a plant from the ceiling. Make sure the plant you use can withstand a lot of sunshine. Aloe vera, Jake, African milk bush, and snake plants are recommended by Modsy.
Plant Nook
Everyone’s living room has that one uncomfortable space where a larger piece of furniture just doesn’t fit. Because it’s ideal for plants, that is!
With a bigger floor plant or a combination of smaller plants in different heights and pots, you can turn an inconvenient location into a cozy plant nook. Use a bar cart to transform it into a corner shelf if you don’t want all of your plants to be crowded together on the floor.
Bonus Plant Tip: If you have a reading alcove, you can use multiple smaller hanging plants or big potted plants to make it into a secret garden retreat.
How should I present my indoor plants?
Ideas for indoor plants can freshen the air, reduce stress levels, and improve the aesthetics of your home. Indoor plants also provide you a reason to have fun and be creative with your hands.
We can re-connect with nature by surrounding ourselves with indoor garden ideas and by taking care of our plants. Additionally, “Connection to the natural environment is more important than ever,” according to the Botanical Boys (opens in new tab). Today’s fast-paced, fragile environment requires us to occasionally calm down and take in the beauty of the natural world. It is the one factor keeping us alive.
Each and every one of us must make the time to interact with nature in some way, they continue, because doing so has a positive impact on our personal welfare.
All the advantages of plants can be easily experienced indoors. Whatever the size of your home, there is always room for a couple of leafy beauties. From miniature bonsais to grand palms and figs, they may liven up a mantlepiece, filter light from a window, or even serve to partition an open-concept living area. They may provide texture and contrast to even the most basic décor, make a boring set of shelves into a magnificent statement, or give a new coffee table or kitchen island a stylish flourish.
Continue reading to learn how these original ideas might help you improve your home’s decor.
Does morning sun benefit houseplants?
Every morning as the sun rises, the first beam of light hits windows facing east; these rays are often gentle and not harsh. This is excellent for maintaining the health and wellbeing of your plants.
A room with an eastern exposure receives indirect light for the majority of the day and somewhat bright direct light in the morning. With east facing windows, as opposed to south facing windows, you can worry less about the sun searing the foliage of your plants.
In contrast, north-facing windows receive little natural light and are only ideal for a few hardy indoor plants.
As a result, your reliable east-facing window offers a terrific source of heat without the extremes and a high amount of light. Try your hand at some east-facing window plants without hesitation!
With the right care, several low light plants that favor a north facing window can also survive in a north east facing garden. For instance, you may use a sheer curtain to assist create filtered or dappled light from the sun.