The daily needs of houseplants: 6 essential plant needs

Taking care of indoor plants may seem like an intimidating task that requires a great deal of time, effort, and special tools, but it does not have to be like that. Indoor plants only need six things,; most of them already exist in nature. This means that your role in growing indoor plants is slight.

For houseplants to grow successfully, six things are needed daily: water, air, light, soil, nutrients and sufficient space. In addition to these parameters, several other factors, such as how much sunlight and water they receive, may affect how well they will grow. Plants will grow very slowly if they do not receive enough light. Conversely, plants and their soil can dry out if they receive too much light. Depending on the houseplants, different types of light are needed. Some prefer bright or direct light, while others do better with dimmer or indirect light.

Even if your houseplants are receiving all of the essential plant needs, it will still take time and patience for our houseplants to grow and produce beautiful new leaves and blooms, even if they are receiving all of the essential plant needs at the moment.

If you wonder what is best for your houseplants, continue reading the article to find out what amounts it needs and under what conditions.

6 essential indoor plant needs and how to provide it for them

We already discussed that house plants have six needs, but now it’s time to dig in and figure out what those six needs are and how we can provide each for our indoor plants so that they thrive.

Water

In the same way that water is essential for humans, it is also essential for our plants. A houseplant’s cell walls swell with water, allowing it to remain upright and vibrant. In addition, the water keeps nutrients flowing from the soil to the plant.
Without water for an extended period, our house plant’s leaves will lose their color, and as the period increases, our house plant may die if not given sufficient water.

Probably at this point, you’re asking yourself, how much water should you water your houseplants for them to thrive? This is a complicated question depending on the type of plant and how much water it likes, but You will know that it is time to water your houseplants if the soil is dry and not moist at all.

Air

The air is crucial to the growth of house plants.
House plants cannot grow in an environment that is too humid or too dry, which can cause them to wilt, and have fungus and bacterial diseases, insect damage, and root rot. Maintaining a balanced humidity and air flow condition is essential for them to thrive.
As long as you keep a few windows open and ensure sufficient circulation around the houseplants, you can maintain enough air for your houseplants in your home. Just make sure that you maintain proper air circulation around them as well.

light

Almost all houseplants require sunlight to survive, except for a few plants that do not need it.
As a result of sunlight, plants can produce food for themselves, so they are motivated to grow new leaves.
The amount of time the houseplant is exposed to sunlight depends on the type of houseplant. Still, the general guideline is that the houseplant should be exposed to sunlight for at least three hours every day, depending on the type of houseplant.

Among the houseplants that thrive in full sun are:

• Tropical plants
• Orchids
• Succulents
• Palms
• Papyrus

Among the houseplants that don’t need a lot of sun are:

• Bromeliad
• Cast Iron Plant
• English Ivy
• Parlor Palm
• Maidenhair Fern

soil

For a healthy and robust houseplant, the soil should be balanced in its PH levels, nutrients, and temperature.
Investing in good soil is a must if you grow plants because the soil plays a very important role in providing the plant with the necessary amount of water and food it needs.
Having phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and nitrogen in your soil is a sign that it is quality soil.

To maintain high-quality soil, you should replace the soil in your houseplants once a year.

sufficient space

Your house plant should have sufficient space to continue developing and growing. Therefore, it is a good idea to check periodically that its pot is not too small for it and replace it if necessary.

Here are a few signs that your plants need repotting:

• The roots of the plant are growing out of the drainage holes in the container.
• Leaves are growing at a considerably slower rate than they used to.

nutrients

Last but not least, in our 6 essential indoor plant needs list is nutrients.

The nutrients you feed your house plants will make them grow and develop more impressively. It is recommended to feed them with balanced liquid fertilizers every month, except during winter.

In most cases, indoor plant fertilizers are sufficient to feed houseplants. A fertilizer comprises three essential macronutrients: nitrogen for foliage growth, phosphorus for roots, and potassium for blooming.

What would be the daily routine of indoor plants?

Your houseplants should be fed by sunlight every day, so arrange them so that the plants that require the most sunlight are closer to the window and those that require the least sunlight are further away. If your windows are not open, this is an excellent time to let the air change.
The last thing which needs to be done is to water the plants which need to be watered, based on how often each houseplant needs to be watered. You can determine when to water a houseplant simply by looking at its soil; if it is dry and has no signs of dampness or wetness, it is time to water it.

What would be the monthly routine for indoor plants?

Every month, you should check all your houseplants and make sure that none of them are growing too much and that maybe it is time to change their container to give them enough room to expand so that they thrive.
While doing that, it is also recommended that a damp towel be used to wipe the leaves of the houseplants and clean dust away from them, as the dust may cause the plants to damage.

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