The Best House Plants for Beginners
A plant in your home can improve oxygen levels and lower the amount of dust and pollution. Maintaining tall house plants can be a source of immense satisfaction, and has been demonstrated to improve your mental well-being.
Which house plant is right for you? Experts gave us their recommendations.
Marble Queen Pothos
Pothos (Epipremnum Aureum) is a popular house plant, thanks to its heart-shaped leaves that have gorgeous white variation. It is also simple to care for and therefore an ideal choice for novices. Pothos, like many tropical plants, thrives in all light conditions. However, it prefers moderate amounts of indirect sun. It is also able to thrive in a lower light or complete shade. A moderately humid household and a slightly acidic soil mix are ideal for this plant, too.
This plant will tolerate missed waterings as long as the soil doesn't dry completely. Overwatering is among the most common causes of death for houseplants. If you're not sure, stick your finger in the soil to see whether the soil is damp. If not, water the plant. If the leaves turn yellow, it's likely due to lack of light or too much direct sun or an indication of a fungal infection.
Like most plants, pothos is able to take on air pollution, such as ozone and Volatile Organic Compounds. It's even a good choice for a bathroom or kitchen where it can in the removal of air pollutants.
This plant is susceptible to disease and pests, just like other plants. It's best to treat problems quickly, so that they don't spread across the home. Pests like thrips and mealybugs are the most frequent pests on this plant. Keep your Marble Queen Pothos well-watered and it will be less likely to attract these insects.
Trim the stem tips regularly to keep your plant looking good. This helps the marbled foliage remain full and keeps the vines from getting too long. These stem tip clippings can also be used to propagate new plants.
If you want to encourage your Marble Queen to grow, give it something to hold onto. This could be a moss rod, houseplant trellis, or a length of string. Be sure to spray the moss or any other support, with water as part of your regular routine of irrigation to aid in helping it grow faster.
Monstera
The Swiss Cheese Plant (Monstera delica) is also called the Monstera plant is among the most popular houseplants in the present. Its leaves are speckled with natural holes known as leaf fenestration -- and can lend an exotic look to any room. It is easy to propagate simply by cutting it up and growing it in a water solution.
Monstera deliciosa is a fast-growing plant, which means it may require relocated every few months as its roots expand. Remove a few leaves and repot your plant in a potting soil that is well-drained. Make sure to make sure that the container is well ventilated and add ingredients such as perlite or lava rocks to ensure more soil aeration, if you need to.
As houseplants they are easy to care for if they receive enough light and humidity. They're content to climb a trellis or a vine downwards, and they can be easily pruned to shape them if you prefer it a certain way. tall house plants to mist a monstera using a spray bottle of water to increase the amount of humidity in its leaves every day.
Although it is called that, a monstera is not a succulent. Monsteras are characterized by thin, heart-shaped leaves that are fenestrated. Succulents have fleshy, thick leaves that are able to store water. Monsteras can withstand dry climates, but they require more moisture and humidity than succulents.
The leaves of the monstera, despite appearance, are not edible. The plant's fruits, stems and leaves contain oxalic acids which could cause throat and mouth irritation when consumed.
Blank recommends that those who have learned to play the fiddle-leaf fig, move to a monstera to get a better idea of how easy it can be to garden indoors. "A monstera can be adapted to a variety of conditions," says Blank. It requires a warm environment, but it can withstand lower temperatures and higher humidity than the typical home.
ZZ Plant
The ZZ plant is one of the toughest house plants. It's slow-growing and hardy and can withstand a variety of conditions. It can thrive in shady areas and isn't averse to low humidity. It's also very accommodating of neglectful owners, and needs only sporadic waterings to survive. The leaves of this succulent can be lime green, black-purple, or a combination of both as they grow.
You can propagate the ZZ plant by splitting its rhizomes, which are tubers that resemble roots on the bottom of each stem. Remove the plant out of its pot and divide the rhizomes. Cut them down a bit before planting them into new pots. You can also cultivate new ZZs by using stem cuttings that have two leaves that measure approximately an inch long. Place the cuttings in a pot with 50:50 mix of perlite and multipurpose compost and put them in a warm spot. It may take up to one year for the cuttings to develop.
Despite being among the most robust house plants, there are certain things that can cause the ZZ plant to die, including overwatering direct sunlight, dry soil. The best method to avoid these issues is to only water the ZZ plant only when the soil feels dry. It's fine to keep the soil wet. The plant can last for weeks without watering as its rhizomes store water.
This plant is not a pest magnet but it is prone to rot and fungus. The best way to avoid these problems is to routinely remove dead and old foliage from the plant. Keep it out of reach of small children and pets, as the stalks and leaves could be irritating when eaten.
The ZZ plant is a fantastic air purifier because it can assist in removing benzene, toluene and xylene from indoor air. It can also absorb volatile organic compounds, such as carbon monoxide and formaldehyde. The ZZ plant is an excellent option for offices or apartments which don't have adequate ventilation.
tall house plants have a long-standing history as indoor plants, and with good reason. They can be grown in various temperatures and lighting conditions. They also provide a lush, tropical look to your home. The chamaedorea or palm, also known as parlor, is not different. The plant, also referred to as neanthe Bella palm is native to Central America and is gaining in popularity due to its versatility. It grows best in bright, filtered light but can also be planted in areas with less light levels, such as rooms that face north or east. It's a slow-growing plant and it could take at least a year for it to reach its maximum height of 2 to 6 feet.
If you want your plant to flourish it can be fertilised every month with a balanced liquid fertiliser. Bridget Zazzara is the retail indoor and seasonal plant supervisor for Logan's Trading Company. She suggests using a well-draining mix. Choose a soil that is well-drained that is slightly acidic to alkaline, with a pH between 6.1 and 7.8, and be sure to add a little of sphagnum peat, which helps improve the soil's structure as well as water retention.
Parlor palms thrive in a humid environment, so be sure to keep yours away from drafty areas and mist the leaves regularly to ensure that the humidity levels remain constant. You can also add an air humidifier to your home. If your parlor palm is becoming rootbound, plant it again in the spring. It is important not to overwater, however, as the plant can become susceptible to root decay. Water the plant only when the top inch or so of the compost is dry to the surface. Water more frequently during warmer weather, and less frequently in the winter.
These palms are attractive to bees, however make sure you keep them away from pets and children. The needle-like leaves are poisonous and could be consumed. They also attract mealybugs. These insects appear as fluffy, white blobs under the leaves. They can be difficult to get rid of. If you spot these insects, you can wipe them off with a cotton bud or a cloth soaked in an insecticide containing plant oils or fatty acids.