Hi! Happy Thursday, ya’ll!

When I first started writing this blog a couple of years ago, I thought I’d be writing for plant novices and black thumbs. Turns out, most of my readers are super intelligent about plants. Which is cool.

They’ve helped me realize I don’t want to talk to the black thumbs anyway – they’re indifferent to plants.

Anyone can learn how to care for plants – it’s not brain surgery, afterall – but continued black thumbs don’t want to learn.

And they don’t have to – I’m not trying to shove houseplants down anyone’s throat. I stopped talking to the black thumbs a long time ago.

Novices, however, I still like to talk to from time to time, because they do want to learn and are open.

Like the young lady I met last week at one of my client’s offices, she asked me about houseplants. She said she was 23, renting her first apartment. She said she wanted to use plants as decorations in the apartment, but she didn’t know anything about them.

We talked for a little while and I gave her some advice, along with my business card (with this blog’s address).

I wrote this post with her in mind. I think there are certain things all novices should know before bringing plants indoors, basic stuff. You should have a fair picture of what you’re getting into, right?

I’m going to use my plants for examples.

Before You Buy a Houseplant

First, ask yourself why you want a houseplant. If your answer is “for decoration,” that’s great – I think plants make homes look cozy and warm.

That said, it’s important to realize that bringing a potted plant into your home means you are expanding your family, not just decorating a space. Plants are living, breathing creatures, and if you in invite one into your home, it’s 100% dependent on you for its well-being. If you ignore a plant, like you would a knick-knack, it’ll die.

Not ready to expand your family? Then don’t adopt a houseplant.

I want you to look at bringing a plant into the house as the same as beginning a new relationship. Because that’s what it is. Relationships are fun when they are new, but they also carry responsibility. They require participation on both sides. You can’t enter one not willing to lift a finger, that’s not fair.

I don’t want to scare you away from houseplants, but I don’t want to bullshit you either.

The truth about houseplants is, if you want the rewards…

…you have to be willing to do the work.

If you want flowers in your home…

…you have to accept spent blooms on your floor.

If your personality is one where you can’t handle messes, I’m not sure I would recommend houseplants.

There are certain houseplants, like Aloes or Jades for example, that will be less messy than others, like a Ficus tree.

But even then, you can find ways to make them messy, like when I water Rosa and the soil spills over the edge of the pot onto the windowsill:

There will always be messes with houseplants. If you’re a neat freak like me, you’ll be cleaning up after them all the time.

Knowing there will be messes means knowing you’re going to have to be the one to clean them up.

That’s a good thing, because from the messes, you can learn to communicate with your houseplants.

For example, here’s my Bougainvillea telling me she’s thirsty:

Here’s Miss Mimosa also telling me she’s thirsty:

Once you realize that your houseplants can communicate with you, well, then, the sky’s the limit!

Trust me, if you’re smart enough to handle kids and/or pets, you’ll be fine with your houseplants. They’re not nearrrrrrrrly as work-intensive.

I would suggest that you start by going to a greenhouse and looking at the plants available. See what colors you like. Look for flowers or pretty foliage. Look at prices, ask questions of employees. If you want, you can write down the names of plants you like, then research them later to see if they can handle the lighting and temperatures available in your home.

Here in Albuquerque, Osuna Nursery has a big greenhouse. High Country Gardens sells houseplants, so does Jericho Nursery, at both locations, and Rehm’s Nursery on Lomas east of San Mateo.

Six Tips for Healthy Houseplants

Here are six basic things I do to have my own healthy houseplants. These tips apply whether you have one houseplant or ten.

1. I give all the plants weekly checkups. Sunday is the plant day in my casa. Each Sunday before football I take my watering can and visit each plant. I set the can down and look at the plant. Give it a once-over before sticking my finger in the soil. If it’s dry, I water. If it’s wet, I don’t. Then I move on to the next plant and repeat the process.

Plants in smaller containers require more check-ins, so I keep the smallest pots on my kitchen windowsill since I’m always at the sink there.

2. During the once-over, looking at the plant, I’m looking for anything different from the week before. A new leaf emerging. A flower bud forming. A mealy bug or a spider mite. This is where the relationship with houseplants exists. When it’s a new leaf, you can cheer it on. (Or like me, photograph it.) When it’s a pest, you have to step in and defend the plant.

3. I have all the plants in well-draining soil with saucers or trays underneath to catch water run-off. I make sure to glance around the day after watering to make sure none of the plants are standing in water. I only use high-quality potting soil, like the ones sold at the above nurseries, because the soil available at Lowe’s and Home Depot is always infected with fungus gnats. Ew.

4. I fertilize regularly. There are lots of products out there, I’m forever trying new ones. If the thought of fertilizing intimidates you (or even if it doesn’t), start with Miracle Gro, it works fine. They sell blue granules you add to your watering can. Make sure you follow the directions, your plants will thank you for it. With any fertilizer, follow the directions on the label.

5. I turn my plants often, so they grow sturdy and aren’t leaning toward the sun. Also, I’m constantly moving the plants around depending on where the sun is. This time of year, all the sunshine is in the foyer, so that’s where most of my plants are.

A general rule of thumb is that the darker the leaves, the less sunlight a plant needs. That means a plant with dark green leaves will be fine in a corner or on a bookshelf. But even plants with dark leaves like to have some light, so it’s nice to rotate plants around, to share whatever limited light there is in a home.

6. I prune often. When plants are little, I pinch back new growth to encourage more new growth. Because I fertilize regularly and give the plants maximum sun, most of the houseplants grow fast, which means more pruning, which leads to creating new plants. Which explains why one houseplant can quickly become many.

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Like I said, these are basic tips for houseplants. I do a lot more for them, like treating them if they do get pests, playing music for them, repotting them.

What I have found is most people who start with the basics, soon learn more and more about how to care for the plants. They add layers of complexity over time. They engage with the plants.

What starts as a learning opportunity often leads to a love affair with Nature. Hopefully one that’s passed along to kids.

As a novice, you don’t have to think about any of that yet. For now, just be open.

You’re always welcome to ask me if you have questions or need advice. I’m sure my regular readers can offer advice that extends on what I’ve started here.

I’ll be back manana with an all-new Ask the Experts panel, as well as a new plant puzzler. Hope to see you here.

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