Indoor house plants - HARD EARNED HAPPINESS

Happy Saturday everybody!! As I stated in my introduction post, I currently live in Nebraska, where the weather is currently 54 degrees fahrenheit or 12 celsius. I am so ready for it to be summer already but this cold just does not want to lift.

In an effort to channel the sunshine and warm weather I decided to do a bit of gardening today. This entire winter I have been growing succulents that my mother shipped me from her garden in California. Because it snows here and we have multiple months of below freezing temperatures I had to keep them all indoors. Now that we have had our last frost of the season (or so I hope) I decided to bring all of my succulents out to my back yard, and plant actual indoor plants in the indoor pots I have.

There's just something really soothing about watching life grow in your home. I used to be horrible at keeping plants alive, and joke about my lack of a green thumb. But this past winter I really made an effort to diligently take time out of my week to tend to my plants. I killed a bunch of herbs because they weren't getting enough sun, but I managed to keep all of my succulents alive. Taking care of my indoor plants really helped me battle the winter blues.

Gardening has really allowed me to slow down and be grateful about the small victories in life. It brings me peace and soothes my soul! I love waking up in the morning and walking into my kitchen and seeing all the beautiful green plants by my window!!

The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.
— Alfred Austin

7 Tips for Healthy House Plants

1. Plant selection
   The first thing to consider when selecting a houseplant is where you want to put it. Then match the space and lighting with the plant’s requirements. Do you have a big spot by a sunny window or a small space with moderate light? Next ask yourself if you are looking for a plant with beautiful green leaves or would prefer a flowering plant.

2. Water
   Potting soil should be kept moist, but not wet. Of course, there are always exceptions, like succulents, cactus, and other thick-leafed plants do best when the soil dries out between watering. If the soil is kept too dry or too damp the plant’s roots will begin to die, which can lead to inadequate growth or even death of the plant. Be sure to check the watering requirements for the plant you choose and maybe set a reminder on your phone on when to water!!!

3. Light
   As with watering, every plant has different light requirements. Many plants prefer direct sunlight, but this may be hard to get inside a house. Go for plants with low to medium sun requirements and try to keep your plants near a window. Kitchen windows work great!

4. Drainage
   Good drainage is essential to healthy houseplants. Start with a good potting soil that has been mixed specifically for indoor gardening. Choose a container with drainage holes (many of my ceramic pot did not have drainage hole but I just bought my husband a ceramic drill bit and he drills holes for me!!), or put a layer of pebbles or charcoal in the bottom of a container without holes. You don't wan the plant standing in water.

5. Temperature
   Many houseplants thrive in temperatures between 65-75° during the day and 55-60° at night. Check what temperature your plant needs before you buy it. You don't want to put a tropical plant that needs 90° temps in a house that is only set to 70.

6. Fertilizer
   Every time a plant is watered nutrients leach out of the soil through the drainage hole. Even if that didn’t happen, your plants will quickly deplete the nutrients in their soil. Unlike plants living outside, houseplants don’t have a regular source of nutrient replenishment unless you fertilize them regularly. So be sure to fertilize once a month in the summer when plants are flowering or growing. You can switch to once a quarter in the winter months.

7. Repotting
   If your plants are thriving and growing the way you want them to, eventually they will need a bigger pot, or some fresh potting mix. Repot plants in the spring when they are just starting to grow. Strong root growth will allow the plant to adjust to its new container quickly. Water your plant the day before you choose to repot. Choose a pot that is bigger than the current container, but not too large. A pot that is too-big can encourage root rot and other problems because the soil will remain wet for days, or even weeks before it can be used by the plant, (another reason to ensure your pots have a drainage hole). If you don't want to move your plant to a larger pot but just want to give it some fresh soil, then make sure you trim the bottom of the roots down so they can flourish again. Add fresh soil to the pot just underneath the roots.

I hope you guys enjoyed my post about indoor plants, and how I am preparing for the summer months!

Let me know in the comments what you are doing to prepare for spring? What is your favorite house plant? What troubles do you have keeping plants alive?

Give me an upvote if you also have indoor house plants, and don't forget to follow for more on how I earn my daily happiness!