The Best House Plants for Beginners
A plant at home can increase oxygen levels and decrease the amount of pollutants and dust. Caring for a plant can give you great satisfaction, and it's been proven to boost mental well-being.
Which house plant is the best for you? We talked to experts for their recommendations.
Marble Queen Pothos
Pothos (Epipremnum Aureum) is a popular house plant, thanks to its heart-shaped leaves and gorgeous white variegation. It is also simple to care for, making it an ideal choice for those who are new to gardening. Like best houseplants thrives in different lighting conditions. However it prefers moderate amounts of bright indirect sunlight. It can also thrive in lower light or full shade. A moderate amount of humidity in the household and a soil mix that is slightly acidic are ideal for this plant, too.
So long as the soil is not allowed to dry out completely the plant will tolerate of a lack of watering, but overwatering is the most common cause of death for houseplants. If you're unsure, put your finger in the soil to see if the soil is moist. If not, water the plant. If the leaves are changing color, it could be caused by too much sunlight or a lack of light. tall house plants could also indicate that there's a fungal infection.
Pothos, unlike other plants, can withstand air pollution including Ozone. It can be used in the kitchen or bathroom to filter the air.
Like other plants This one is also susceptible to pests and diseases. It's best to treat issues quickly so that they don't spread across the home. Pests like mealybugs and thrips are common on this plant. Maintaining your Marble Queen pothos well-watered and fed will help prevent these insects from attacking it in the first place.
To keep your plant looking its best Trim the tips of your stem often. This helps the marbled foliage remain full and keeps the vines from becoming too long. These stem tip clippings can also be used to help propagate new plants.
If you'd like to encourage your Marble Queen to expand by giving it something to stick to. This could be a moss trellis or rod, or perhaps a piece of string. Remember to spritz the moss or any other support with a little water as part of your regular watering routine to encourage it to grow faster.
Monstera
The monstera plant (Monstera Deliciosa) also known as the Swiss Cheese Plant, is one of the most well-known house plants. The leaves are decorated with natural holes -- known as leaf fenestrationand can add an exotic look to any room. It is easy to propagate simply by cutting it and growing it in water solutions.
Monstera deliciosa is a fast-growing plant, so you may need to repot it every few months. Remove a few leaves and then repot the plant in a well-drained potting soil. Make sure your container is well-ventilated and add perlite or lava rocks to the soil for aeration, if necessary.
They are simple to maintain as house plants, provided they get plenty of sunlight and a sufficient amount of humidity. They are happy to climb up a trellis, or vine downwards. You can easily modify them to your taste by pruning. It's easy to mist a monstera with a spray bottle filled with water to increase the humidity in its leaves on a daily basis.
Monsteras are not a succulent, despite the name. While succulents have thick fleshy leaves that hold water and nutrients, monsteras have thin heart-shaped leaves adorned with fenestrations. Monsteras are tolerant of dry climates, but require more humidity and moisture than succulents.
It's important to note that, even though the fenestrations of monstera leaves make them look like they could be consumed, they are not safe to consume. This plant's fruit, stems and leaves contain oxalic acids that can cause throat and mouth irritation when consumed.
Blank suggests that those who have achieved the fiddle-leaf figure move onto a Monstera to get a better feel of how easy it can be to garden indoors. "A monstera can adapt to various conditions," says Blank. It needs a warm environment, but it is able to withstand lower temperatures and higher humidity than the typical home.
ZZ Plant
The ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) is one of the most durable house plants that are available. It's slow-growing, tough and can endure a wide range of conditions. It thrives in dark places and isn't averse to low humidity. It's also very accommodating of people who aren't paying attention, and requires only sporadic waterings to survive. The leaves of the tropical succulent can mature in lime green, purple black or a combination of both shades.
Divide the rhizomes of ZZ plant that are the tubers that resemble roots at the base of the stems. Remove the plant out of its pot and split the rhizomes. Trim them a little before placing them in new pots. Alternately, you can plant new ZZs from stem cuttings that have two leaves and are approximately an inch long. Place the cuttings in a pot with 50:50 mix of perlite and multipurpose compost and place in a sunny spot. It can take up to one year for the cuttings of the plant to develop.
Although it is among the most durable house plants, there are certain things that can cause this species to die, including overwatering, direct sunlight and dry soil. Water the ZZ plant only when its soil feels dry. It's fine to keep the soil moist. The plant can go for weeks without watering as its rhizomes store water.
The plant is not a pest magnet but it is prone to fungus and rot. The best way to prevent these problems is to regularly get rid of dead and decaying leaves from the plant. It is also important to keep it out of reach of pets and small children, as the stems and leaves could be irritating if they are eaten.
The ZZ plant is an excellent air purifier because it can assist in removing toluene, benzene and xylene out of indoor environments. It also has the capacity to absorb some volatile organic compounds, including carbon monoxide and formaldehyde. good house plants makes the ZZ plant a great option for apartments and offices that don't have adequate ventilation.
Parlor Palm
Palms have a long-standing history as indoor plants, and for good reason. They can be planted in different temperatures and lighting conditions. They also give a lush, tropical feel to your home. The chamaedorea, also known as parlor, palm is no different. The plant (also called the neanthe bella palm) is native to Central America, and it's becoming more popular due to its versatility. It thrives best in bright, well-filtered light, but can be established in areas with lower light levels, such as rooms that face north or east. It's a slow growing plant so it may take a year or more for it to reach its full height of between 2 and 6 feet.
If you're looking to stimulate growth, fertilize your plant every month with an appropriate liquid fertilizer. It needs a well-draining mix, and Bridget Zazzara, retail indoor and seasonal plant manager of Logan's Trading Company, recommends using the same potting mix as you would use for cacti and succulents. Look for a well-draining soil that is slightly acidic to alkaline, with a pH between 6.1 and 7.8 and make sure to add a few gallons of sphagnum peat moss, which helps improve the soil's structure and retention.
Keep your parlor palms away from drafty areas and mist their leaves daily to ensure that they are humid. You can also install a humidifier into your home. If your palm in the parlor becomes rootbound, you can repot it in the spring. Overwatering can lead to root decay. Water the plant as soon as the top inch or so of the compost is dry to the surface. It is more frequent to water in warm weather, but less frequently in the winter.
They are attractive to bees, but be sure to place them away from pets and children. The needle-like leaves of these palms can be poisonous if they are eaten, and they are also a magnet for mealybugs. These insects appear as fluffy, white floating blobs beneath the leaves. They can be difficult for you to get rid of. If you notice these insects, you can wipe them off using a cotton bud or a cloth coated with an insecticide that is made up of fatty acids or plants oils.