Seven Easy House Plants + How to Care for Them

We’re all spending a lot more time in our homes and on our patios right now. One of my favorite parts about my apartment are my sweet baby house plants. Some of them aren’t babies any more! Somehow I’ve become a mother to healthy growing crew of house plants that I love dearly. I never thought I was cut out for it.

House plants are living decorations. They’re often more affordable decorations, too.  They’ll keep you in touch with nature, even when we can’t go out as much. I chose my plants based where I’d like to place them in my apartment design. That means you need to know ahead of time where you want them to live based on the light hey need. Here are the seven plants I have in my apartment:

It generally loves continuous, daily sunlight.

 

It likes light, but not direct light.

This tropical plant likes its bright sunlight!

 

This thrives wherever it is.  I keep in a bright room, but no direct sunlight.

Requires low light. Think: forest floor.

 

It likes light, but not direct light. Don’t put it in too much shade.

Fun tip: the darker the cactus, the less light it needs. Generally you want to make sure they’re getting at least four hours of light a day.

1. Choose healthy plants. You want to look at the roots. Healthy roots are thick and light in color. Avoid any spots or sticky residues. That may be a sign of a disease.
2. Know their light and humidity needs. This will determine where you place the plants. Keep and eye one them after you place them to be sure your assumptions about light in certain places is right. The leaves will become dry or the plants will stop growing if they aren’t getting the right amount of light.
3. Keep the soil moist, but not soaked. That means I’m typically watering plants about once a week. I check them once or twice a week, though. If I touch the soil and it’s really dry, then it’s time for a drink. You can also feel the weight of the pot. Heaviness signifies that the plant has enough water.
4. Prune baby, prune. Leaves will yellow or crisp over time no matter how perfect you treat them. After all, they’re meant to be living somewhere else. Go ahead and get ride of anything discolored as often as you can. Just don’t over prune. A rule of green thumb: don’t get rid of more than a quarter of the leaves on a plant.

5. Sometimes you need to repot. I’m about to do that with a few of my plants. They are bursting out of their pots. It’s important to replant into larger containers so their roots stay healthy.  You can also break certain plants up into smaller sections.

Shop some house jungle essentials with All Modern:

Below are a few new pieces I’ve found that are prefect for surrounding and cuddling your house plant sanctuary. Spruce in your living room, patio, and beyond. Shop more home decor and tools here. 

Thirlby Palm Pillow // More Outdoor Pillows	Featherste Pot Planter // More Modern Planters	Michaela Striped Pouf // More Outdoor Decor
Pepinn Planter // More Outdoor Planters	Natascha Indoor/Outdoor Rug // More Outdoor Staples/a>	Cleon Pillow // More Outdoor Throw Pillows
Coffelt Seating Group // More Outdoor Seating Sets	Jaime String Lights // More Outdoor Lighting