Matt's Plants & Co – Australia

Indoor plants are unique a pain in the backside.

You move them 1cm to the left, and suddenly they’re turning brown. Water them on a Sunday instead of a Saturday and it’s too late and they’re on their way out. Put them too close to a window and they dry out and are dead the next day.

So, why it is so difficult to take care of indoor plants?

Well, plants aren’t that different to humans when it comes to temperature, humidity, etc. Once you’re outside, you give up trying to control the climate; you wear what you need to so you’re comfortable. Plants do the same. They adapt, survive and thrive.

But when we’re indoors, we’re constantly trying to find the right temperature by fiddling with the split system or wearing more clothes (or less) or finding a blanket. Plants, however, can’t control all those variables and so when there are huge fluctuations in temperature, sun and watering, it causes havoc.

Watering

Overwatering is the most common mistake while caring for indoor plants. As a general rule of thumb, water your plants if the soil feels dry to touch up until the first crease line on your finger. But make sure you don’t drown the poor creature in water.

I always prefer to bottom-water indoor plants by sitting the pots in a bowl of water. For smaller plants (roughly, when the pot is smaller than my fist), I’ll leave them in the bowl for up to an hour. For large plants, it’s usually several hours or even overnight.

Both underwatering and overwatering are harmful to plants, so read the label that came with the plant and do some online research to see how much water it needs (and specific to your area). Google something along the lines of: ‘Plant name, watering schedule, city/state’.

Position

Indoor plants should be kept away from anything direct. So, don’t put it in the firing line from the split system or a heater, or any type of vent, or even windows which get full sun.

Indoor plants generally require less sunshine than their outdoor friends, so once you get a new plant, keep it in a shady spot and gradually expose it to more light each day. How do you know if they’re happy? If I see a new leaf come through, I reckon they’re doing just fine.

Light

Most indoor plants will want strong indirect light (anywhere in your home which isn’t full-on sun, but a warm area).

As the seasons change, so will how much sunshine your house receives and where, so keep an eye on the shadows and move plants around if they’re receiving too much sun – especially in summer.

Food

Like people, plants need food to survive. To start with, use quality soil. Then use a slow-release fertiliser – specifically for indoor plants – to help them along. It will gradually fertilise your plants, giving them the nutrients they need, when they need it.

Pruning

It’s important to spend a few minutes every few days going around to all your indoor plants and removing any brown, discoloured or just dead leaves. And if a plant is looking sad, admit it to the Google plant hospital.

Even if your plants are doing well, removing soon-to-be dead foliage will allow it to put its energy and nutrients into the healthy parts of the plant.

NB: When all else fails, throw them outside! They may just come back to life when you stop caring about them.