Although gardening is one of my favorite hobbies, the lush green plants that I would bring home from the nursery often turned into brown, dried-up dead things. I just wasn’t able to give them the attention that they needed. Instead of giving up on houseplants, I’ve learned a few tricks to help keep them alive and healthy.
Low maintenance houseplants are the key to success for the gardener who is short on time. These types of plants still thrive even if you aren’t able to devote as much time and attention to them as you’d like. They simply don’t require a lot of care. Even though they’re not fussy, these houseplants still need some care. Here are five tips that help houseplants flourish:
- Follow light and watering requirements faithfully.
- Keep the care instructions spike in the planter. If you don’t like the looks of them, make your own.
- Use watering bulbs.
- Regularly remove faded or dead leaves and flowers. Rotting plant material attracts disease and insects.
- Take care of disease and pest issues as soon as you notice them. Have treatments ready to go- whether you buy them or make them yourself.
Here are some low maintenance houseplants that are hard to kill:
Rubber Plant- medium light to full sun; let dry out between waterings. I took this cutting from a vacant lot near my home.
English Ivy-will grow in low light as well as medium to bright light; prefers moist soil but will tolerate dry conditions.
Dracaena Marginata-medium indirect light but will tolerate low light; let dry out between waterings.
Related: Christmas Cactus Care
Spider Plant-medium to bright light; dry out between waterings -but not for too long.
Schefflera-medium, filtered light; let dry out between waterings.
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Aglaonema-medium, filtered light; okay to let dry out between waterings.
Spider Plant-medium to bright light; dry out between waterings -but not for too long.
Related: Effortless Aromatherapy
Wandering Jew-medium to bright light; let dry out between waterings.
Pothos- will tolerate low light but grows better in medium to bright light; let dry out between waterings. My oldest plant-about 20 years old. It recently suffered a mildew problem but is on the rebound.
Cacti and Succulents- Bright light; let dry out between waterings. This will usually be a couple of weeks. Every home should have at least one aloe plant in it for minor burns. My daughter found this little cactus and the discarded soda can on an island in the Gulf that her and her dad visited on a boating trip. It’s my all-time favorite plant.
Honorable Mention – I don’t know the name of this plant, but it deserves the utmost respect. It died almost immediately after gas from our boat’s gas tank leaked onto our driveway’s pavers. The gas must have then leached into the planter. Not too much later an offshoot of the plant sprang up from in between the cracks of the pavers. I constantly have to trim back this prolific flowering plant. Talk about low maintenance!
Let me know what plants you’ve found are low maintenance in the comments below. Or tell me if you know what kind plant my honorable mention plant is!
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Lisa is a mother of three lovely young women and is a new grandmother to a baby boy! She has been married to her high school sweetheart for more than thirty years. Lisa is originally from Dearborn Heights, Michigan, but has lived in the Tampa Bay area since 1984. Running a small business for over 25 years and raising a family has made for a busy, busy life with many ups and downs; it’s definitely been an adventure.
Lisa’s always involved in one project or another whether it’s work related or serving her community. She also recently went back to school to finish her bachelor’s degree in American Studies. Lisa tries to make every day a good day—that means learning something new, practicing kindness, and enjoying the present moment.
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I love that you included “hard to kill” lol. I have had some plants for years and others who have hit the grave rather quickly. I find that spider plants are rather hardy. Thanks for sharing these. A plant is always a great gift!
I have a lot of fake plants but maybe I should invest in a real one!
Taking care of house plants are so important! I hope I can use your tips to get a house plant of my own some day!
I’m more inclined towards taking care of my plants these days and I must say I love your post. Thanks for sharing these great tips. I didn’t know about watering bulbs. I think it’s a great idea to keep your plants hydrated. I have Aloe Vera and Rubber plant from the list. I’m planning to get Pothos and Spider Plant as well. Thanks again for this lovely post. Saving it for future reference. 🙂
Oh this is helpful! I always want to know the plants that are hard to kill. I kill every plant I touch… Even cactus for some reason. Except my air plants… they are still alive after four years!