5 basic tips for new house plant parents

Taking care of indoor plants is fulfilling, but not always easy.

Sometimes, people get so busy with other things like work and chores and forget to water them. It’s also easy to do the opposite and make the mistake of overwatering your plant.

To help new plantitos and plantitas at home keep their indoor plants alive, “Unang Hirit” asked Francis Alpas from Homegrown Organics to share a few basic tips.

1. Know your plant.

Every hala-mom should know what a particular house plant needs.

This way, you can find it a place in your home where it would get enough sunlight, and know whether or not it needs a trim or if you’re overwatering it.

2. Don’t overwater it.

Many house plants like lavender and snake plants don’t need a lot of water to survive, but you should also be very mindful about how much water you give it.

Francis would suggest using a spray bottle. You can also make a simple one of your own with a plastic water bottle and poking small holes on the cover so you could carefully squeeze the water out.

3. Empty your drip tray regularly.

Drip trays are very useful in keeping your plants hydrated while avoiding a mess inside the home.

However, Francis reminded plant owners to empty drip trays regularly to avoid the cultivation of mosquitoes in stagnant water.

4. Mind the soil.

It’s very easy to overlook this, but some plants need a specific soil to stay healthy.

The most common house plants come from tropical environments and therefore require special soil with particular qualities, and the owner also needs to make sure it maintains the right moisture for the plant.

5. Get rid of aphids.

Aphids are tiny bugs that love to feed on house plants.

To get rid of them, Francis suggested spraying your plant with the right repellent. He said you could also make your own by mixing 10 g of all-natural soap in 100 ml of water. – Margaret Claire Layug/RC, GMA News