Four Tips to Keep Your House Plants Alive

House plants are bred for the indoors, but you still want to do a few things to keep them alive. You can make sure your indoor plants will thrive by following the four tips presented in this Lowe’s video:

1. You want to have the right plant in the right place. If you have a highlight plant like a kalanchoe, place it by a bright west or south window where it can get lots of light during the day. A low-light plant like a prayer plant will do well in a living room or in any room that doesn’t get that much light.

2. Watering kills more houseplants than anything. To avoid over-watering, put your finger up to the first knuckle down in the pot and pull it out. If the tip of your finger is wet, don’t water; if it’s dry, it’s time to water. You want to soak it thoroughly when you water, so pull the leaves back and really water deep. You want to see the water come out of the bottom of the saucer; that’s how you know that you’ve watered well. For drought-tolerant plants like orchids and succulents, here’s a cool trick: just place an ice cube or ice chip on the plant several times a week to prevent over-watering.

3. Fertilize your house plants to keep them growing well and blooming for you.

4. Mulching protects the roots and keeps moisture in. Put a covering of mulch across the top of your house plants, whether it’s rocks or moss.