Keeping your plants healthy is important and here’s a few tips for you:
1- Mist
Misting the plants helps controlling the humidity level on a short-term basis. Some plants like it when the humidity levels are high and misting the plants provides them more humidity.
That’s not all what the mist does to a plant… It also helps to keep leaves clean and dust free.
2 – Clean
Indoor plants depend on you to clean them regularly to remove dust. Removing the dust is important because it can block the pores and choke the plant. A tip for you; every time you clean your house (probably on a regular basis), take time to shine your plants at the same time.
It’s an easy and quick process, take a damp cloth and gently wipe the leaves. However, make sure you use lukewarm water as cold water may shock the plants and cause damage. Or you can even wash them under the shower or tap.
If you compare indoor plants to outdoor ones, let me tell you that outdoor ones get cleaned almost every day with the wind and the rain.
Having clean plants equals happy plants.
3 - Poke
Poking your plants ventilates the soil. Aerating the soil is probably something you have never considered but it can have a big impact on the health of your plants. It creates a better oxygen flow to the roots, more air to circulate in the soil, decreasing the risk of root rot/decay and bacterial infection. As the plants grow in a pot, the soil is slowly compacted by watering and the growth of new roots. Poking the soil will help to prevent a compacted soil and help the water to flow through.
What does Poking actually mean? It’s simply putting holes into the soil of the plants to loosen it up and allow air & nutriments to circulate. It’s important to be gentle while poking the soil with a blunt stick (wooden skewer, chopstick) to avoid damaging the root. Poke in various location around the base of the plants, around two holes per few centimetres per diameter of your pot. Twist your stick a bit to loosen up the roots and soil. Don’t do it to often, maybe once every 2-3 months. If you find out that the soil is very compact, you might consider re-potting your plant.
A healthier plant is less prone to sickness from the usual indoor plant pests.