Growing houseplants is a great way to start gardening and add a little more ‘life’ to your home. However, as awesome as a plant garden sounds, looking after them, at first, can be overwhelming. "How much water does each plant need? How often does it need water? Should it be placed near or away from the sunlight?" are a few questions you may be contemplating as you start to add more plants to your life.

The truth is that indoor gardens can be simple to manage. With over forty years of experience on our side, Sweetbush has created a Beginner’s Guide to caring for plants that are full of simple tips to bring you success. This guide is a teaching tool to make caring for your houseplants an absolute no-brainer.

Getting Started with Indoor Plants

1. Make the right choices: At the onset, choose a plant that is the right fit for the space in which you would like to use it. Ask yourself, what kind of plant do I want? A tall, short, thin, or bushy plant? Pick out a location where you want to place it, paying attention to the amount of space and also the available lighting.
2. Consider the lighting: Plants require light. Does the space you plan to use have natural sunlight from a window or is there only artificial lighting? What type of plant would look best and grow best with the available lighting?
3. Time is of the essence: How much time are you willing to put into caring for your plant? Be honest with the time you have to spend!
4. Plants are living things: Just like a child or pet, plants need food, water, and care. Don’t choose a fussy plant if you know you aren’t the type of person to spend a lot of time caring and nurturing it.
5. Start small: Before jumping head first into gardening, a houseplant is the best way to figure out if you have ‘green fingers.’ So before you get a six-foot floor plant that is really expensive, try raising a small desk plant. It will give you a great idea about how passionate you are about plants and whether it’s something you enjoy or if it's a passing phase.

Advice From The Pros

Knowledge is power: Doing anything the wrong way can be costly. Knowledge about any topic is priceless. Read about the plants you are interested in. Know what kind of care they require. The biggest and most common mistake people usually make is not giving a plant enough water and then not allowing it to thoroughly dry out before watering it again. We suggest that you use an inexpensive wooden chopstick and stick it in the soil before watering. If the soil clings to the stick and is wet, your plant does not need water. If the soil is dry and the stick pulls out clean, it is now time to water your plant. While watering it, make sure to thoroughly soak the entire area of soil, not just one spot. Your plant is now correctly watered!

At Sweetbush, we’ve always believed that people who love plants can’t help but be the nurturing type. If you love plants or are trying to grow a garden in your home, we’re more than happy to help. Take advantage of our free consultation, during which we take the time to listen carefully to your needs, no matter how large or small, and give you not just fresh plants, but fresh ideas as well. To learn more about plants and how we can help you, visit our website or get in touch with Sweetbush today.