10 Houseplant tips for New Plant Owners

Want a green thumb? Want to put some real houseplants in your home? I’ve got ten houseplant tips for new plant owners to help you get started!

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If you are a new plant owner, there are a few things to know before you start. These houseplant tips for beginners can help no matter what kind of plant you decide to get.

Benefits of Plants In Your Home

There are some fantastic benefits to having natural plants in your home.

Houseplants can filter and purify the air, which is why it feels like you get better oxygen when you have plants in your home.

They also do a great job at boosting your mood and just making you feel happier.

Plus, caring for them can become a way to practice self-care, as it helps you feel more in touch with nature. It’s good to nurture living things.

Houseplant Tips for New Plant Owners

1. Do Some Research Before You Buy Houseplants

My very first tip for new plant owners is to take a little bit of time to research plants before purchasing.

It is tempting to pick out the cutest houseplant you can find at the nursery, but each plant requires a different level of care. 

If you are a new plant owner, you may want to search out low-maintenance plants. 

In time, you can start getting plants that require more care but to start, choose from the houseplants that are easy to care for inside your home.

The Best Plants for Beginners:

• ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas Zamifolia)
• Snake plant
• Photos
• Wandering Jew Plant (Tradescantia Zebrina)
• Spider plant
• Peace lily
• Monstera
• Aloe vera

Related article: Easy-Fast Growing Houseplants

2. Houseplant Placement is Key!

Many people overlook this houseplant tip. Where you put your plant in your home is essential.

Regarding plant placement, there are a few things to consider:

• How much light does the plant need?
• Is the plant tolerate drafts? What about high-traffic areas?
• Is the plant poisonous for humans and or pets?
• Is the plant a vine or a tall growing plant? Some plants are great for bookshelves, and some are better for floor/ corners.

Plants That Don’t Need Much Light

If you live in an apartment or your home doesn’t get a lot of direct, natural sunlight, you can look for houseplants that don’t require as much light. Here are a few suggestions for low-light plants.

Low-light Plants:

• Devil’s ivy
• Weeping fig tree
• Spider plant
• Pothos
• Calathea
• Snake Plant

3. Houseplants that are Toxic for Pets

While dogs typically can’t jump up as high as cats can, you also need to be concerned about plants that are toxic to them. 

But cats are especially at risk because they can jump just about anywhere in your home and sniff the plant. 

Either don’t include these toxic houseplants if you have cats or keep them in a place your cats can’t get to:

Plants that are toxic for dogs and cats:

• Aloe vera
• Peace lily
• Pothos
• Sago palm
• Jade plants

4. Don’t Repot Houseplants Right Away

New plant owners don’t realize that your plants need to acclimate to your indoor home environment.

They have been in the nursery’s environment, likely a greenhouse, for a while, so it’s not going to immediately adjust to the change in light and temperature of your home. 

Keep your new plant in the nursery’s pot for a few days or up to a week before moving it to the cute pot you picked. 

When you choose a new pot for your houseplants, choose one made of porous materials, which will improve how well it drains when you water the plant. 

Some more porous pots include those made of ceramic, wood, and earthenware. 

Make sure the pot has holes in the bottom for drainage.

Repotting Tips for New Plant Owners:

• Make sure you have the suitable soil
• Purchase a pot that’s the right size
• Make sure the pot has proper drainage

5. Choose Your Soil Based on the Type of Plant

For most houseplants, an all-purpose potting mix for indoor plants should work well enough.

However, if you are growing succulents or cacti in pots, you want to get a mix specifically for these varieties of plants. They often include denser and more alkaline materials.

6. Feed Plants with a Quality Plant Fertilizer

If you want to keep your plants healthy and looking beautiful all year long, you need to use the best fertilizer for houseplants. 

As a general rule, I feed my houseplants every two weeks.

Related article: The Best Plant Fertilizers

7. Water Your Plants, But Not Too Much

It is generally better to slightly underwater houseplants than to overwater them.

It can be tempting to constantly look at your plant and assume it needs to be watered again, but this is a mistake.

An excellent way to start with watering is to fill up the pot to about a quarter of its volume in water, then let the water naturally drain out.

For example, succulents tend to need the least amount of watering, about every two weeks.

Aloe, peace lily, and snake plants all do well with watering about every 10-12 days, while plants like spider plants and palms need watering about once a week.

Check out my article about the best type of water to use when watering your houseplants. 🙂

8. Pay Attention to the Leaves

The leaves of your houseplants can tell you a lot about the overall health of your houseplant.

If you aren’t sure if you are watering your plant often enough, the leaves on your plant will tell you.

When your leaves are wilting and getting dry, it is typically a sign that you must water your plant a little more often.

Remove these leaves from the plant with some pruning shears. 

On the other hand, if the leaves are brown at the tip but seem damp and weak, you might be watering your plant a little too much.

You can also look for damage from possible insects as a sign that you need to address that issue.

9. Be on the Lookout for Insects in Indoor Plants

Fungus gnats are the most common insects in indoor plants. Fungus gnats are small flies that infest plants’ potting mix.

Fungus gnat larvae feed on the organic matter in the soil and chew plant roots. Fungus gnats can be a problem in greenhouses, nurseries, and indoor potted plants. 

Related article: How to get rid of Fungus gnats

10. Buy a Plant Care App

Want a green thumb? There’s an app for thaSeveraleral great plant care apps available that will help you with plant care, plant identification, and more!

I wrote an article called: The Best Plant care apps if you want to give it a look-see.

Houseplants Tips for New Plant Owners

I hope these houseplant tips for new plant owners were helpful in your quest for a greener thumb!

What are your favorite houseplants so far? Let me know in the comments below.

Until next time,

XO, Christine