Okay so you want some plants, but can’t keep them alive. Don’t worry! We’ve all been there. I used to kill every plant I owned until I tried out some of these. A little patience and attentiveness and you will switch that brown thumb to a green thumb in no time.
I’ll share with you some of my favorite low light and hard to kill houseplants. There are several more out there, but these are perfect to start off with. They really are almost impossible to kill.
One awesome thing about plants is that if you pay attention to them they will tell you what is wrong. Much like your body will communicate to you when something is not quite right, your plants will do the same. A great example of this is when you see the leaves browning, shriveling up, or starting to look wrinkled they likely are not getting enough water.
PLANT CARE TIPS
Light and water are the most important. Two of the most common causes of killing a houseplant are: not enough light & improper watering. Even low light plants need some sort of light, indirect is best.
How much light?
Indirect lighting means it should be in a well lit room, but not in full sunlight. They should not be directly next to the window but still somewhere near it. Just enough so the light just indirectly touches it.
How much water?
You want enough to soak the dirt but not so much that it starts leaking out the bottom of the pot.
Watering should occur when the soil is dry (unless it’s a cactus)
Most common houseplants can be watered once a week
Yellow leaves indicate having too much water or not enough light
Dry, browning leaves indicate not having enough water
In the winter months watering should be less frequent because even indoor plants go dormant during this time.
Pests can come from over-watering
Over-watering is how a lot of beginner plant owners end up killing their plants. If you ever notice little bugs that resemble fruit flies by your plants that is a sign of too much water in the soil. Those are not fruit flies they are fungus gnats and they are a houseplant pest.
HOW TO GET RID OF FUNGUS GNATS
For a natural solution to getting rid of fungus gnats try planting a clove of garlic in the soil or making a garlic infused water spray.
3 Hard to Kill, Low Light Houseplants
These 3 plants can handle erratic watering schedules and have very little light requirements. They are almost impossible to kill if you do not over-water them.
If you haven’t tried out an houseplant yet, start with one of these and it will do well! These are perfect for anyone to try, even someone new to plant parenting or recovering plant killers. Once you get comfortable with a few then you can start adding to your urban jungle. If you want more reasons to buy plants check out my blog post about some of the health benefits of having them. Click the link here
Devil’s ivy
(Pothos)
These will grow long vines. They are easy to propagate as well. Propagating is taking a cutting of the large plant to make a smaller one. To propagate take the cutting and place it into filtered water and wait for roots to grow.
Light: Pothos need indirect light. They will tolerate low light and shade as well as some sun. Although they do well in a variety of different lighting, they do not thrive in full sun environments.
Water: This can be watered more frequently depending on how hot it is in your region. Usually once a week is perfect. If you take your plants outdoors for the summer it will need more frequent waterings, likely every 2-4 days.
Snake plant
(Sansevieria)
They are the perfect low light plant! I think they could survive just about anywhere in the house. They are also known to help calm and ease anxiety.
Light: Need indirect light, but can tolerate full sun or low light.
Water: Somewhere between 10 -14 days is best.
ZZ plant
(Zanzibar Gem)
This is a very hardy plant that can thrive in both low or high light. It’s hard to kill even if you neglect it.
Light: Indirect, low light. It does not do well in full sun.
Water: Every 7-14 days. Be sure to not water this too frequently. (Every 10 or so days might work best)