Growing a Green Thumb
I’m green with envy toward anyone who has a green thum. I don’t which makes living a “greener” life a bit of a challenge.
Our "sad" new houseplant
Although I don’t have a natural talent for growing things, I’m moving forward with my commitment to plant a garden for reasons I’ll detail in an upcoming post. We’ve also recently welcomed several new houseplants into our home. (Read why) After about two weeks, my not so green thumb had reduced them to the sad plant you see in the picture to the right. It was described by several Twitter friends as “depressed.”
Luckily, I was grocery shopping and stopped at Starbucks for a tea the same day I took this picture. Did you know they give away bags of used coffee grounds for your garden? I thought of my plant and asked if the grounds were good for houseplants. I got a detailed explanation of the benefits of nitrogen, which amounted to a yes, so I took a bag home and gave it a try. Twenty-four hours later the plant had perked up and has been doing much better ever since.
Encouraged, I’ve been reading and researching in an effort to grow my plant knowledge and hopefully a green thumb. Here are some of the tips that have helped with my houseplants. As we begin the gardening process I’ll have more tips to share on growing a green thumb.
- Setting plants on a tray of gravel and pebbles allows you to give them extra water to increase humidity (which they need to thrive) without giving them “wet feet.”
- Discard any water that remains beneath the pot an hour after watering.
- Water to wet the entire pot of soil, but try to avoid the foliage. When the water runs out of the drainage hole you’ve sufficiently saturated the soil.
- Only water when the plant needs it. Monitor the soil for guidance. If it’s dry an inch deep the plant needs water.
- The signs of over-watering can also be the signs of under-watering – such as a droopy or depressed plant. Analyze the soil before deciding on the problem and the solution.
- Used coffee grounds can be a great nitrogen supplement for your garden and plants. They balance the pH and protect against certain insects and diseases.
- Turn your plants once a week to keep them from leaning or filling out on one side.
Basically, it’s all about the watering!
Do you have houseplants? What tricks or tips do you have for maintaining their health?
You will find much joy in the future from adding some houseplants to your home. At each step you will learn about the care each different plant needs to remain healthy. Don’t dwell on the mistakes, but do enjoy the successes like the one you just had with your new houseplant.