16 Bright Side Readers Shared Their Most Effective Tips to Take Care of Houseplants

Sometimes taking care of your houseplants can become a hassle. It might even stress you out, but hey, don’t let that discourage you. Perhaps you’ll find solace in this study that shows how having plants indoors can be beneficial for your health, not only because they clean the air you breathe every day at home, but also because they make you happy. So now that it’s all out on the table, if you’re still up for taking care of those plants, take a look at some of this advice.

Bright Side asked its readers to share their most effective tips for taking care of their houseplants so that we could draft the following article. There are recommendations, tips, and words of advice on all sorts of things to help your plants to glow. And the best part? It doesn’t require you to have a green thumb.

Here are some of the tips our users shared with us:

• I sing to them and talk to them. Not sure if it works, but they always look fine. Additionally, I water the plants once a week and use fertilizer every 6 months or so. Ivian Luciana di Lopez

• They must get enough light and ventilation, at least 1 or 2 hours, daily. If we’re talking about a succulent plant, sun glare should be more than enough. In cold months, it’s better to water it less because this type of plant doesn’t really need a lot of water anyway. Luis Alberto C C

• If you want to get rid of the worms appearing in your plants’ soil, you can boil some water with a bit of detergent (the kind you use to wash your clothes). When it’s dissolved, let it cool, strain the mix, and use a sprinkler to spray it around the tree. The soap won’t hurt your plant. Ana Maria Constante

• Add nutshells to the soil and water it once a week during the summer and every other week during the winter. Take your plants out during the rainy season because raindrops make them beautiful. Use orange peels to clean the leaves and if ants or other bugs become a problem, scatter some cinnamon powder. And of course, don’t forget to give them all your love. Bere Meléndez

• You can sprinkle a small dose of vinegar dissolved in water to treat leaves presenting white dots. Martinez Anarcky Artemisa
• Plants like succulents have to be watered no more than twice a month; that’s every 2 weeks. They also shouldn’t be exposed to direct sunlight. Berly Cesmar

• Pothos plants can be cultivated in water, for instance. Every now and then, you have to add more water, or if there’s a wedge that didn’t take root, remove all the liquids along with the dirty parts. Creating a lot of roots allows them not only to reach the soil but also to protect themselves from direct sunlight. Estrellita de Belén

• Save the remaining water when washing rice to use for watering your plants. Paddy fields are often sprinkled with vitamins to help rice grow better and these, in turn, can be used for your plants at home. Patti Marañon

• 3 times a week, mix a bit of sugar in the water you use to water the plants. That makes them very happy. Maylé Sang

• When it’s time to re-pot your plant, there are 3 types of soil you can use: humid, half-humid, and dry. Try topping your mix with small rocks. Francesco Lombardo

• You can always add eggshells and water to the soil. It’s better to do it twice a week. During the winter, plants need less water. Staring at them and giving them love helps. Carlos Burgos

• Use coffee leftovers (if you’re making freshly ground coffee) and the water left from cooking vegetables if you’re not making a salty broth. Mina Garza

• When a plant suffers from severe dehydration, it can be put in a bucket full of water until the pot stops sending air bubbles to the surface. Then it has to be left to rest in its usual spot. It will improve and you will get a perky plant again in no time. Fabiana Infante

• To make your plants glow and infuse its leaves with life, make sure you clean them with banana or avocado peels, always using the viscous side. Marco Consuelos

• My secret is to avoid having plants if you don’t have a spot where air can easily flow. Sarita Herrera

• White dots that appear on your plants’ leaves are due to woodlice. A homemade remedy I know is to wash the plant using a white creamy soap. Graciela Esayan

Do you have any other tips or advice that you think we should add to the list? Don’t hesitate to share your knowledge with us and the rest of our readers in the comment section. Don’t forget to add a picture of your plants with it!