I love all of the plants that are in my home. And as much as I would love to have an even more plant-filled abode that would make the crazy plant ladies on Instagram jealous, I’ve got a lot of shit to do like…running a business, walking the dog, poking through the leaves to find my husband, and so on.
It’s a long-standing belief that the more plants you have, the more time you’ll need to spend dedicated to taking care of your green babies. They’re all going to need watering, making sure they get the right amount of sunlight, occasional plant food, clipping, repotting, and so on.
While that’s definitely true, it’s not the WHOLE truth.
The whole truth is that there are ways to “hack” it, if you will, so that you can have a lovely life full of plants, but won’t need to spend all of your waking hours keeping them alive.
How can you make this happen? Let’s discuss!
The Lazy Persons Guide to Growing Plants Indoors
1. Buy hardy plants
While you know I love some exotic plants, I’ve had to begrudgingly steer away from buying a ton of them, as many plants can’t handle the rough winters of Upstate NY without an immense level of oversight. Instead, I opt for sturdy, rough-and-tumble style houseplants that can handle a little neglect here and there like Sansiervias and prayer plants.
2. Group plants with similar care together
Rather than trying to run around your space watering all of your plants at the same time (let’s face it…in panic mode because you forgot last week), group together plants that have similar water and light needs. That way you’ll be sure to give all of your plants the right amount of love.
3. Create an actual schedule
Growing plants indoors (and really, outdoors for that matter) means treating these living things like, well, they are alive. Plants can wither away with the wrong amount of water, too little or too much sunlight, and poor soil conditions. So rather than feeling like you have to play catch-up every time, create a schedule (use your bullet journal!) that ensures you keep tabs on the needs of your plant kids so they can flourish.
4. Use things that make life easier
Prep ahead of time anywhere you can. Distill some rainwater in a barrel and set that water aside so that you’ll always have clean water for your more temperamental plants (a lot of plants cannot handle the minerals in tap water), use things that automate the watering of your plants, add plant food spikes that make sure your plants get all the tasty nutrients they need when they need them, and even try self-watering plant pots for plants who like a lot of water (I’ve found these to be really good for carnivorous plants like my Venus flytraps).
Above all, remember that growing plants is a marathon, not a sprint, so give yourself a little grace here and there if you don’t get it right the first time.
If you want even more help, check out my free plants guide to 6 easy houseplants for newbies.