How to Grow House Plants Without a Green Thumb

Caring for plants properly, and keeping them growing lush and beautiful takes patience and practice. Not everyone is born with a green thumb, but that's ok because you don't need one. The real key to growing healthy and happy house plants is proper knowledge, dedication, and patience.

If you love having plants in your home, but haven't had much success with them in the past, these tips are just what you need.

Easy to Care for House Plants

Starting out with a low maintenance plant is your best bet. Caring for plants properly is something that has to be learned just like anything else. Many individuals make the mistake of purchasing plants simply because they look nice; they haven't a clue how much work it takes to keep them looking nice.

This website reveals 5 house plants that you can't go wrong with, along with helpful plant care information.

Be an Informed Plant Buyer

Another mistake people often make when purchasing plants for their home is, not reading the plant care information. Most plants come with a small tag that explains the amount of sunlight needed and the proper watering instructions. It is important that you read this information before purchasing a plant. You can also find plant care instructions online. Just type in the name of the plant followed by the words "care instructions" into your search engine, and you'll quickly find what you're looking for. And don't be afraid to ask the associates at the nursery questions; that's what their there for.

Proper Placement

In general most plants require plenty of sunlight, although the amount does vary from plant to plant. Choose a place in your home that has access to sunlight throughout most of the day. If you have cats you may want to place a feline repellent near the plants to keep them from using it as a litter box or eating the plant. You can usually find these repellents in pet stores.

Ensuring the Lively Growth of Your Plant

Many house plants do surprisingly well with coffee grounds. The coffee works similar to Miracle Grow. All you need to do is, spread the used coffee grounds over the soil bed and then water as usual. I do this for my fern and it works really well. However, this doesn't work for all plants. You should do an online search, or check with your local nursery, to see if coffee grounds are ok to use for your particular plant before using this method.

Make sure you remove dead leaves, stems, and flowers from the plant. If they are not removed, it can hinder its growth and eventually kill the whole plant. Gently pull dead leaves and flowers from the plant, and clip away the stems.

Up grade to a larger pot as the plant grows. If the plant remains in a pot that's too small, its growth will be stunted and it will die. Make sure you use a nutrient rich soil as well. The soil in your back yard will not suffice. Loosen the soil around the plants roots and then fill the pot with potting soil so that the roots are well covered.

If you want to learn how to do something, like play an instrument or paint, you usually begin with the basics. Growing healthy house plants is no different. Whether you want to grow one plant or a house full of them, these tips are just what you need to get started.