About 5-6 years ago I was still dancing ballet professionally (training 6-10 hours per day) and also working towards getting my Business Management degree (the rest of the time). I had a very mentally and physically demanding life, and found myself seeking ways to bring serenity to my mind. I had just moved to a new neighborhood in Boston and an indoor plant nursery happened to be located near me. I have always enjoyed nature so I decided to go check it out. Little did I know that it would become my “go to” place almost every weekend! I just loved the way it made me feel being there. I felt calm, it was the only place where I could totally disconnect from life's busyness.
I started to replicate the look and feel of this indoor nursery in my own apartment. It was lovely to wake up and walk into this beautiful, pure and serene environment I had created with plants. I wanted to share my little plant lady story with all of you to maybe encourage you to experience (if you don’t own any plants yet) the positive effects of welcoming plants into your home.
My Apartment in Boston a few years ago.
I learned a lot through trial and error growing plants in my apartment in Boston (a quite cold and dry climate). In this week’s blog I will share some plant options that are not only low maintenance but also look beautiful inside!
Rubber Tree
Photo by Scott Webb on Unsplash
Water: During the growing season, it needs to be kept moist. Water it once a week. Leaves turning yellow or brown and falling off might be signs of overwatering. During dormant months it might need to be watered only once or twice a month. Leaves falling might mean that it needs more water.
Light: Rubber plants thrive in bright light, but prefer indirect light that is not too hot. Perfect location: By a window with curtains so the light is filtered.
What they love: Rubber plant leaves love to be wiped clean with a moist cloth :)
Pet friendly: No
Snake Plant
Water: Let soil dry out between waterings. Water it about once a week. Do not water it too much especially during winter months.
Light: Although snake plants prefer bright light they can survive in a low light environment just fine.
Benefits: This amazing plant filters chemicals such as benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene and toluene, so rest assured that you are breathing cleaner air if you own snake plants.
Pet friendly: No
Monstera Deliciosa
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
Water: Let soil dry out between waterings. Water it about once a week. Make sure the pot has big enough draining holes and it is well ventilated, since the soil might develop mold or fungus due to excessive humidity.
Light: Monsteras enjoy bright to medium indirect sunlight. They tolerate low light but thrive and grow faster in well lit areas. Too much direct sunlight might burn the leaves.
Benefits: One of the most effective plants to reduce air pollutants such as benzene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde according to a NASA study.
Pet friendly: No
Pothos
Apartment No.3 Woven Basket + Cali Handwoven Pillow
Water: This plant is extremely resilient. It flourishes in highly humid spaces. Water once a week and twice a week for bigger pots. Make sure that the pot is well drained, because just as the Monstera plant it can also develop mold and fungus if the soil is too humid. This plant is easy to propagate and grows pretty fast with the proper water and light.
Light: They enjoy a wide range of environments. They do well in bright indirect light as well as low light spaces.
Benefits: Filters air pollutants such as benzene, formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene.
Pet friendly: No
ZZ Plant
Photo by Pino Nguyen on Unsplash
Water: Water every 2-3 weeks, allowing soil to dry out between waterings. Expect to water more often if the plant gets brighter light exposure and less often if it gets lower light exposure. Average home humidity is okay for this plant, but it can also tolerate dry environments.
Light: Thrives in medium to bright indirect light. Can tolerate lower indirect light, does not enjoy intense direct sun exposure.
Pet friendly: No
Fiddle Leaf Tree
Photo by Joash Castro on Unsplash
Fiddle leaf tree is possibly the most difficult plant to take care of out of all the ones listed in this blog. When you first get it, you might notice that for the first few months it might look sad, give it some time! They just need to go through their adapting process. They love to stick to their water routine and do not enjoy being moved around. But once you find what they like, this plant can grow to be a large indoor tree, will provide beautiful and shiny large leaves and add a beautiful touch to your home.
Water: Water it thoroughly whenever the top 2’’ of soil have dried. Allowing the soil to dry down to the lower root system will lead to leaf loss, and overwatering can generate fungus in the soil, if this problem is left untreated it can lead to fungal root infection and potentially kill the tree.
Light: It loves bright indirect light. Too much sunlight exposure can burn the leaves.
What they love: Just like the Rubber plant, Fiddle Leaf Trees love to have their leaves wiped down with a damp washcloth periodically.
Pet friendly: No
Norfolk Island Pine Tree
The first thing to realize about this plant is that it is not as hardy as a standard pine tree, it is actually a tropical plant. Norfolk Island Trees are more like a gardenia or an orchid in terms of care than Pine trees. They can’t tolerate temperatures below 35 F.
Water: As a typical tropical plant they enjoy high humidity. Keep this in mind during winter months. Using a humidifier in the room, or placing the plant on a pebble tray with water will help this plant thrive.
In terms of watering this plant, let the top 2’’ soil dry between waterings. You can fertilize it in the spring and summer with a water soluble balanced fertilizer. It is normal to see some brown branches at the bottom of the tree, but if you notice browning of the branches at the top or middle of the tree, it might be because it is not getting enough humidity or water.
Light: They prefer several hours of direct, bright light, however it can tolerate indirect, bright light as well. A South facing window is the perfect spot to place your Norfolk Island Tree.
Pet friendly: NoI hope you enjoyed learning about these low-maintenance plants. As a plant lady I can tell you that there are only great benefits to your well-being from having plants around your home, of course if you have pets and small children make sure that plants that are toxic to pets and people stay out of reach from your little ones.
Please come back to this blog and let me know in the comments if you end up getting any of these plants and how your experience has been so far! I would love to learn what has worked for you too!
Have a great week!
