Things You'll Need:
- The desire to have plants indoors.
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Step 1
Light is very important to plants, so take advantage of the lighting conditions in your home. Flowering plants need a lot more light than those that only have foliage. Watch plants carefully to make sure that the plants are getting the right amount of light. Too much light and the leaves can turn yellow and burn. Too little light will make slow growth with weak stems and yellow leaves. If light is poor, use fluorescent lamps about 12 inches above the tallest leaves for foliage plants and 6 to 8 inches from flowering plants. The light needs to be on for 14 to 16 hours a day.
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Step 2
The soil of houseplants should be tested every 2 or three days to see if it is dry. Let about 1/2 inch of soil dry out before you water. Plants should be watered in the morning using a pitcher or long spouted watering can. Stop watering when water comes out of the drainage holes.
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Step 3
I usually try to keep the room temperature where I have houseplants between 65 and 72 degrees during the day and 50 to 55 degrees at night. A drop of more than that can harm plants. If you have cold winters, move plants away from windows at night. If temperatures get over 90 degrees in the summer, use a humidifier to keep the air moist.
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Step 4
All plants need pruning. In the spring and summer you can pinch off growing tips and the plant will grow fuller and this promotes flowering. If the plant looks straggly cut off the shoots with a sharp knife or scissors just above a leaf joint. Drastic pruning should not be done unless the plant is sick or very overgrown.
