27 Cheap Hacks to Rejuvenate Your Struggling Houseplants
This article was originally published on avocadoposts.com and has been republished here with permission.
Have you ever walked into a room and felt instantly uplifted by the sight of vibrant, healthy houseplants? As a passionate houseplant owner, I know the joy they bring. But I’ve also experienced the frustration of seeing my beloved plants struggle with wilting leaves, yellowing, or sparse growth. It can be tempting to reach for expensive solutions that promise a quick fix, but these often fail to deliver lasting results.
Instead, I’ve found that a little bit of knowledge and some simple, effective hacks can work wonders. By understanding what your plants truly need and using common household items, you can nurse them back to health without breaking the bank. In this guide, I’ll share my tried-and-true tips for reviving and rehabilitating your houseplants. Whether you’re dealing with a minor issue or a more serious decline, These hacks will help you revive and rehabilitate your houseplants with little to no costly spending. You can use your everyday supplies and kitchen ingredients to help your plants grow and flourish.
Signs of trouble
Diagnose your plant holistically in order to figure out what’s wrong with it. Do the leaves appear to be falling or turning yellow? How does the dirt feel? Here are some red flags to keep an eye out for. The roots will start to decay when you overwater them. If the edges of the leaves begin darkening, it might mean that they are being eaten away by a fungus. When leaves turn yellow, it’s a cautionary sign. It could be too hot, too cold, too wet, or too dry, which is why you should always be on the lookout for secondary symptoms.
Wrinkled or drooping leaves indicate that your plant is dehydrated and needs to be watered. If leaves begin to fall off, it’s mostly due to a lack of light. For plants, light is their source of nutrition. The remedy is to place them in front of a bright window.
Group humidity-loving plants together
As you may know, plants, too, require companionship. But, more crucially, your humidity-loving plants will all emit moisture, which will benefit surrounding plants. This is how it works: by grouping your humidity-loving plants together, they can help each other out by making the general area around them more humid.
This happens because their leaves, stems, and flowers transpire, and it leaves a cooling effect on the air. As a styling tip, group plants together that have a similar shade and design, so they don’t clash. This is another way of taking the most advantage of your houseplants during summertime.
Your Secret Recipe for Lustrous, Nourished Houseplant Leaves!
Who knew the secret to glossy, healthy houseplant leaves was sitting in your fridge? Time to reach for the milk! A nourishing concoction of one part milk diluted with nine parts water becomes a marvelous leaf-polishing potion. Spritz it onto your plant’s foliage, then gently wipe it with a soft cloth. Watch as dust and dirt vanish, leaving leaves that glow with health and vitality.
But the magic doesn’t stop there. The milk provides a nourishing feast of calcium and protein, essential nutrients for your plants’ well-being. This simple yet effective routine beautifies and enriches your plants, contributing to their health. So, grab that milk carton and let your plants enjoy a milky spa treatment. They’ll repay you with stunning, lustrous leaves that will be the talk of your indoor jungle!
Plant care cheat sheet
Before you buy a plant at the store, make sure to inspect it for possible damage thoroughly. Always re-pot your plant after buying. Go about an inch or two larger than the plastic pot that they’re in, so it has enough room to grow. Add some fertilizer if you consider it necessary. The next thing you need to do before bringing the plant inside the house and placing it among the other plants is to debug it and quarantine it.
When potted indoor plants are outside, aphids, mealybugs, and other sorts of houseplant insect pests can be brought inside and infect the rest of your houseplants. Remember that there are no “low-light” plants; all plants require direct sunshine or bright spots. Sunlight is an important component of your plant’s nutrition. And finally, always follow nature’s lead and only water when the soil is completely dry, then soak it from the bottom.
Slow-release houseplant fertilizers
Likewise referred to as time-release fertilizers, slow-release fertilizers for indoor plants are created using a synthetic supply of nutrients. A covering surrounds the liquid nutrition of the dragee.
This coating degrades gradually and releases the nutrients over time in small doses. You will need to fertilize less regularly if you use products like these. Although it’s quite practical, keep in mind that they are not produced using environmentally safe materials.
Use the upside-down water bottle trick to water plants while you’re on vacation
Fill a water bottle halfway with water, remove the cap, and turn it upside down and into the soil a few inches deep. The water will be absorbed by the soil over time, keeping it moist. Plant spikes made of clay can also be purchased for better control over picky plants.
Because the terracotta spike keeps the soil constantly moist but also doesn’t drown them, it lets you off the hook if you forget about watering or go out of town for a couple of weeks. As for bottles, you can recycle a glass wine bottle or a plastic one.
Use water from boiling vegetables to water your plants
Here is another way to water your plants that’s both inexpensive and effective. To give your plants an extra boost of nourishment, use the cooking water from pasta and veggies. Instead of tossing the water down the drain the next time you make pasta or steam veggies in your kitchen, use it to keep your plants green and flourishing.
Many micronutrients, such as phosphorus, nitrogen, and calcium, are cooked into the water when you boil pasta, vegetables, eggs, or potatoes. Allow the water to cool and water your plants with this refreshing drink that is also a much-needed fertilizer.
Banana Peels
A banana peel seems useless enough to throw away on a regular day. But today, we are considering an alternative to help get rid of the dust on plants. However, we have to be careful because we don’t want to leave any banana grease behind. Moreover, the aphids cannot stand the smell of bananas, so they will leave our beautiful plants alone.
Simply shred the banana peels into small pieces and wrap them around the plants to chase the pesky insects away. To remove dust from the plants, rub the peel on the leaves, and it should give a glossy appearance to the greens.
Use brewed tea or wet tea leaves
When you brew a cup of tea, you also brew a nutritious treat for your houseplants. Tea leaves are packed with tannic acid, a natural substance that can help lower the pH of your potting mix, creating an ideal environment for acid-loving houseplants. Tea leaves are a rich source of nitrogen, a crucial nutrient for plant health. So how do you prepare this tea-rrific treat? It’s as simple as it sounds. After enjoying your cup of tea, allow them to cool instead of tossing the tea bag or the loose tea leaves.
You can then Directly apply wet tea leaves to the soil: Gently work the cooled, wet tea leaves into the top layer of soil around your plants. The tea leaves will gradually break down, releasing nutrients and tannic acid into the soil, or water your plants with brewed tea: Allow your leftover tea to cool completely, then use it to water your houseplants as you usually would. The tea hydrates your plants and infuses the soil with its tannic acid and nutrient contents.
Place a coffee filter in the bottom of your pot
A coffee filter placed between your plant’s dirt and the drainage hole in the pot prevents dirt from spilling out. When water and dirt move out of the hole, the hole can get plugged, limiting water flow. This might cause root rot, which is fatal to your plant.
Not only that, but the filth that is washed away with the water creates a mess. To avoid these issues, some people put rocks at the bottom of their pots, but a coffee filter is much easier. Water and air will be able to flow freely, and dirt will be kept neatly in place.