Ensure your house plant's survival by following these 7+ care tips

Houseplants are a great way to garden all year round, to bring nature into your home, and to help to naturally clean and purify the air. Research has shown that there are many advantages to having plants within the home: higher humidity levels, reduction in airborne dust, lower carbon dioxide levels, and natural filtering of certain pollutants such as benzene and nitrogen dioxide.
Not everyone has great success keeping plants alive inside their home. There are some basic tenants that can be followed to help increase the chances of having a green thumb.
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1. Choose containers
Most houseplants are sold in uninteresting plastic containers, and could use a little sprucing up to match your home's decor. Almost anything can be used as a container with a little ingenuity. When choosing containers make sure there is enough room for the roots to grow, that potting soil can drain if overwatered, and that the size of the container is proportional to the plant so large plants don't tip over due to containers being too small.
2. Start with high quality potting soil
Potting soils are available for purchase at most big box retailers, home and garden centers, and many vendors online. A good quality potting soil will help to promote healthy roots by allowing for proper aeration, drainage, while balancing nutrient and water holding capacity.
3. Match light conditions to plant
One of the most important parts about choosing houseplants is to pick ones that are appropriately matched for the growing conditions you have available. Guide to Houseplants explains the four light categories for houseplants and how to tell if your plant is getting enough, or even too much, sunlight.
4. Water properly
Unless you are growing succulents indoors, your plants need to be water frequently. When the top 1" of potting soil is dry to the touch it's time to wet the entire root ball and let the excess water drain out the bottom of the pot. Make sure standing water is not allowed to sit in plant trays for more than a day or so.
5. Fertilize as needed
Frequent watering leads to leaching nutrients out of the potting soil so potted plants need to be fertilized more regularly than plants that are outside in the ground. Many plants thrive by being fertilized often at a greatly reduced rate than is listed on the fertilizer label.
6. Minimize drafts
Houseplants don't like drastic changes in temperature. Make sure you keep them away from the drafts from heating or air conditioning vents, and cold/hot air leaks from drafty windows or doors.
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7. Repot every couple of years
As plants grow, the roots will grow in accordance. If plants are not "potted up" into larger pots every couple of years you risk them becoming rootbound and experiencing negative effects on their growth. Today's Homeowner has great tips if you're unfamiliar with the process.